What you see and what we see

LifemarkLifemark logo. White text on magenta strip with turquoise circle behind with five white stars above the magenta strip and the word HOME below has taken designers to task in its October newsletter. It has a segment that points out that what looks like a dream bathroom or kitchen could turn out not so dreamy after all. A quick look at most of the design features and it is easy to see that a little more forethought could go a long way. The pictures below have the comments embedded. To see the full newsletter and other articles go to the Lifemark website.

Picture of a bathroom where there is no reinforcement in the walls, a toilet pan positioned where no future grab rail could be placed, and a poorly accessible shower because it is placed over the bath and with no grab rail to help get in and out for everyone's safety.

 

The bathroom above has a shower over the bath, the mirror is placed for a tall person, and the peninsula pan means there is no wall on which to place a grab rail if needed. (However, an over the toilet frame could work). The kitchen below has ineffective lighting, difficult to reach high cupboards, difficult to grab knobs and handles, and an unlit work area. You can also access this item on Lifemak’s Facebook page.

 

Picture of a kitchen showing some features that do not meet the principles of universal design: ineffective lighting, difficult to reach cupboards, difficult to grab knobs and handles, and dark corners.