For those in their Golden Years, a common concern is the seemingly inevitable life transition of leaving your longtime home for a retirement community. Add to this major dilemma an unsure housing economy, and the concern becomes all the more perplexing.

What if you could turn your existing home into the ultimate version of the retirement villa you would envision? Would you stay in your home if it met all the wants and needs of your life?

A recent AARP survey found that over 80% of people over 60-years old desire to stay in their own homes for the rest of their lives, meaning they prefer to age in place. Typically, the aging process is blamed for many problems we encounter with daily activities, when, often, it is the home that creates the difficulties.

Homes geared to younger adults do not properly support the physical and sensory changes we experience as we age. With even minor aging changes, an insignificant home feature can have significant effects. For instance, a change in lighting can change how well you see in your own home.

50+ living is all about independent, barrier-free comfort and function.  Accessible design benefits all the generations of family and friends who come into your home, and it will be as beautiful and stylish as you desire.

Interior Accessible Design Success Story

A St. Louis County couple had been in the same home for decades.  They had raised a family there, and their children and grandchildren all lived nearby.  Nearing retirement, they realized that they wanted to stay in their own home within their community, and worked with Mosby Building Arts on planning their home for life.

Working with a Mosby Certified Aging In-Place (CAPS) designer, they reviewed current needs and future concerns and decided to make the master bathroom their first accessible design project because this where we tend to first notice changing capabilities.

To look at this bathroom, you would not immediately know that it’s accessible, but it certainly is.  The His & Hers bathroom vanities have single-lever faucet handles for ease of use, and are separated by a chair-height counter top with open space below.  This can accommodate a chair now or a wheelchair if needed in the future.

The toilet is of taller height than average which makes sitting down and getting up much easier, and a stylish grab bar to the right adds to the ease of use. The push-button control pad mounted to the vanity controls flushing, heating and lid functions.

The walk-in shower has a low-clearance threshold, multiple brushed, coordinated stainless grab bars, a handheld shower wand and a retractable teak wood bench mounted to the wall.

See more photos of this accessible bathroom project.

Exterior Accessible Design Success Story

A long-time Mosby Building Arts client is currently vibrant and active, but is thinking ahead by teaming with Mosby to create a long-term plan for her home. Mosby moved her laundry room from the basement to a new ground floor addition off the garage, and even built new, shallow steps for easier access from the garage to the house (above).

She is also a veteran gardener with a gorgeous backyard, so Mosby came up with designs to make her outdoor living just as accessible as indoors.  The Mosby CAPS team designed and built a new patio with a lightly textured concrete surface for better traction, and a screen porch with a zero-clearance entry from the patio so that a walker or wheelchair can pass with no difficulty.

Her favorite feature is the concrete ramp that leads from the patio down into the garden.  She already enjoys how convenient the lack of steps is, which highlights how so many accessible design features just make good sense for everyone who uses them.

See more photos of this accessible outdoor living project.

Other features that add mobility and beauty to outdoor living include increased lighting, raised flower planters and beds, raised height water spigots and wide sliding or French doors leading out to the area. When done properly, nothing looks out of the ordinary because it looks extraordinary.

Mosby Building Arts has three CAPS team members – including Scott Mosby who was the first national CAPS ambassador – who are certified and experienced at helping you live more comfortably in your home for life. To explore your accessible design options, call 314.909.1800 or contact Mosby here.

Remodeling a bathroom is an enticing idea because it’s a well-defined space where small changes have a huge impact.  Updating a bathroom remains, by far, the most popular remodeling project, even during these economical times.

There are several surefire ways to bring new life to a bathroom, ranging from stylish items that add instant glamor, to fine-tuning ease of use and comfort.  Here are the most popular items that update a bathroom with style.

New Light & Plumbing Fixtures

Faucets are like jewelry in the bathroom, changing the look and feel of a space with the right accessories, and there truly are just as many choices for plumbing fixtures as there are earrings! Include new light fixtures that coordinate with the faucets for a high-impact makeover.

Medicine Cabinets

Medicine cabinets have moved beyond a simple place to keep toothpaste and prescriptions out of sight. The Robern medicine cabinet shown above has a built-in mirror defogger that opens to reveal an attached, swing-out magnifying mirror and interior electric outlets.  Move up to a medicine cabinet that organizes the ritual of getting ready, and leaves the bathroom looking sleek once you’re out the door.

Vessel Sinks

A free-standing sink that sits directly on a countertop is knows as a vessel sink. This  centuries-old concept based on washbasins used before the advent of running water.  Vessel sinks are like adding a fine piece of art, and because they are so beautiful they quickly become the focal point of a bathroom.

Vanity with Double Sinks

A sink for everyone using the master bathroom is a wonderful idea because it personalizes the space and creates harmony.  Dual sinks and a new countertop can often be added to an existing vanity, or select a new one to completely change the look of the bathroom.

Comfort Height Toilets

An idea with well-being in mind is the comfort height toilet.  Standard toilet height is 14.” Add another inch or two to that and sitting down and standing up becomes so much easier.  Selecting an elongated bowl also adds to the comfort.

Automated Toilets

An accessible master bathroom project by Mosby Building Arts features a toilet with many useful and comfortable automated features. The model shown above has a heated seat, an automatic-close lid, and all these functions – including flushing – are controlled remotely on the keypad attached to the bathroom vanity.

Handheld Shower Heads

Handheld shower heads add versatility and convenience to the showering experience.  They function as both a fixed-mount spigot or easily slide out to be held in the hand, which allows the option of showering while seated, targeting sore muscles or bathing pets.  Combine a handheld faucet withy matching grab bars for stability as well as beauty.

Shower Seating

Having the option to sit down comes in handy for everyone of all capabilities. A flip-down shower bench, like the one shown above, folds up when done which conserves space.

Or there is option of a built-in corner bench, which functions as both seating and (so we hear) a great aid for leg shaving!  Shower seating has quickly become a standard option in showers, and so comes in a wide variety of shapes and styles.

Grab Bars

Stability and security while showering is crucial to everyone of every age and ability, so grab bars are a universal design feature that just makes good sense. Grab bars can be gorgeous, and are available in any length, finish and color to either coordinate with towel racks and other fixtures, or become an eye-popping feature all its own.

Stylish Storage

Look to the right in the photo above to see a clever idea: a full-length mirror that slides in and out of the bathroom cabinet with the light pull of a handle.  Creating new ways to store essentials that are both functional and attractive is the fun part of updating the look of a bathroom. From custom cabinetry to unique wall niches, there are limitless options for bathroom storage.

Towel Warmers

The ultimate luxury is a warm.  Bring that spa feature into your bathroom with either a warming drawer (left) or a space-saving warming rack (right).

The professional bathroom designers at Mosby Building Arts are a valuable resource for updating the look and function of any bathroom in your home.  You will work with them as team, selecting the new pieces that enhance one of the most important spaces in the home.  Browse the Mosby bathroom remodel portfolio to inspire new ideas, and then begin updating your bathroom by calling the office at 314.909.1800, or contact them here.

Floors make a huge impact on the look of your home.  They occupy as much square footage as your ceilings, and considering that floors are always in our peripheral vision, we must consider their importance in the overall design master plan.

Floors serve a vital function in your home, and it is crucial to think about how the floor will be used and then choose the right material for the task.  This is a classic example of form follows function.

The simplest way to consider the form and function of your home’s flooring is by thinking of each room as a separate area.  Consider what normally happens in each room, what surface will serve best and then choose the look of the surface you want.

Kitchen Flooring

It is safe to say that the kitchen is the most-used room in every home, so this floor needs to be very durable.  It also needs to be kind to our legs, knees and ankles because we spend most of our time standing in this space.  And a kitchen has many water-producing appliances, so moisture resistance is a top priority.

The most durable and water-resistant kitchen flooring is ceramic tile, but it can be unforgiving when you stand for long periods of time, and if you drop a dish, it’s a goner.

If you drop a dish on a wood floor, you have a better chance of it surviving the fall, and because it is a softer material it is easier on your legs.  But wood floors – whether natural or engineered wood – are vulnerable to water, so if, for instance, the dish washer were to leak, damage to the floor is almost unavoidable.

Vinyl flooring is impervious to moisture, is easy on your legs and has an unending variety of looks to choose from.  Because it is a soft material, it is prone to tearing and scarring, so when you pull out your refrigerator to clean under it, it can leave grooves in the surface.

The only absolute our Mosby designers adhere to is no carpeting in the kitchen.  Food and water naturally winds up on the kitchen floor, which makes carpeting in this room both high maintenance and less hygienic.

Bathroom Flooring

The bathroom is all about water, so waterproof is the most important consideration.  This is why ceramic tile and stone remain the most popular and enduring material for bathroom floors.  Other materials can be used, but just like in the kitchen, water and hygiene is the prime consideration, so choosing a material other than ceramic or stone can be very high maintenance.

For both your kitchen and bathrooms, tile floors can be water-resistant and warm if you also install radiant heating under the tile.

Entries, Laundry Room & Mud Room Flooring

Laundry and mud rooms are high utility, and need to accommodate moisture and dirt.  Hard surfaces like ceramic, stone or concrete work best for keeping these spaces clean.  The same thinking applies to entries, where visitors will be more likely to bring in the outside elements.

Bedroom Flooring

Warmth and comfort are top priority in bedrooms, and because they are typically not high traffic areas, this is a chance to splurge on more luxurious flooring.  Carpeting is a great choice, as is cork, which is a natural material with exceptional softness.

Family Room Flooring

The public spaces of our home are used and seen most frequently. Carpeting is a popular choice for its warmth, and good quality carpet is durable.  Choosing the style of carpet is based on how the room is used, what levels of maintenance you expect and your personal preference for look and feel.

Choosing from such a wide variety of colors and textures requires some extra analysis; light colors in a high-traffic family room will show dirt and traffic patterns, while dark colors will show lint, pet hair and most anything that lands on it.

Wood flooring is a good choice for warmth and lower maintenance, and adding area rugs to the room provides softness and introduces another layer of design options.

Basement Flooring

Your basement can be a moist area, so the choice of flooring is all about how it holds up to humidity and water.  The best choice is ceramic tile because it is impervious to moisture.  If you prefer a wood look, use an engineered wood (or vinyl flooring with a wood look) because it is better at adapting to moisture than natural wood.  Real wood floors will continually swell and contract with the changing humidity levels in your basement.

Carpeting can work in a basement if you choose only 100% synthetic materials with built-in mildew resistance.  Avoid natural carpet materials like wool and cotton, as they will wick up moisture and eventually hold a mildew smell.  Vinyl flooring is another option, but as it is installed directly over the concrete, it will show any imperfections in surface or level.

Decisions, Decisions…

As you may have gathered, there are many other things to consider besides how it looks when choosing flooring for your home.  How do you keep track of it all and make the best decision?

When it comes to making a choice about a surface that makes such a large impact on your home, we invite you to work with a Mosby Building Arts designer.  Our designers stay up-to-date on all the latest flooring trends and technologies. And after talking with you about how you live and what you desire, we will make an informed recommendation on which flooring best compliments your personal style while delivering lasting value.  To explore your flooring choices, call us at 314.909.1800 or contact us here.

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50+ living in your own home is all about independent, barrier-free comfort and function.  It’s a form of accessibility that benefits all the generations of your family and friends who come into your home, which is why it is also known as Universal Design.

Remaining in your home requires thinking about how your life is currently, and what your needs might be for the future.  This is where a Certified Aging In-Place Specialist (CAPS) can assist you with the questions, designs and remodeling you will need to turn your house into a home for a lifetime.

Interior Accessible Design

A St. Louis couple had been in the same home for decades.  They had raised a family there, and their children and grandchildren all lived nearby.  Nearing retirement, they realized that they wanted to stay in their own home within the their community, but wanted to explore how to prepare the house for the years ahead.

Working with a Mosby Building Arts CAPS designer, they reviewed current needs and future concerns and decided to make the master bathroom their first mobility project because this where we tend to first notice changing capabilities.  Standing in the shower, the low height of a toilet bowl or operating the hot and cold taps on the sink becomes a bit more difficult.  There are many functional solutions to all of these issues, but it should also be attractive so that we are inspired by our surroundings.  Or as we say about all our CAPS remodeling projects: “Mobility Is Beautiful!”

To look at this bathroom, you would not immediately know that it’s accessible, but it certainly is.  The His and Hers bathroom vanities have single-lever faucet handles for ease of use, and are separated by a chair-height counter top with open space below.  This can accommodate a chair now or a wheelchair in the future.

The toilet is of taller height than average with a grab bar to the right which makes it easier to access, and comes with a push-button control pad mounted to the bathroom cabinet.

The walk-in shower has a low-clearance threshold, multiple brushed, stainless grab bars, a handheld shower wand and a retractable teak wood bench mounted to the wall.

See more photos of this accessible bathroom project.

All of these accessible master bathroom items can be used now for ease of use and security, and should there be a time when they need these features, having them already in place helps with these changes.  And at all times, it is a beautiful space that is already enhancing their lifestyle.

Exterior Accessible Design

We have a remodeling client that we’ve worked with on previous mobility projects.  She is currently vibrant and active, but is thinking ahead and prefers to be prepared.  We have moved her laundry room from the basement to a new ground floor addition off the garage, and even built new, shallow steps for easier access from the garage to the house (above).

She is also a veteran gardener with a gorgeous backyard, so we came up with designs to make her outdoor living just as accessible as indoors.  We designed and built a new patio with a lightly textured concrete surface for better traction, and a screen porch with a zero-clearance entry from the patio so that a walker or wheelchair.

Her favorite feature is the concrete ramp that takes one from the patio down into the garden.  She already enjoys how convenient the lack of steps is, which highlights how so many of the universal designs just make good sense for everyone who uses them.

See more photos of this project.

Other features that add mobility and beauty to outdoor living include increased lighting, raised flower planters and beds, raised height water spigots and wide sliding or French doors leading out to the area. When done properly, nothing looks out of the ordinary because it looks extraordinary.

Mosby Building Arts has three CAPS team members – including Scott Mosby who was the first national CAPS ambassador – who are certified and experienced at helping you live more comfortably in your home for all your days.  To explore your options for beautiful mobility, call us at 314.909.1800 or contact us here.