Dallas County Living Well Magazine Fall 2014 | Page 35

Beautiful convenience

Calvin and Deanna Field had two main objectives when they
bought their Richardson home in 1995. Since they both grew up
in the area—Calvin graduated from Richardson High School and
Deanna from Plano Senior High School—they wanted their daughter to be in one of those school districts. And two, they needed a
single story house because of Deanna’s disability.
They researched their options. Calvin says, “As a young family
we felt we could get more value from an existing home rather than
building new. The house had been recently updated by a do-it-yourselfer, so the interior was fairly new—although we found out later
some people are not cut out for do-it-yourself!”
In 2009, they remodeled the master bathroom. “Our primary goal
was to make the bathroom wheelchair friendly, but we absolutely did
not want an institutional look. We wanted more open space, but had
to fit within constraints of the existing structure. Elite was able to
re-arrange the major elements—closets, toilet, sink and shower—to
make more efficient use of space without sacrificing function.”
Calvin continues, “The main elements of the new bathroom are the
stone ‘drive-in’ shower with a built-in bench and the open toilet area.
The shower needed to be wheelchair accessible with a bench to allow
transfer for showering. The fixtures, including the grab bars, are all
done in antique brass, such that the disability aids blend in with the
existing structure.
“The toilet area is open for easy access and surrounded by ample
storage and shelving. Believe or not storage is one of the keys to independence, allowing for contingency without having to ask someone to
bring you something. Elite incorporated a sliding door that walls off the
toilet area allowing for open access without compromising privacy.
“Another feature was the addition of a wheelchair friendly sink done
with a granite top and antique brass fixtures.”

Calvin says that the new
bathroom has made an
enormous difference for
Deanna. “She had great
difficulty—it was actually
quite dangerous—getting
in and out of the bathtub,
and she was unable to use
our shower prior to the
remodel. The same was
true for the toilet in terms
of access and storage. My
wife had to turn sideways
to use her sink. Basically
everything was difficult
for her. The old shower
made me claustrophobic,
and the bathroom color
scheme made us both nauseous,” he joked.
“The remodel gave my
wife a new lease on life,
allowing her a sense of
independence that she did
not have before. The bathroom is both beautiful and highly functional. Honestly I thought we
would have to compromise on aesthetics in order to attain function
without spending a fortune. Fortunately, I was wrong.”
Elite Remodeling selected by Dallas Builders Association
as their “2013 Remodeler of the Year!”

Many of our customers are making
their bathrooms more Accessible!
We are proud to be the only Dallas
Remodeler to have Certified Designers,
Remodelers and Accessibility Specialist on Staff!

SHOWROOM & DESIGN CENTER
2930 Preston Road, Suite 980, Frisco, TX 75034
elitehomeremodeling.com
972.334.9800
North Dallas Living Well Magazine • Fall 2014

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