New vanity, 72 inches long,, 22 inches deep. It is actually less long and deep than our current vanity although I'm concerned that the dark color will make the room seem smaller. Can we work around that?

Possible floor and shower tile, each tile 12 by 12 inches.

Possible shower accent tile, 6 by 6 inches., Not sure this works wi rest of room ideas so far.

Vanity trays , 12 inches long, 5 niches wide.,

We want to change out the door too. It's a cheap, flimsy, hollow door. Maybe something paneled? This would match most of the doors in our home..

Here's a good link to some aging in place building considerations: https://www.nahb.org/en/learn/designations/certified-aging-in-place-specialist/related-resources/aging-in-place-remodeling-checklist.aspx

Non-slip options for flooring/tile, high rise toilet, grab bars for toilet area and in shower (don't forget one for when exiting-a shower door handle is not weight bearing), lever style handles and a hand-held shower sprayer come to mind as basic and essential from my work as a nurse in a senior living community. A 40 inch pathway seems tight to maneuver a rollator or wheelchair in a turn to access the toilet or the shower, but if either your designer or contractor has universal design experience, then perhaps they can make some suggestions about facilitating safe and easy movement in the space.

Thanks so much. This is so helpful! . We might be able to expand the space. And the shower is extra large inside, odd for such a narrow space, and could accommodate a medium sized wheelchair. For now, any opinions on the tile, etc...so far? I do want to add some color, just a bit insecure about where to go from here. We're taking out the ledge in front of the shower and making it easy to enter. If we eliminated the shower door, that section of the bathroom would allow a wheelchair to turn. , The floor will be designed to keep water draining toward the center of the shower.

That bath is not nearly big enough for wheelchair accessibility. You need to hire a a kitchen and bath designer to help you. Much of what needs to happen in a bath is restricted by code. And although you don’t need to meet ADA 100%, you should strive to get close. A large vanity with no knee space is far from being usable to someone in a wheelchair. And you need to deal with adding lighting. The older you get, the more light you need.

mine is small like yours, i plan on reducing the size of the vanity significantly. In regards to wheelchair access, even though many ride the riding wheelchairs in grocery stores etc. we need them because we cannot walk far. most prefer smaller halls etc. the majority of aging problems involve the heart, the lungs, or arthritis. most can get around their homes.

Kind of liking the practical talk!

Good 'luck' to you, Deb

I should say that in a small room the vanity seems too designed/ a bit ornate.... if you're near the coast, shell tiles maybe, but I wouldn't....

We recently remodeled a tiny bathroom (9x5) and ordered a custom built vanity that is 19" deep. It works fine. And it's also taller than the usual vanity - I forget how much taller - similar to what you mentioned.

In our other main floor bathroom, we installed a shower with an entry about 1". (The shower is about 4.5 feet wide.) Came in real handy when I was wearing a cast on my leg last year! It has a built in seat, which was great, and a shower curtain. The shower was not designed for wheelchair access, but when I was in the wheelchair I could roll right up to the entry, step on my good leg into the shower and then pivot to sit on the built in seat. Sturdy grab bars and a shower head that can be hand-held helped too.

And the toilets in both are the taller height. We love them.

I so appreciate the feedback, We will be consulting with a bath designer who is familiar with aging in place requirements. We also have room to enlargr the bathroom and may go ahead and do that right now.

. Since we have no major health issues, we do have another smaller vanity we could use when the time comes and we could adapt it to wheelchair use.

However, we don't want to swap out for that one till necessary ( hopefully, at least 10 years from now) and the bathroom color scheme would work for both a new vanity or the older one we have..

We love tbe shell tiles. But if they're a wrong fit, I get it.

I did want to add that when a relative was in a nursing home, the path to the bathroom was narrow and yet still manageable for her walker and wheelchair. I do think a smaller vanity with space underearth to accommodate a wheelchair may be necessary..

You might want to consider an adaptable vanity like the one shown in these two photos. The cabinet front is removable so that it can be used as a standard vanity until the need for wheelchair accessibility arises. At that time, the front can be removed to render the vanity accessible.

I would also recommend a booklet put out by the Center for Universal Design at NCSU. It is entitled Residential Rehabilitation, Remodeling, and Universal Design. It shows a typical bathroom and then lays out a series of increasingly accessible solutions, some of which involve expanding the space. You can download it here