In 2000, when Susy McBride oversaw the design and construction of a new home for her and her family in Fountaingrove, she found herself thinking about details that most people take for granted. She thought about light fixtures, electrical outlets, cabinet height and details, but not just how they looked, but also how easy they were to use.

She turned her gaze toward everything, trying to see the house through the eyes of her daughter Alexa, who has cerebral palsy and was only 9 at the time. Alexa, now in her 30s, relies on a wheelchair to get around and has other motor skills issues that can make navigating spaces difficult.

A seasoned interior designer, McBride was an early adopter universal designit’s just a nascent idea that, over the past 25 years, has become much more widespread and is revolutionizing the way many people plan and build their homes.

Universal design goes beyond the basic accessibility requirements outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act. It takes into account the comfort and use of equipment by all people, regardless of their size, age or physical agility and strength. This means that almost everyone could live in a house relatively easily, without needing additional help.

“When considering universal design, you also need to think about people, for example those with arthritis who can’t pinch. It is more difficult to twist a round knob than to press or raise a lever. And in a bathroom, a nob faucet is much harder to reach than a simple lever,” McBride said.

It could be something as simple as providing a tall prep counter and a shorter one for a customer whose 6-foot-5 husband was the family cook. Universal design is an embracing cousin of design designed for aging in place, both are popular as baby boomers and Gen Xers look to create forever homes that they won’t have to leave if they develop physical problems. It could be a hip problem that requires a walker, or a shoulder injury that makes reaching difficult, or a glute knee that makes bending painful.

An award-winning designer

When McBride was hired to do interior design work for a contractor building a specific home in the Tubbs Fire burn zone, McBride decided to put her years of expertise to the test. She worked on many universal design ideas throughout the home. The trick, she argues, is not only to design for functionality and ease of use, but also to make it beautiful – so beautiful that you won’t notice it was designed with accessibility or to aging customers. The modern home features warm neutral tones in shades of white, pale gray and lighter wood. Sprinkled like Easter eggs, they contain interesting tips to make things easier for someone who is aging or has mobility or range of motion issues.

The bathroom caught the attention of the International judges Recent Design Society Awards. They named her Designer of the Year in the Universal Design/Aging in Place category. It was one of 41 categories covering everything from small powder rooms to entire homes and every interior space in between. Universal design was one of nine specialty categories. The awards attract submissions from designers across the country.

First of all, the shower is curbless with double doors that swing in both directions so a wheelchair can enter easily. There are two doors that open in both directions and two shower heads, one on a pole that can be adjusted in height so that someone in a wheelchair or on a shower chair or is just small can use it.

The vanity floats in the middle so a wheelchair can ride straight up. But if you don’t need a wheelchair, you can fit a stylish chair there. The mirrors are illuminated to the touch and all cabinets have easy-grip handles. Faucet handles are levers. Although the other cabinets in the room don’t float, McBride added extra space underneath so that at least the footrests of a wheelchair can slide underneath. The room lights turn on using a toggle switch that can be turned on with a simple touch.

All surfaces are easy to clean. The countertops are quartz and the tiles are large – 24 inches by 48 inches – so the grout lines are small. Because the site presents no privacy issues, she installed eight-foot-high open windows almost up to the 10-foot ceilings to let in light, views of nature and promote well-being, a she declared.

Design their house

When designing her Fountaingrove home with Alexa in mind, McBride considered a multitude of details.

“Sure, I didn’t need to think about the kitchen, but I definitely had to think about the bathroom and the pathways leading into the house. Instead of putting in steps, we created a beautiful serpentine walkway up to the door,” McBride recalls of the home she built in 2000 and sold just before the Tubbs Fire in 2017. “We got a wider 42 inch door instead of a 36 inch door. 1/2 inch wide door. We had wilder hallways and even thought about the turning radius when leaving his room. You have to think about these things when you are a wheelchair user.