Lisa Kurz, Instructional Consultant at Indiana University

Apr 26, 2023   |  Bathroom Remodel

When we first met Lisa, she could not walk due to an auto-immune disorder that attacks her muscles. A stay in rehabilitation and medication gradually strengthened her. But she lived in a three-story condo and even the step from the sidewalk up to her front door was too high. Over the next few years, we went through several phases of modifications. First, getting her inside her condo and feeling secure on the main floor. Second, adding a second handrail and installing grab bars in her bedroom and bathroom upstairs. Third, after she bought a one-story condo, we replaced the carpeting with luxury vinyl planks in case her disorder caused her to need a walker or wheelchair again. Fourth, we remodeled her kitchen, which Lisa described as “claustrophobic and not ergonomically well-designed.” Fourth, we remodeled her bathroom. We removed a garden bathtub and small shower stall. Combining their footprints enabled us to build a large, comfortable, curbless shower. Lisa said, “This bathroom is exquisite. I would want this bathroom even if I hadn’t had issues that precipitated making the changes. I think it’s important to think about these things before we have to.”