Accessibility isn’t always something you think of until you need it.

However, it’s an essential feature that ensures your home is comfortable and functional for you and your loved ones. Fortunately, there are plenty of upgrades and renovations that can improve your home’s accessibility, prevent dangerous safety hazards, and increase your overall quality of life. Your home, after all, is your sanctuary and should be the epitome of your comfort.

At Classic Remodeling, our team has been fortunate enough to help several clients renovate for aging in place. From installing safety features like benches and grab bars to using materials that can help visually impaired homeowners navigate to creating a little more room for wheelchairs and walkers, we’re proud to make sure your home can accommodate you no matter what your needs are or what phase of life you’re in.

Here are some of the many renovations or upgrades we recommend to clients regarding increased accessibility.

Making Your Kitchen Accessible

One of the easiest ways to make your kitchen more accessible is by using high-contrast materials. For people with visual impairments or eyesight that will worsen with age, low-contrast design, such as tan floors combined with tan or white countertops, makes delineating between different surfaces difficult. Low-contrast design can result in poor depth perception, which leads to things getting dropped and broken and creating hazards in the kitchen.

If you’re in love with a lighter color for the flooring, for example, we recommend pairing it with a bold cabinet or countertop so it’s easy to distinguish different surfaces and avoid injury or damage.

If mobility or wheelchair access is a concern, we highly recommend designs that incorporate plenty of space to sit or roll under the counter. More seating around peninsulas and counters has become a prevalent trend lately. With extra seating or space to accommodate a wheelchair, your kitchen becomes a great place to entertain and gather and comfortable for everyone.

Since countertops are typically too high to be comfortable work surfaces for someone in a wheelchair or for someone who can’t stand for a long period of time, consider lowering a portion of the counter or adding a pull-out cutting board that is table height to provide a comfortable and reachable work surface.

Storage can often be a difficult barrier, but there are plenty of solutions that make kitchen organization a breeze to navigate no matter what your needs are. Lower drawers and pull-down/pull-up storage solutions make accessing kitchen items easier and negate the need for climbing on a step ladder or reaching too far over your head. People in wheelchairs will also be able to access drawers easier too.

Other accessibility-friendly renovations could include a work-station with room for a counter-height stool or chair for chefs who can’t be on their feet for too long and a pot filler behind the range so people who can’t carry heavy loads can easily fill a pot in place. There are also cabinet inserts that can bring items down from higher shelves for those who can’t reach them.

Don’t underestimate the power of under-cabinet lighting, either. This particular upgrade is a great help for everyone, no matter their age or eyesight quality, it prevents accidents and spills.

Making Your Bathroom Accessible

If you’re designing with aging in place in mind or for someone with disabilities or mobility issues, the bathroom needs to be safe, as a majority of serious home accidents happen in the bathroom. Our team has renovated many bathrooms to make them accessible for homeowners while still looking beautiful and functional.

Like the kitchen, high-contrast materials will help with depth perception and navigation throughout the space.

Grab bars make toilets, showers and tubs safe and help prevent slips and falls. Benches or a fold-away seat make showers easier if you cannot stand. When paired with a hand-held faucet, using a shower becomes safe, comfortable and just a touch more luxurious.

If you aren’t ready for grab bars yet, but would like to plan your renovation around aging in place, adding blocking in the walls of your tub or shower will prevent you from needing another renovation in the future. Blocking is a small section of framing wood that is placed specifically to create a strong anchor in your wall for the grab bars or anything heavy you may want to hang.

Adding this blocking now will make installing grab bars easier when you’re ready for them.

When designing with accessibility in mind, we also encourage clients to consider what will be best for their needs rather than wants. For example, free-standing tubs are beautiful but often difficult to get in and out of, as opposed to tubs with “decking” around them. The decking allows for an area to sit and swing your legs into or out of the tub, which would be much safer for anyone with mobility or balance issues.

If the bathroom requires accommodations for a wheelchair, there needs to be at least five feet of clear space in the room for the wheelchair to turn around.

One way to get creative with designing a wheelchair-friendly space is a “roll-in shower.” This type of shower stall typically has a very low curb that is easy to roll over or no curb at all and instead has a flush drain in the floor to prevent flooding. This 5’ radius can also include space under the sink if the floor area is clear (pedestal sink).

This design is similar to a “wet room” in the bathroom, which is becoming an increasingly popular trend.

Making Stairs and Entryways Accessible

Stairs and entryways can be some of the tightest spots in your home and can subsequently be the hardest to adapt. However, the key to creating accessibility for stairs and entryways lies in making as much use of the space available and being innovative with design.

Entryways need some kind of seating, whether a removable bench or a built-in, to aid with tasks like putting on shoes. Be mindful, however, that you don’t overcrowd the space with too much furniture or excess decor that will take up valuable room. Hallways should have at least four feet of space to allow a wheelchair or passerby to navigate comfortably.

Stairs are the trickiest area to make accessible. If you aren’t accommodating a wheelchair, a sturdy railing and incorporating a well-fixed runner will help reduce injuries while using the stairs.

However, the best way to make a multi-level home fully accessible is to install an elevator. Our team is well equipped, with years of experience, to re-configure your home to allow for an elevator in the best location possible. If you are doing a remodel and are not ready to add an elevator but would like to incorporate one in the future, stacking well-sized closets on top of each other is a great way to plan ahead. Make sure your contractor knows what your plans are so they can properly frame the house to allow for an easy retrofit.

Building for accessibility or aging in place is a unique challenge for our team, and it’s an excellent opportunity to collaborate with the client to think outside of the box when it comes to designing a space that will allow them the freedom to do what they love, live as independently as possible, and stay safe in their home. With our thorough knowledge of building codes and regulations and decades of experience, we can help design a renovation that you can enjoy no matter what stage of life you’re in.

Ready to make your home inspiration a reality with our 30 years of superior performance, craftsmanship, and service? Contact us today!

Sometimes, your dream home may lack adequate storage space. Closets, bathrooms, and kitchens, in particular, are notorious for not having enough room and creating inconvenience. It’s easy to end up with your things in a precarious, disorganized heap in your small spaces.

But have no fear!

At Classic Remodeling, we are experts in creating space and guiding you to maximize the storage real estate you do have to make it functional for your needs.

Keep Your Closets Organized

There’s nothing worse than an overstuffed, disorganized closet where you can’t find what you need or see what you have. However, we have some tips for maximizing your closet storage and making your life easier.

● Mix up your storage types and utilize stacking storage! Maximize box sizes to reduce wasted space where boxes meet.
● Break up the space! Instead of a hanging rod across the entire width of the closet, divide it into sections. Long-hanging clothes can go on one end, and short-hanging clothes can go on the rest of the width, with baskets, drawers, or shelves.
● Double Check! Prior to starting a renovation, we always measure your current storage space to ensure that the new design will accommodate your needs.
If your space allows, cabinets are a great (and often forgotten) upgrade to your closet storage solution. In cabinets, you can opt for drawers or shelves, depending on your needs. With shelves, your only option is to stack, making it hard to get to the things underneath or in the back. In a drawer, however, you can store your clothes in a way where everything is visible and accessible.

Enhance Bathroom Space

Bathrooms can be a little tricky when it comes to storage, and a lot depends on what the client wants in the space. Vanities can be an excellent way to create extra room, and you can either opt for a built-in vanity or a freestanding one.

Both have their pros and cons depending on the dimensions of the room. A built-in vanity can be customized to maximize the space you have, whereas a freestanding one comes in a standard size (18 “,24″,30″,36”,48 “,60” typically). Depending on your space, you may have to size down for a freestanding vanity, which could create unnecessary wasted space in your bathroom.

When putting together your design plan for your bathroom renovation, consider how your tub and shower play into the space. Can you remove the tub? Is there room for a large mirror to make the room feel larger?

Utilize Kitchen Cabinets

Cabinets are your kitchen’s best friend when creating functional storage in small spaces. In a kitchen renovation, we will typically extend the height of the cabinets to the ceiling.

If storage is the goal, a full overlay cabinet vs. an inset will always give you more room. Installing roll-out shelves in your cabinets creates accessible pantry space, and using stationary shelves higher up provides storage for seasonal or infrequently used kitchen items.

We strongly recommend drawers for lower cabinets instead of swing-out doors. Not only are they easier to access, but you won’t lose stuff in the back like you would with shelves. You will maximize your space since you won’t have to accommodate roll-out tracks, and you will have a better vantage point so you can stay organized.

All our cabinetry lines also have drawer and cabinet organizers. While these can help keep everything organized, they aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution for everyone. For example, a peg board drawer organizer might actually cause more wasted space. The pegs have to be placed on a grid, and your dishes may not fit exactly between them. Carefully planning where you will store everything in your kitchen will ensure you don’t spend money on an organizational solution that may not work for you.

Tips From Our Designers

Of course, there are other ways to make the most of your small spaces and make them feel larger without a renovation.

Keeping your countertops clear of items will keep the room from feeling small and cramped. Use organizing bins, shelves, and drawers to create a clutter-free space. You’ll be amazed at how much room you have when everything is put away.

Our designers also recommend using light materials in small spaces. This will help make them feel larger and less cramped.

Ready to make your home inspiration a reality with our 30 years of superior performance, craftsmanship, and service? Contact us today!

Now more than ever, it’s essential for companies to incorporate eco-friendly practices into their business models and do their best to go green and give a little back to Mother Nature. Although Earth Day is April 22nd, practicing sustainability is in season all year round. We’re proud to share some of our eco-friendly methods that we conduct in an effort to significantly lower the environmental footprint of our projects.

Reducing Waste

Reducing waste is one of the easiest ways to practice sustainability. Regarding our projects, we do our best to order the correct amount of materials so there’s no waste. If there are usable leftovers, we will store them in our warehouse for use on another project or by one of the staff.

The construction industry creates more waste than most industries. We try to offset this by finding ways to recycle any extra materials that are not left with the homeowner. While the ultimate goal of a renovation is to blend new and original construction seamlessly, we also try to source materials that are as local as possible to reduce the environmental impact of shipping them. When our projects take us outdoors, we do our best to minimize the disruption we create to the surrounding ecosystem. Sustainability isn’t just about creating a healthy space for humans but also creating one that will be harmonious with the environment.

Eco-friendly Materials

LED lights have become the norm as an effective way to make any building more green. We always use LED bulbs and strip lights in all possible fixtures in our projects! They can last up to 20 years and will use less electricity than a traditional lightbulb in that time.

Using environmentally safe cleaning products is a simple way for homeowners to be sustainable. We use eco-friendly cleaners when we use soap and water on our jobs to clean up after ourselves. By incorporating environmentally safe cleaning products into our operations, we reduce the risk of exposing harmful chemicals to our workers, protect surfaces and materials we work with, and meet the expectations of our eco-conscious customers.

Green Tips for Homeowners

At the end of every project, we leave the homeowner with a binder detailing all the finishes, fixtures, and equipment. This also includes cleaning and maintenance instructions, so that materials last longer and continue looking great. The less often that fixtures need to be replaced, the less waste there is. Even if you aren’t renovating, or planning to do it anytime soon, keeping your home clean and adequately maintained reduces excess waste caused by replacing fixtures and finishes.

Of course, sometimes going green can come with a steeper price tag than alternative materials. It may seem like you’re saving money by going the cheaper route. However, high-quality, eco-friendly materials typically have a longer life, and over time, the cost of upkeep can be less.

At Classic Remodeling, we strive every day to reduce our carbon footprint and offer more sustainable material options. The journey to a healthier planet for all begins with a single step. We’re honored to continue our work creating your dream home while maintaining respect for the beautiful Lowcountry environment around us.

Ready to make your home inspiration a reality with our 30 years of superior performance, craftsmanship, and service? Contact us today!

Our story starts with our homeowners who were relocating to Charleston. Their purchase was a stunning abode with plenty of living space, tucked away in the woods to create a peaceful retreat – the perfect place to call their forever home. However, while this house was nearly perfect, it didn’t have quite the personalized touch the couple was looking for and needed professional remodeling to include everything the homeowners wanted.

The house had good bones, though the inside was a bit dated, and there wasn’t enough natural flow for the client, according to our project consultant, Christy Ammerman. “They wanted to update the home and also open up the main living spaces of the kitchen/dining/living room to better suit the way they ‘lived,'” she explains.

Our team started with the flow problem by opening the wall between the living room and kitchen, creating an airy and spacious open floor plan. With this new modification, the homeowners also got the added benefit of an unobstructed view of their beautiful backyard.

Their primary bedroom was the next room to be remodeled. We gave the owners a larger bathroom and closet space and created a perfectly functional space.

“Another important space in the house was the screen porch,” explains Ammerman. “The original house came with a small screen porch that had little function. We tore off the existing porch and built a new larger screen porch for them that included both a sitting space and a dining space.” This outdoor renovation created a beautiful extended living space perfect for enjoying warm Lowcountry evenings.

Of course, every job comes with its own set of challenges and opportunities to get creative.

“When we initially met with these homeowners and started the design process, we knew that we would need to accomplish some of the changes in phases as they were on a time crunch of making the move down from up north,” says Ammerman. With such a tight time constraint, a master plan of all the tasks our team wanted to accomplish was created, and the different project phases were laid out so that we could stay on task and complete everything on time.

Another challenge required our team to redesign a set of stairs that was being added to an existing bedroom. The goal was to create a functional transition from the first to the second floor and provide the owners with easy access between floors that looked great and followed proper building codes, which we completed successfully.

This home had plenty of opportunities throughout the renovation to add little touches and details that perfectly suited its new owners and their lifestyle, from incorporating large skylights to help bring in as much natural light into the home as possible to building a custom bookcase in the entryway for the homeowners to showcase some of their art and artifacts from their travels abroad. “We had to design each cubby based on the certain sculpture that it would house. The piece turned out beautifully and is a great feature as you enter the home,” says Ammerman.

Of course, our team prides itself on using high-quality materials for our projects. This home featured Cambria quartz countertops, custom Greenfield cabinetry, wide plank, white oak flooring with a custom stain, Sherwin Williams paints, porcelain tiles, and Brizo plumbing fixtures for an effortlessly luxurious look.

When the project was finished, the homeowners moved into their newly renovated abode, which featured an open, airy floor plan, beautiful outdoor living space, functional rooms and storage, and intricate details, making their dream home complete.

Ready to make your home inspiration a reality with our 30 years of superior performance, craftsmanship, and service? Contact us today!