None of us like to think about growing older. For a while we might deny it, as we turn 29 on every birthday. Others buy fancy sports cars to make them feel young again. But eventually, something happens, an accident or an illness, and we are forced to recognize that we are aging.

To make matters harder to bear, often people are faced with having to drastically remodel their homes when the new wheelchair doesn’t fit down the hallway or the bathtub just doesn’t accommodate the extra assistance needed. Front steps that were once so pretty are now a nuisance and even a danger for those who have trouble climbing them.

This growing problem has ushered in a new design philosophy, building homes that will remain functional for all the years to come. Now in Fayetteville, people can experience firsthand this growing trend at the 2006 Livable Lifetime Show House, produced by the Universal Design Alliance.

The Universal Design Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating awareness about housing features that can improve the quality of life for everyone. The Livable Lifetime Show House is located in the Emory Springs Community off of Highway 54 in Fayetteville, and will be open to the public from March 11 through April 1.

Some of the design elements that make this house livable through all stages of life include a step-less entry, wider doorways and hallways, an elevator, slip-resistant bathroom floor tile, and easy to grasp lever door handles. The design features are subtle, and might not even be noticed by most visitors, but they make a world of difference to the people who use them everyday.

Anna Marie Hendry is the owner of the local design firm Classic Interiors and one of the designers who worked on the Livable Lifetime Show House. She says everyone who worked on the house was educated in the theory of Universal Design, and approached the design work as both an art and a science.

“I am passionate about Universal Design,” she says. “I really believe it is the wave of the future. We want to have homes that we know we can comfortably live in for the rest of our lives.”

Hendry designed the living room of the show home, one of 17 designers total who worked on the house. Knowing that wheelchairs don’t do well on rugs that rise up from the hardwood floors, she set about to create a different type of floor covering.

“I needed something to give color to the room and to pull the furniture together, but a floor rug just wasn’t going to work. So I took a large piece of vinyl flooring and painted it like a big canvas. Using vinyl means it will lay flat and not be a problem to wheelchairs or strollers.”

In addition, the flooring helps absorb some of the echoes in the room to make it easier for people with hearing problems to interact in the room.

“What I like about Universal Design is that we design for any ability or disability,” Hendry says. “We want to make this the standard in the future.”

Although she has been working hard on the Universal Design home and has won awards for the 2004 Street of Dreams home, Hendry is still focusing on Classic Interiors and her numerous clients on the Southside. She says she loves everything about art, and interior design is a three-dimensional art, something you can sit on and walk around and that will enlighten your life.

“When I approach a new design project, my clients become my partners,” Hendry explains. “I manage the project and try to bring out their personality, because they are the ones who have to live in their house, not me. I try to pull out their ideas for what they really want.”

To see examples of Hendry’s design work, visit Universal Design’s 2006 Livable Lifetime Show House in Fayetteville across from Fayette Piedmont Hospital on Highway 54. The show house will be open March 11 through April 1. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 10 am to 4:30 pm, and Saturday 10 am to 5 pm. The cost is $5 per person. For more information, visit www.universaldesign.org.

For more information about Classic Interiors, please call 770-487-9322.

By Kristene Loughman
Special to The Citizen

login to post comments