Accessible Bathrooms
Every accessible bathroom starts with a conversation about how you live and what you need, so we can design something that makes daily life more comfortable and still feels like your home, not a hospital.
Why Do So Many Accessible Bathrooms End Up Looking Clinical?
It usually comes down to safety being treated as the whole brief instead of just the starting point. For example, the grab rails go in wherever they're easiest to fit rather than where they'd look intentional, and the shower seating and flooring get chosen from a standard accessible range instead of being considered alongside everything else in the room.
Nobody sets out to make a bathroom feel like a hospital; it just happens when function comes first, and everything else is an afterthought.
We design the two together from day one, so the practical needs and the way the room looks and feels are never treated as separate decisions. To us, your bathroom shouldn't be defined by what it needs to accommodate; it should be a room you genuinely enjoy being in, with a style that's entirely your own.
Which Style Feels More Like Home?
Our Accessible Bathroom Specialist
MEET HELEN, THE DESIGNER BEHIND YOUR BATHROOM
Helen is HKS's accessible bathroom specialist. She started out as a tiler before moving into design, so she understands how a bathroom actually goes together, not just how it looks on paper, a background that matters when the margins for error are smaller and every detail has to earn its place. Helen starts every project by listening properly, asking about daily habits and routines as much as taste, because that's what shapes a bathroom that genuinely fits the person using it.
One of Helen's Recent Projects
This beautiful bathroom, designed by Helen, is proof that full accessibility doesn't mean giving up on style. Mustard walls, deep teal herringbone tiles and warm orange accents give the room genuine character, and every practical element was worked into that palette from the outset, not added on top of it.
The grab rails and support rails are finished in matte black to blend in with the fittings, so they read as part of the design instead of standing out. The level-access shower includes a fold-down seat built into the same colour scheme as the rest of the room, and even the smaller details, like the tiled display niches either side of the shower, were given the same care as everything else.
Nothing about this bathroom reads as clinical. Accessibility doesn't dictate the design here, it's simply part of it, without a single compromise on how the room actually feels.
Some Features We Consider
- Level-access showers: There's no step, lip or ledge to catch a foot or a wheel, so moving in and out of the shower is one less thing to think about.
- Grab rails: We position grab rails for how you actually move rather than where building regulations simply allow them, and finish them to match the room so they read as part of the design rather than as medical equipment.
- Turning circles: We make sure there's enough clear floor space to move around comfortably.
- Built-in seating: Shower seating gets designed into the room from the very start, so by the time it's finished, it looks like it's always belonged there.
- Flooring that's actually non-slip: Genuinely non-slip, wet or dry, and available in finishes with some warmth to them, not just something pulled off a "safety flooring" shelf.
- Height-adjusted furniture: Basins, worktops and storage can all be set at a height that actually works for you, whether that means lower for a wheelchair user, someone of shorter stature, or raised for anyone who finds bending down difficult.
Our Trusted Product Partner
We partner with Keuco, a leading German manufacturer whose accessible range was designed in collaboration with Porsche's design studio, chosen because it doesn't force a choice between function and style. The folding support rail lies almost flat against the wall when not in use, and everything from the grab rails to the shower stool comes in chrome, matt black or silver anodised aluminium, so it can be chosen to suit the room instead of standing out as an add-on.
If you'd like to see the different ranges and finishes for yourself, you're welcome to visit Helen at our Haywards Heath showroom, whether you already have a clear vision or you're just starting to think things through. To get in touch with Helen directly, email helen@hks-uk.com or call 01435 866166 and select option 4.
HEWI, Another Supplier We Trust
We also work with HEWI, a German manufacturer with over 95 years of experience in accessible design. Instead of treating accessibility as a separate category, they build it into the same collection as their everyday fittings, so a grab rail sits alongside a washbasin or door handle as part of one considered look, not a bolt-on. Their range includes height-adjustable modules, so fittings can be set at the right level for the person using them, and finishes that can be chosen to suit the room instead of being simply supplied.
If you'd like to learn more, you can visit Helen at our Haywards Heath showroom, or get in touch to talk things through first. Same details as before: email helen@hks-uk.com or call 01435 866166, option 4.
Want to See More?
DOWNLOAD THE AXESS RANGE & HEWI BROCHURES
If you'd like to learn more, you can download the Keuco (AXESS Range) and HEWI brochures below for further inspiration and information on design-led, accessible bathroom design.
Book Your Design Appointment
At your design appointment, Helen will take the time to properly understand your needs before anything gets drawn up. From there, you'll see your bathroom built out in 3D before anything's agreed, so you can ask for any further refinements and know exactly what you're getting before a single tile is fitted. It really is just a conversation; we won't expect you to decide anything on the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on your home, the fittings you choose, and how much work is involved, so there's no single answer we could give here that would actually be useful. The best way to get a proper figure is to come in for a design appointment, where we can talk through what you need and put together something specific to you.
Take The Next Step...
See what the team at HKS can do for your new bathroom project by booking a free design appointment with one of our design experts.