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in their home after retirement," she says. "They've seen their parents have to move and they want to remodel in a way so they can stay. I also get a lot of calls from people who already have a need, or are anticipating a need, such as someone with ALS where there is a clear trajectory of progressive limitations. I don't typically get calls from younger families. It isn't mainstreamed enough yet that a 30-year-old is asking for it. But we are proposing it. I suggest that, if they are going to spend the money to remodel the space, let's not create something that will b e a limitation later." There can also be a certain amount of denial, notes Amorello, especially from aging baby boomers. "They admit there is a need to plan, so we are doing more things like blocking in showers and around toilets for future installa- tion of grab bars," she says. "I also just finished a project for a couple approaching 70. They are nearing retirement and they wanted their house to be ready. We remodeled their kitchen and three bathrooms, all at the same time. When we were finished, they had slip-free floors and curbless showers in the bath. In the kitchen, we designed cabinets that were accommodating of their height and reach." ENHANCED AESTHETICS Products and materials offered in the marketplace, cou- pled with greater creativity on the part of kitchen and bath designers, make Universal Design easily mainstreamed into kitchens and baths to not only improve function, but enhance aesthetics as well. "In many cases it's the same products being used," says Cook. "They are just used more mindfully…for example, locating a mi- crowave someplace other than its typical location above a stove." Carolyn Cook designed this kitchen with a focus on flexibility, adaptability and aesthetics for an older client who plans to age in place. The client has a granddaughter who uses a wheelchair, and she also used a walker while recovering from a recent knee surgery and appreciated several Universal Design features, such as the double-drawer dishwasher and base cabinet drawers. The goal of this renovation by Carolyn Cook was to simplify an awkward trapezoidal space by squaring the floor plan, removing barriers and eliminating a drop-in jetted tub. The final floor plan features an open curbless 'wet room' shower, while the cantilevered sinks provide future accessibility for mobility devices. Photo: Hollis Ellison Photography Photo: Hollis Ellison Photography 40 Kitchen & Bath Design News • September 2016 UNIVERSAL DESIGN