Spa like feel in our Heritage Mountain Primary Ensuite project
From a wet room in the West End of Vancouver, to a curbless entry in Port Moody to an inspired yet functional design in Kerrisdale, Andrea Ewanchyna has seen the multitude of possibilities of one of the smallest but mightiest, of rooms in a home - the bathroom.
“In our experience, our clients are often looking for a bathroom that doubles as a spa-like space in their home”, shares Ewanchyna. “This can mean things like a built-in steam shower, a bathtub in front of a window to take in a view, or a curbless shower with an open entryway to convey that modern feeling of a wet room you’d find in a spa.”
For many in Vancouver, however, a bathroom renovation needs to be both beautiful and functional. With Statistics Canada reporting a growing population of people over 85 years old, creating both new spaces and upgrading current housing stock that provide safe, healthy and fulfilling living options for seniors will be more important than ever.
Aging in place is a practice that is growing in popularity in British Columbia, as it encourages older residents to stay in their homes rather than moving into a care facility. While this may feel like a new hot topic buzzword in interior design, yet at Andrea Jae Studio we’ve long embraced this principle.
“Many of our clients are 55+ and the project we are undertaking is the home that they will stay in until they can’t anymore”, Ewanchyna comments. “This means creating the ideal space for their needs. Curbless showers are a big one - this allows a client to wheel into a shower if necessary. Bathtub design - we take into consideration the height of the tub. Lower is better for stepping into. We also are privy to great looking grab bars, so that your space doesn’t look institutional.”
In progress photo of the wet room in our West End Condo Project
The cost of this kind of bathroom renovation might be a barrier for some residents who are hoping to adapt their homes to their current needs. Fortunately, the provincial government is actively working towards making these accessibility changes well, for lack of a better word… more accessible:
As of November 2023, the government of British Columbia have various active Home Improvement Assistance Programs that aim to “help seniors make their homes safer, more accessible, and more energy efficient”, including:
BC Rebate for Accessible Home Adaptations (BC RAHA): BC RAHA is designed to provide rebates for eligible low-income households for adaptations. Most single-family houses, row homes, townhouses and strata units are eligible under the current requirements.
BC Seniors' Home Renovation Tax Credit: This program, which first started in 2012, was extended to seniors with disabilities in 2016. As a refundable personal income tax credit, this was designed for seniors over 65 to assist with permanent home renovations that help improve accessibility, functionality and mobility.
EfficiencyBC - Renovation Program: A relatively new incentive, this program is meant to encourage households to switch to more energy efficient heating equipment and building-envelope improvements, such as heated floors or towel racks.
Powder room vanity in our St. George's Project
In bathrooms, common upgrades could include something as simple as a toilet replacement. Toilets with a built-in bidet are also gaining traction in popularity. These toilets can come with a multitude of built-in functions - we prefer the Toto models, such as this one that we’re currently using with a project that is underway.
Ewanchyna is optimistic that programs and rebates such as these will motivate older homeowners to make changes such as this to make their homes comfortable, functional and livable well into their futures.
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