Maybe you remember reading about a design trend a number of years ago called “aging in place,” or its more recent inclusive rendition, “universal design.”

Broadly speaking, universal design refers to the creation of spaces and products that are accessible and usable by people of all ages and abilities, without the need for special adaptation or specialized designs. 

An aging population may be one factor that set the stage for this design trend, particularly when it comes to bathrooms. Considering the bathroom’s many hard surfaces and often wet, slippery floors, it’s no wonder that items such as grab bars and comfort height toilets are common features for older homeowners who want to stay in their homes safely as long as possible.

And the number of homeowners who may want to do that is increasing. According to the 2020 census, the population of Americans 65 and older reached 55.8 million or almost 17 percent of the total population. And by 2054, the proportion of Americans 65 and older is projected to increase by a third. What’s more, the U.S. population age 65 and older grew nearly five times faster than the total population over the 100 years between 1920 and 2020.

However, as our definition suggests, age, while an important factor, isn’t the only reason to know more about universal design.

“The concepts of universal design and aging in place are simply designing with the future in mind,” says Jeff Wool, executive vice president, Wool Plumbing Supply. “From a design perspective we like to ‘future proof’ bathrooms. That is to say, invest in our design selections to ensure they stand the test of time in lieu of appeasing the next trend. What is functional and relevant to the client? Will they be able to use the space in 10 to 15 years? Will it still be relevant to their everyday needs?”

Wool Supply is a leading third-generation family-owned wholesale distribution company based in South Florida and founded in 1957. Wool joined the business fulltime in 2006 and currently oversees operations, logistics, purchasing and inventory for eight warehouse facilities in addition to nine showroom locations, including a Kohler Store in Miami.

He’s an active member of the American Supply Association; Southern Wholesalers Association, recently serving as chairman of the SWA’s Leadership Development Council; and the AD buying group, where he served on AD’s Decorative Brands board.

We reached out to Wool originally for his thoughts to update our own on the notion of universal design and were happy to hear him speak more on future proofing bathroom design.

PHCPPros: This whole concept of universal design, I guess, comes from an older phrase of aging in place. Is that your understanding?

Wool: I think I first heard the term “aging in place,” early on in my career in 2009. It only made sense to think this way since the first of the boomers born in 1946 were reaching retirement age. Aging homeowners typically moved to retirement communities. However, the expected trend appeared to show they wanted to stay in their homes.

We’re actually on the tailend of the boomer retirement. By 2029, just within the next few years, all the boomers will have reached retirement age.

PHCPPros: Since your company is located in a traditionally favorite spot to retire in, what’s been Wool Supply’s business experience with this trend of aging in place?

Wool: Based on vendor feedback, we did anticipate the changes of a boom in retirees who desired to remodel their bathrooms in order stay in their homes. Honestly, even being in Florida, where there certainly are a lot of retirees, there hasn’t been a massive change in the way we do things.

I think the whole aging in place terminology is a little bit overblown. Call it what you’d like, but the concept of universal design and aging in place is simply designing with the future in mind. We like to “future proof” bathrooms. That is to say, invest in our design selections to ensure they stand the test of time in lieu of appeasing the next trend. What is functional and relevant to the client? Will they be able to use the space in 10 or 15 years? Will it still be relevant to their everyday needs? We certainly have the expert knowledge and vast array of products we can specify to make that bathroom work today and well into the future.

And while there are certainly special concerns for older people safely using their bathrooms, I think future proofing our bathroom designs is something we’ve been dealing with forever. How we design for clients who want to stay in their existing home so they can functionally use their bathroom for the rest of their lives, taking into consideration future mobility and muscular limitations, deficiencies and possible impairments, is nothing new.

Future proofing bathroom design isn’t just a problem for our aging clients. Consider first-time home buyers, for example. This may include a newly married couple who are planning to start a family soon after moving in. The design choices for the bathrooms must be such that they consider their future family. Likewise, older clients who are considering doing a full home remodel will want to think about their children staying with them and their grandchildren as well. When we design a bathroom, we always want to plan for clients at all stages of their lives.

PHCPPros: OK, so we’re going to do this full bathroom remodel right. How do you go about accomplishing that task? And while we appreciate your idea of future proofing anyone’s bathroom, we’d like to hear your recommendations for homeowners who are, say, in their 60s and intend to stay in their home well into their 70s.

Wool: Before we talk about plumbing product recommendations, let’s take a step back and consider that I classify bathroom remodeling projects into two types: 1) a simple refresh, which involves replacing or upgrading the toilet or showerhead, perhaps replacing a faucet, or possibly changing out trims in the shower, or 2) a full bathroom remodel up to and including demolition of the tiles and walls to reroute plumbing.

You only want to do a full remodel every 12 to 15 years, and no one wants to go back a few years later to open up a wall just because of a design mishap or poor planning.

With that in mind, I like to divide the bathroom into three areas: the shower and bathing area; the toilet area; and the vanity/grooming area

Let’s start in the shower and bathing area. I always recommend a handshower for every bathroom if the budget allows. And I know we want to talk specifically on the needs of older adults, but I have to add that handshowers work perfectly for future proofing bathrooms for all ages. They’re ideal for bathing children and pets, and they’re a huge convenience when it comes to cleaning a shower or bathtub. 

Adding body sprays are another great way to quickly and efficiently bathe. And while we’re talking about body sprays, bench seats, either wall-mounted and foldable or freestanding, light stools that can be moved where needed are another item we’d recommend.

Curbless showers are good for customers with mobility issues who want to eliminate trip hazards. In cases of homeowners being in wheelchairs, curbless showers are the way to go.

However, they’re not great for water management, so we have to safely contend with that so we don’t trade one hazard in our bathroom design for another.

Whatever shower is installed, flooring should certainly be no slip. I’d avoid polished marble and focus on a mosaic or pattern mesh tile with grout lines for ultimate grip. On a related note, there are plenty of designer options for grab bars that provide for safety without looking like a hospital bathroom. Many grab bars look more like towel bars these days and blend in with the overall design aesthetic of the bathroom. 

Certainly walk-in tubs come to mind with keeping older homeowners safe. But I don’t think these are common, and I also don’t anticipate this market will grow much in the future. In fact, I think these will go out of style. They’re a challenge to install, difficult to remove and could have a significant impact on the resale of a home. 

PHCPPros: So we’re moving on to the toilet area. What are you including in your future proof design?

Wool: Intelligent, electronic toilets with bidet functionality will become the standard in the next 5-10 years They’re an excellent product not only for aging clients, but something I would strongly recommend to anyone remodeling their bathrooms. At the very least you want to have a GCFI outlet installed behind a traditional toilet for when the time comes to install an intelligent toilet. 

One other interesting item are new tall toilets. Comfort height toilets have been around a long time, but some manufacturers are making these tall toilets that are that much higher and, thus, making sitting and standing easier. Besides, the tall toilets, there are also booster toilet seats that can raise the toilet seat height for comfort and mobility issues. 

Just as with the shower, there are plenty of designer grab bars that can be installed by the toilet.

PHCPPros: And finally, let’s talk about the grooming/vanity area.

Wool: I would recommend magnification mirrors and integrated lighting that make skincare, shaving and applying makeup easier. You see these in hotel rooms and they are fantastic. That’s another design element that helps older customers see better, but they’re a great benefit and luxury to everyone, and they’re not that expensive.

Overall, lighting recommendations don’t change with older homeowners. I think everybody should employ fantastic lighting in their bathrooms. Lighting is just as important as the actual fixtures and faucets in the bathroom. 

I’d always recommend using a minimum of three circuits in bathroom design for ultimate control over the lighting and mood: one for wall sconces, which is the best way to light the face; another for all overhead lighting to light the general bathroom with uniform recessed fixtures in addition to providing a more dramatic design with a chandelier in the center of the bathroom or over the bathtub; and finally, a circuit just for shower lighting.

All lights should be on dimmers, too. This gives you ultimate control of the bathroom lighting experience.

I’d also plan on strategically placing electrical outlets for easy access from the countertops, in addition to adding outlets inside the vanity for charging purposes.

As far as countertop height goes, we’ve seen it rise in the bathroom over the years up to 36 inches. This is really up to the customer, but older clients tend to prefer the higher sink height for convenience to avoid bending down. Of course, if a homeowner is in a wheelchair then the countertop needs to be lower and designed for wheelchair clearance.

The last thing I want to mention for the vanity/grooming space are faucets. I think faucets with lever handles are much better for anyone looking for a design that will last. Levers are easy to turn on and off, and if you don’t have very good finger strength, levers can be turned on and off with your wrist.

Next in line would be a good cross handle, and finally round, wheel, or cylinder faucet handles should be avoided since they are most difficult to turn especially when wet or with soap on the hands.

Those are just some basics when it comes to future proofing bathroom design. When customers are going to the expense and time of doing a full remodel of their bathrooms, designers really have to take the time to plan this out with the homeowner and think of every little detail that they possibly can from the electrical to the plumbing to the tile. We need to consider all the “what ifs.” Future proofing design should work today and in years to come. l