Accessible & Multigenerational Living | Andre Horne MD

Built for the Way You Live Today, and the Years Ahead

Andre looks at more than walls, fixtures, and finishes. He thinks about how people move through a home, what may become harder over time, and how thoughtful construction can help someone stay safer, more comfortable, and more independent as they age or as a loved one's needs change.

A Mother-in-Law Suite Built for Independence

Andre built this complete mother-in-law suite so a loved one could remain close to family while still having privacy, comfort, and the ability to move through the space more independently.

The suite includes a private exterior entrance, 36-inch doorways for easier walker and wheelchair access, open circulation space, a bathroom with grab bars and accessible shower features, and an in-suite washer/dryer combination.

Private back-door entrance
Walker-friendly movement space
Bathroom grab bars and support
Accessible shower features

Accessibility That Still Feels Like Home

The wider doors, open movement space, bathroom supports, and laundry access are all part of one design goal: helping the person who lives here move through daily routines with greater comfort, dignity, and independence.

The goal: build support into the home in ways that protect comfort, dignity, and independence.
What this project really created: a way for someone to live more independently while staying connected to the people who matter most.
Full exterior view of the completed mother-in-law suite built from the former backyard deck area
Private Bedroom and Accessible Entry

Private Bedroom and Accessible Entry

One bedroom image shows the private living space, including a 36-inch exterior door and room for easier movement with a walker or wheelchair.

Bathroom With Open Circulation Space

Bathroom With Open Circulation Space

The bathroom was planned with more open floor area so the resident has greater room to move and complete daily routines more independently.

Open Shower With Bench and Grab Bars

Open Shower With Bench and Grab Bars

The wide-entry shower includes a built-in bench and grab bars so the resident has a place to sit and added support when stability is needed.

Water Closet With Added Support

Water Closet With Added Support

Grab bars beside the toilet provide added stability in one of the most important everyday areas of the suite.

From Backyard Deck to a Complete Independent Living Suite

The project began with the home's existing backyard deck. Rather than starting from an empty yard, Andre evaluated the structure, reinforced it, and used that footprint as the foundation for a complete mother-in-law suite.

The finished addition includes a private entrance, 36-inch doors for wheelchair and walker access, open circulation space, accessible bathroom features, and in-suite laundry so the client's loved one could remain close to family while maintaining greater independence.

Backyard and original deck before Andre reinforced the structure and built the mother-in-law suite
BEFORE · BACKYARD DECK The original backyard deck before Andre reinforced the structure and used this footprint to build the independent-living suite.
Completed mother-in-law suite exterior and private entry built from the former backyard deck area
AFTER · SUITE EXTERIOR & PRIVATE ENTRY The completed mother-in-law suite, showing the private entrance and full exterior structure built where the original backyard deck had been.

What Will Make Everyday Life Easier and Safer Here?

For Andre, accessible living is not one grab bar or one wider doorway. It is looking at the whole daily routine: how someone gets downstairs, moves through the room, uses the bathroom, does laundry, gets natural light, and gets out safely in an emergency.

Not sure where to start? Take the free 60-second Live Well at Home Check and see which changes matter most for your home.

New larger basement window bringing natural light into the lower-level independent living space

Bringing More Light Downstairs

A larger window brings more natural light into the lower-level living space, helping the room feel brighter, more open, and more comfortable for everyday living.

A Safer Emergency Exit

The original basement window was only 24 x 24 inches, too small to serve as a practical emergency escape route. Andre enlarged the opening to 36 x 48 inches and created an exterior egress well so the occupant has a safer way out and firefighters or EMTs have a larger access point into the space if needed.

Interior view of the enlarged 36 by 48 inch basement egress window
INSIDE VIEW The enlarged 36 x 48 inch window provides a usable emergency exit from inside the lower-level living area.
Exterior view of basement egress well providing an emergency safety route
OUTSIDE WELL & SAFETY ROUTE The outside well creates room for the occupant to climb out and gives a firefighter or EMT more space to enter the lower-level room in an emergency.
BEFORE: 24 x 24 in. window | AFTER: 36 x 48 in. egress window + exterior safety well

A Lower Level Designed So a Loved One Could Live Independently

This was not simply a finished basement. The lower level was redesigned so the client's loved one could live downstairs with greater independence while remaining connected to the family upstairs.

Andre enlarged the bathroom and created more open circulation. The finished bathroom includes a double-sink vanity and a larger shower with a full bench, giving the resident space to sit when extra stability or rest is needed.

A stacked washer and dryer were built into the lower level so clothing and everyday routines can be handled without repeatedly traveling to another floor.

Natural light helps the space feel brighter and more livable. An egress window and exterior well also provide another route out of the home if the primary path cannot be used in an emergency.

Independent living is not one feature. It is how the whole space works together.
Aging-in-Place & Multigenerational Capability Statement

Want Andre's Independent-Living Experience in One Page?

Review the services and project experience Andre brings to aging-in-place renovations, multigenerational living, in-law suites, safer bathrooms, wider circulation, lower-level independent living, and other changes that help a home continue working as needs change.

View the Capability Statement →

Not Sure What Needs to Change? Start With the Space You Already Have.

Andre can walk through the home or property with you, identify barriers to safety and independence, and help you prioritize practical improvements before you commit to construction. Or start online first: the free Home Check takes about a minute and gives you a score for your home plus the changes worth looking at first.

Live Well at Home Assessment

A walkthrough focused on safety, accessibility, comfort, and future needs, with priorities for what to improve now and what can wait.

Multigenerational Living Consultation

Planning for a mother-in-law suite, basement conversion, addition, or other private living area for a parent or loved one.

Space Planning Consultation

For homeowners or business owners who know something needs to change but want help clarifying scope, function, sequencing, and next steps before construction.

Start with the space you already have. Andre can help you see what it could become.
Schedule a Consultation →