The saying “Form follows function” is the foundation for many architectural and design focused artists. This is generally a true statement but when we apply that formula to remodeling – it becomes something different. Remodeling to upgrade and enhance your life, to age in place, or out of need for a disability, it changes the formula. So if there is a previous form and the function needs to change – what rule do you follow then?
Over the years, Access Design + Build has built their reputation on incorporating new ideas and trusted methods to customize those rules to fit their clients needs. The founder and principal designer Jeannine Burnett has helped countless people answer the same questions everyone asks:
What can we do with our home to stay here for the next 10 to 20 years? Can it be done for the price we want to pay? Is it worth the investment? On top of design and budget – a multitude of factors contribute to deciding if it is wise to stay and remodel your home or if moving is a better option. The team of Access Design + Build has been in construction and the housing industry for over 30 years and brings time tested approaches to these challenges.
One such factor for Access Design + Build’s main clientele is how do we live in our house for as long as possible and as safe as possible and still have it feel like a home. In other words – aging in place. Ninety-five percent of all seniors over the age of 65 want to live in their home to the end. However, in the United States, only 1 percent of homes are built with accessibility in mind. That is where Jeannine comes in to help find those solutions whether it's through a pull-down shelving unit, a bathroom remodel, or an addition, you’ll have the right information to make the right choice.
“Ultimately, saving money is one of the main goals of aging in place. Rather than potentially spending thousands per month on assisted living, our clients want to make smaller, upfront investments in their safety and comfort as they spend their next years in their own homes in the neighborhoods they love. That peace of mind creates the kind of happiness a contractor can rarely take credit for. I’m beyond fortunate to be able to do that for a living every day.”
Jeannine started this business because her clients were asking for age in place design more and more. She looked around and saw not a lot of people doing it or doing it with a style that wasn’t dated. It naturally grew in services to include those who have mobility challenges and with neurological impairments. The common core and all of these needs is that their homes needs to be free from obstacles and barriers. That's why their tagline is Live Barrier Free!
Many people are worried about remodeling with accessibility in mind, that it will affect their homes value or resales value. Access Design + Build has the option for additional designs and plans that are drawn up to bring it back to selling ready status so anyone can do it. However, they feel that with over one million people over the age of 65 in Minnesota now, that every remodel they do is a selling feature.
One such accessible remodel centered around a kitchen and the homeowner had been a wheelchair user for a number of years and the current one was too small to turn around in much less reach anything and everybody loved to cook. “We were able to move the cabinets – bring things to their level – and create three prep locations so all the cooks could find their happy spot. You can’t even tell it’s accessible it just looks modern!”
“Overall we want our clients to have a fun experience with remodeling, to feel a part of the solution and not the problem. That their special needs are just that, special to their needs and that it looks beautiful as well as functioning for a very long time!”
accessdesignbuild.com
