As Australia’s population ages, it’s time to shift the way we think about design. We need to move accessibility from the periphery of our thoughts and into the centre of them, creating spaces and environments that are safe and usable for people of all ages and all abilities.
Nowhere is this more important than in our bathrooms, where slippery surfaces and challenging heights and profiles can make using the space difficult and potentially hazardous. Identifying this, one of Australia’s leading names in bathroom design has created a pathway for making every residential bathroom more accessible, with a new range that is changing the game.
Caroma Urbane Universal Accessories
Introducing Caroma’s Urbane Universal Accessories, a range that combines form and function to deliver a timeless bathroom experience. An extension of their popular Urbane Collection, the new suite of accessories have been spearheaded by their inhouse Accessibility design experts Luke Di Michiel & Dr. Peter Sweatman, who worked with healthcare industry experts and older Australians to create a co-designed range that is proactive and inclusive.
But forget bulky, unsightly rails and handles, the Urbane II Accessories are beautiful and sophisticated, doubling not just as accessibility aids but as design features. In contrast to the traditionally medicalised design of accessible bathrooms, Caroma’s collection is sleek and elevated, fitting seamlessly into any aesthetic to offer quiet support rather than dictating movement. This opens up an opportunity to create bathrooms where the presence of safety features provides a welcome, aesthetically pleasing reassurance, rather than a visual declaration of limitation.
“With premium aesthetics and colour finishes, the accessories are designed to be installed as part of a complete bathroom that enables ease of use for everyone,” says Dr. Sweatman. “…Most people want to be safe and independent in their own home for as long as possible, so it’s important to make the right design choices to enable this.”
Form and Function
The range itself includes a selection of rails, an accessory shelf, a hand towel rail, a toilet roll holder, as well as a robe hook and rail shower, all available in five sleek finishes. Each piece can be flexibly mounted through a concealed fixing system, creating customised pieces that act as both accessibility aids and practical bathroom accessories: a toilet roll holder can double as a handle, a shower bar becomes a stability device, and a towel rail can help with getting in and out of a bath.
While each piece is beautiful and desirable, they are also universally inclusive and functional, and have been load tested to withstand multi-directional force of 110kg. The integration of Caroma EasySwitch systems also means front of wall components can be changed without affecting in-wall elements, so accessories can be updated over time, or tapware switched in or out with other ranges including Urbane, Liano, Contura, and Opal.
In combining considered design, cutting-edge technology, and accessibility Caroma’s product range celebrates the diversity of human experiences and normalises the idea that ageing, or shifting life circumstances, don’t necessitate a sacrifice of personal style. Against a backdrop of an ageing population and a deeper understanding of our broad spectrum of abilities, the Urbane Universal Accessories celebrates the diversity of human experiences by creating spaces that are not only functional, but are beautiful places of respite and relaxation for all.
