Randy Rinehart’s custom home business caters to the growing active adult community in his Charlottesville, Va., market. Its success stems from his belief that universal products can enhance the look and functionality of a home, not detract from it. “Universal design is not only about the design of the home but about small individual features that add up to the end result of making a house easier to live in,” he says. That’s why his homes are equipped with items such as 3-foot-wide doorways, lever door handles, raised dishwashers, and lowered cooktops.
When it comes to the laundry room, Rinehart says, he likes to use Whirlpool’s Duet front-loading washers and dryers because they are extremely easy to load and unload. Rinehart recommends the optional pedestal drawer that raises the units by 13 inches.
Rinehart also likes universal products that can do double duty, such as a grab bar that can act as a towel bar. “When I talk about grab bars, most people see stainless steel in a commercial bathroom. In today’s residential world, they come in a variety of sizes and colors. They tend to blend in,” he says. Fitting the bill are the Decorator and Kingsley collections of ADA-compliant grab bars from Creative Specialties International, a division of Moen. Each grab bar is available in a chrome finish with interchangeable polished brass accent rings in six sizes from 12 to 42 inches in length.
Whirlpool. 800.253.1301. www.whirlpool.com. Circle 183.
Creative Specialties International. 800.882.0116. www.moen.com. Circle 184.
