After years in a small rented apartment, this young St. Louis couple dreamed of owning a new, custom-built home. Unlike most households, however, they faced a unique challenge: accessibility. Aiming to prove that a custom-built, fully accessible home could be both affordable and beautiful, they purchased a lot in historic Benton Park and began working with a local architect and home builder to design their dream home.
The challenge of fusing universal design principals with the neighborhood’s strict historic design requirements and a tight budget was significant, requiring multiple rounds of design revisions, problem-solving and meetings between the design team, neighborhood groups and government officials.
The 2,830 ft², single-story residence with attached garage is the culmination of those efforts. The front façade, designed to resemble a turn-of-the-century factory, has clean lines and limestone-accented brick. All the home’s passageways are “zero-entry,” providing flat, roll-in access.
Inside, the home is modern-rustic, with unique features such as repurposed barn doors and a wine-barrel vanity. The sloped ceiling, high transom windows and large glass patio doors provide a bright, airy setting for the open-concept kitchen/living/dining space. The flooring, chosen for durability, is faux wood laminate and stamped-and-stained concrete.
The kitchen is equipped with lowered granite counter tops and extra-wide walkways to access hardwood cabinets and stainless-steel appliances. A large island separates the kitchen from the living room. An indoor elevator leads to the finished basement, which doubles as a home office.
A vaulted ceiling gives the master suite a spacious feel. The ensuite bathroom features a large walk-in closet, double vanity, energy-efficient washer-dryer and wide roll-in shower with redwood bench.
Finally, smart technology is integrated throughout the home, including smartphone-operated garage doors, Nest heating and cooling, interconnected audio and a state-of-the-art security system.
