Every morning at 6 a.m., Derek Lavender would kiss his wife LeAnne goodbye, hop on his motorcycle and head to work. Even though he’d been an avid biker for years, he never failed to text her when he got to the office. She had to know he’d made it safely. On June 15th, 2016, however, his text never came. LeAnne recalls, “At 7:13 a.m., I received a call from the local hospital explaining that Derek had been in a serious accident, and I needed to get downtown as soon as possible. I remember the neurosurgeon handing me Derek’s helmet, and a tooth fell out of the head mask. Although Derek had on a full-faced helmet and all the gear, he still managed to break seven bones, his spine and collapse his lung.”
For months the couple lived in Chicago, a three-hour drive from their home in Indianapolis, while Derek underwent rehabilitation and familiarized himself with how to use his new wheelchair. Then, upon their return to Indy, the two put their home on the market so they could move into a more-accessible rental close to Derek’s job. And so began their new life.
Many things changed on that day in June, but the twosome’s shared passion for design and DIY didn’t wane in the slightest. In April of 2017, after several months in the accessible rental, they were ready to dive into a new project and set out to find a new home to renovate. It didn’t come easy, though. LeAnne and Derek toured over 50 options in hopes of finding one that would accommodate Derek’s wheelchair. Not having any luck, they instead settled on a mid-century, ranch-style house they’ve since deemed The Quarry for its abundance of limestone. Sitting on an acre of land, the two-bedroom home didn’t have any accessible features, but it did offer them a great opportunity: The chance to rekindle their love for rehabbing older houses.
The Quarry won out because its lack of space came with a manageable price tag, and this lower cost also left wiggle room in the budget to customize the owners’ suite and create a more open floor plan. “Since Derek’s accident was still fresh and we had no experience with accessible living, designing a home around a wheelchair was a whole new ballgame,” LeAnne says. In the end, floors and walls were torn out, the ceilings were vaulted and the stairs throughout got the axe. The bulk of their time went into transforming the garage. Over the course of four months Derek and LeAnne worked with contractors to turn the space into a bedroom for themselves complete with a standing bar and accessible ensuite bathroom. The latter even boasts a walk-in shower, wheelchair-height mirrors and a vanity that’s free from lower cabinetry so Derek can get ready in the morning from his chair.
The arduous process of making the house comfortable for Derek not only resulted in a retreat he and his wife are extremely proud of, but one that helped them emotionally heal at the same time. “The past couple years have been filled with a lot of tears and a lot of laughter,” LeAnne recalls. “One thing is for sure: We never lost ourselves amidst the chaos. We merely have had to find ways to make our hobbies work for our new lifestyle. Designing and renovating The Quarry brought us back to our ‘before-the-accident’ days.” Scroll down to see all the wonderful work this couple has done to turn this mid-century house into an accessible home, and head to Lavenders Longhsot to learn more about their journey. —Garrett
Photography byCory Phillips
Image above: In the entryway (which features original tile and woodwork), LeAnne and Derek placed two mirrors at different heights: One a little lower for those who use a wheelchair and one higher up for those who don’t.
from Design*Sponge https://www.designsponge.com/2018/09/a-couple-makes-their-mid-century-ranch-wheelchair-accessible.html
from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/177732199679
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