Are You Needing A Basement Remodel for Your Aging Parents?

Dimora Designs is a full-service Interior Design Studio serving the greater Tampa, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia areas.

Co- Founded by two sisters, Dana Marino & Michelle Schiessle.

They specialize in creating functional, yet dramatic spaces for everyday life.
 
If you want to learn more about how you can modify your basement to increase livability for aging parents who visit often or are considering moving in with you, then this episode is for you.

Join Michelle and I to learn more about the ins and outs of renovating a basement with function and accessibility in mind.

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They also have an online home decor store including fixtures, lighting and home accessories: www.shopdimora.com.

Transcript

Janet (00:01.11)
Hello everyone and thank you for being with me today. My guest today is Michelle Sheasley and she is the president of Demora Designs. She is an interior designer here in Metro Atlanta and I invited her on my show because she has been doing several aging in place projects in the past year, which includes her own basement remodel, which she did for her mother and for her in-laws.

Michelle, thanks for being with us today.

Michelle Schiessle (00:33.739)
Yes, of course. Thanks for having me.

Janet (00:36.282)
Yes, I want to learn all about what you did in your beautiful basement. I know that you focused on the bathroom. You also focused on the kitchen area and just creating a space that was livable. So tell us a little bit about yourself, your business, and then tell us about the work that you've been doing.

Michelle Schiessle (00:59.707)
Sure, yes. So I'm the president of Demora Designs. We have operations in Florida, around Tampa, as well as here in Atlanta. We've been open for a few years now. And my business partner is actually my sister. She's a licensed realtor in Florida. And we both just love design and renovations. And we work really well together. So it's been quite fun having my sister as my business partner. We talk all the time. And

We're really excited to work with ADA compliant bathrooms and renovations. We just feel that we're really connected with that and understand that aspect. And as far as my bathroom renovation in my basement, I did focus that for my in-laws and my mother-in-law. My basement was functional before it was finished, but it wasn't pretty by any means. It did not have a shower. It was very basic. It was original from the 60s.

Um, so we really decided to turn it into a mother-in-law suite. It's functional from, um, really every aspect. Someone can enter from the outside. They don't necessarily have to go through our upstairs. Uh, there is a full kitchenette behind me. It's not a full kitchen. I would say there's no stove or oven, but it's very easy to add like an air fryer or a hot plate or something like that. If someone needed it, it does have a washer and dryer and it has a full bathroom with a stand up, like walk-in shower, which is zero entry. So it's curbless.

Um, my mother has early onset dementia, so I would like it that she has a place to come if she needs to. She currently lives in Florida by herself and it is a little bit of an upkeep. Um, we have to keep up with her and her accounts and her doctor's appointments and, you know, making sure her condo is running properly. She owns her condo. I own it with her. So we do have access to everything. Um, but it is hard to manage, you know, when we're not there. We don't necessarily know.

what exactly is going on. So my basement can function fully for her if she wanted to come. Also, my in-laws are a little bit older as well. And my mother-in-law suffered an ankle injury a few years ago. She still really struggles with walking and stairs and all of that. So the walk-in shower for her is fabulous. And having the space down here is great for them. They don't have to come up every time they need something or wanna make a coffee. They can stay down here and function properly.

Janet (03:02.104)
Mm-hmm.

Janet (03:26.542)
Well, that sounds wonderful. Now you mentioned that you have a walkout basement. Does your walkout basement have a zero entrance into the basement or is there a steps or threshold?

Michelle Schiessle (03:41.139)
There is a step. It's just like a normal step down from a main entrance to a house. It's not a lot. There are steps in my yard, but they're very long, wide steps. They're not steep. So they are fairly easy to maneuver. They are outside, but they are decent to maneuver around. So when you walk out of the basement, there's like a little...

foyer type area where there's like a table and it's covered and there's, you know, access to kind of transition from the outside world. So it's not like a very rugged, dangerous area. Like there's plenty of lighting and all of that.

Janet (04:18.029)
Mm-hmm. Okay, because that's very important, what you mentioned, that you have the curbless shower, you have a bedroom in your basement, and your basement is accessible from the outside. So no one has to navigate stairs from the ground floor to get down to the basement. So what you just described is a livable space, which the definition of livable design is that

You have a full bathroom and you also have a bedroom where someone can retreat So not only do you have a livable design, but you also have what we call a visitable design Which means that someone you know with a specific disability like your mother-in-law that injured her ankle and Has issues with mobility Can not only come visit you but can also stay with you

Michelle Schiessle (05:18.091)
Right. Yes. It's wonderful.

Janet (05:21.006)
Yes, and that is becoming more of a factor that people are looking for to have in their homes. Because even if they themselves are aging and they don't have any urgent needs, they may have friends that do or you know if you're younger like yourself that you have aging parents. I know myself, I also have that situation because my mother is blind from one eye.

And so she cannot negotiate stairs without putting herself at risk for a fall. Um, and fortunately, my home has a bedroom downstairs, uh, so, and a full bathroom. So I also have what's considered a livable design in my home. So tell me a little bit more about, um, the challenges that you experienced, um, with this basement remodel and then also making it.

Michelle Schiessle (05:57.039)
Mm-hmm.

Janet (06:20.247)
so that it was a conducive place for them to navigate.

Michelle Schiessle (06:26.543)
Sure, yeah. I think the biggest issue with a basement renovation is going to be it's a basement. So a lot of the walls are load bearing. We have two stories above the basement. So we couldn't just do whatever we wanted. We had to follow really strict layout terms. There were ideas in my head where I was actually going to flip the renovation and do this would have been the bedroom and the kitchen would have been where the bedroom was. But we have windows that would have had to be relocated and we have brick on the outside.

There were just like certain structures that really required like significant changes that we just weren't willing to do. Obviously cost is a consideration for a lot of those things. As a designer, I can do a lot of the things myself and my husband's actually an engineer. So he has all the structural experience and knowledge. So he primarily acts as like the contractor in our projects, which is great because we do save a lot of money. But when it comes to taking out walls, like that wasn't something we were willing to do.

Also, a basement is a slab, so we can't just take out the floors and run plumbing underneath. We had to hire plumbers to come in and jackhammer and relocate plumbing and add the shower. And we had, well, actually, no, we didn't have water here where the sink was, but we have a sink right above here. So we were able to run water directly down. So that was a little bit easier. But those were all things we had to think about. Like if I moved it over there, could we do the sink here? We also added laundry.

Um, which we did not have in that location. So my husband had to add the water and add the vent and make sure we can vent it outside. And, um, there were definitely a lot of things when it comes to taking that whole project. It was, it was a full renovation. It's about 1200 square feet. So it's, it's quite large.

Janet (08:14.838)
Yeah, yeah, so that's a decent living space. And it sounds like you did everything down there, which is wonderful because now that's going to increase the value of your property. And yeah, and increase access. It's also going to be more appealing to a greater number of people because you've created a visitable and livable design.

Michelle Schiessle (08:29.027)
Yes, I love that.

Janet (08:44.558)
So tell me the Kerblus shower. So I love that the Kerblus shower has become a almost standard element in bathroom design. I liken it to the comfort height toilet. Years ago, only people that needed a higher toilet would put in what was then a comfort height toilet, which now has really become

Michelle Schiessle (08:57.86)
Mm-hmm.

Janet (09:14.066)
standard height because if you're remodeling your bathroom or building a new home, most people are not going to select a 15 inch toilet. It's going to be at least 17 and a half inches. So it seems like the same thing is happening with the curbless shower that before we only saw curbless showers in hospitals, nursing homes, you know, that were built so that a mobility device or someone with a mobility impairment.

Michelle Schiessle (09:31.835)
Mm-hmm.

Janet (09:43.086)
could transfer in without any difficulty. But now people are realizing that curbless showers are really beautiful, right? So tell me as a designer, when did you start seeing that people were putting in curbless showers, you know, regardless of...

Michelle Schiessle (09:55.583)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Janet (10:11.134)
their abilities, like doing it just as an aesthetically pleasing design option.

Michelle Schiessle (10:13.787)
Mm-hmm.

Michelle Schiessle (10:18.487)
Right, yeah, I mean, initially I did it because it was gorgeous. It's definitely more expensive, especially in a basement, because you have to jackhammer the slab and make it slope properly. So there are certain things to take into consideration because we had already redone our plumbing. So we already had it jackhammered once, and then we had to go back and jackhammer it again to create the slope. So it's definitely an added cost, but I think it was so worth it because the tile transitions smoothly, it's easy to clean, it's easy to maintain.

And I really think people started talking about it only in the past few years. Like, you know, touring the show houses in Atlanta, you still are just starting to see them. I know everyone's been doing the tub shower sort of rooms. You know, it's not a tub shower combo where it's the same. They're like separate entities, but together kind of a thing. You know what I'm saying? Like they're all behind glass. So it's a shower, it's like a shower room and it's all, it's all waterproof. So even if you don't.

Janet (11:13.598)
Okay.

Michelle Schiessle (11:17.235)
Like if you have a huge space and you want to have a free standing tub, it's basically like you waterproof the whole bathroom, which is also great for kids because I have kids and they want to take a bath in my bath. And it's near drywall and they want to splash. So honestly, I think it's a trend for not just older people. It's for a trend for people with kids making an entire waterproof area for the shower and the tub. You just walk in, you know, you do your thing. You keep your towels in there.

keep a bench in there, you know, like you don't have to go anywhere else to go get things anymore. It's all right there, which is fabulous.

Janet (11:54.614)
Yeah, I love that you mentioned having kids because that is what universal design is all about. Is making home features designs that are inclusive, that have general appeal. That it doesn't matter what your ability is, your age, your size, you're able to use these home features in the same way.

Michelle Schiessle (12:05.551)
Mm-hmm.

Janet (12:24.662)
So tell us a little bit more about how you incorporate universal design into your work and specifically into this base memory model.

Michelle Schiessle (12:36.791)
Yes, exactly. So I did universal design really related to the ease of transition. So you'll see behind me, I have dark cabinets, white countertop, white backsplash, and a dark shelf. So you can kind of see the transition. You can see the layers. Even at night, you kind of can navigate. My floors are very light. The wall color is also very light.

And then on the bathroom floor, I have a marble hexagon. So it's a lighter pattern, but it's still a pattern. So you can see it. Like there are dark grays and blacks. The vanity is black. So a contrast against the wall color. The bathroom floor has a transition up to the bench. So into the shower, there's like a large seating bench that has the marble tile. So you can just like easily walk right in and see the whole thing. There's no change in.

You know, your eye when you follow the design into the room. We also added all of our doors are levers, so no knobs. And then the cabinet pulls behind me are quite easy. Can't see them, but they're easy to access. What else? Everything's pretty much functional again for kids, adults. And the only thing I can't reach per se is like my dryer is on the top. Like that's, I'm a short person, so I have to get a...

Janet (13:55.838)
Mm-hmm.

Michelle Schiessle (13:57.523)
That's the issues you deal with a stackable washer and dryer. So that's just, it's also good. So my kids can't get in it, but that is something unfortunately stackable washer and dryers I wish they could alternate and somehow fix for shorter people. Because that's something that's a little bit challenging, but other than that, everything's really quite functional for everyone.

Janet (14:11.15)
Mm-hmm.

Janet (14:18.114)
Well, I like that you mentioned color contrast, because that is a design element that can help increase safety and function in a space. You mentioned wayfinding. So just having different colors. And you also mentioned texture, which is important, because texture is another way that we can create contrast between one surface.

and another. And so it's all going to make that space more functional, more accessible, easier to just do your activities of daily living, which in our world, the OT world, it's bathing, dressing, toilet hygiene, all of these things that we have to do on a daily basis in order to...

Michelle Schiessle (14:48.58)
Mm-hmm.

Michelle Schiessle (15:03.384)
Mm-hmm.

Janet (15:17.786)
function right? So tell me a little bit more about your projects. You mentioned that you recently did a project where you incorporated ADA and now you have a future one. Tell me about your work.

Michelle Schiessle (15:38.775)
Yeah, so primarily my business partner, my sister Dana is in Tampa and she has a great contact with a contractor there who lets her take on some of the design work that he just can't handle. And so recently they were doing a project for a veteran is for like a charity foundation. I don't remember the name right now, but where they were able to offer assistance to a veteran who had been living in a home for years, but could not function properly in his own home.

So it was a pretty typical standard kitchen with like a pantry with a regular door. He couldn't even get into the pantry. You know, he couldn't reach the sink cause he's in a wheelchair. His bathroom didn't function properly. So that was a really fun project because it wasn't just like, okay, let's just pick out some finishes. We were like actually strategically thinking what would work best for this family because he is the only handicapped person in the house. So there's also a wife and kids and they have to.

use it properly as well. So there are parts of the kitchen where the range or the stove goes up and down. So it's a normal height for everyone else. And then it drops down for him in the wheelchair. And then the kitchen sink has a little space where his wheelchair can go in. It's recessed. Same thing in the bathroom. Like her vanity is normal and his is a little bit lower. So it was quite interesting because we were like...

How are we going to do this? Where are we going to find these cabinets from? How are we going to get them? Are they going to be in the colors he likes? But luckily, he was fabulous to work with. It all worked out. And now we're about to start another ADA type project, which is really quite fun, because you have to think functionality. And I think Demora Designs is really all about functionality. Design, in general, can be fabulous, right? Anyone can spend thousands of dollars in making a space beautiful. But if it doesn't function properly,

Like, what is the point? So that's what's really important to me. We really think about who's living there, how they're going to live there, and what's going to come in the future. When I bought my house, I didn't have kids. So I really didn't think about designing it for kids because I didn't have them. But now I'm like, oh, dang, I wish I did this, or I wish I did that because they're destroying my house or whatever. But yeah, it's definitely something you have to have a conversation with during your initial design consultation.

Janet (17:55.874)
Mm.

Janet (18:01.498)
Yeah, and going back to your last client, did you have trouble finding the things that you needed? Like for example, a roll under sink or well, did you do a roll under sink for him?

Michelle Schiessle (18:16.647)
Um, so my sister actually was able to find a cabinet company that worked really well with them. They came out and took measurements. They have specific ADA compliant cabinets. They had the cabinet for the stove that raised up and down. They have the system. So I was surprised. I mean, I guess because it's in Tampa and the majority of the population in Florida is a little bit older.

But it's really not something advertised. Like I've never been to a cabinet supplier or, you know, a resource center for designers that specifically has an ADA section. It's just not really that widely talked about. I'm sure there are people that focus on it primarily, especially now it's becoming more popular. But it was surprisingly easy to find someone that worked well and fast that had cabinets in stock and could get them installed right away. So that was, that was nice.

Janet (19:07.014)
Okay, well great. That's good to hear. So what advice would you give a homeowner that is interested in remodeling their home and preparing their home for aging in place?

Michelle Schiessle (19:19.991)
Yes. So first of all, if you're starting a smaller renovation and it tends to merge into a bigger renovation, I think you have to think about the future. So for example, if you are putting in a bathroom now, or if you're renovating a kitchen now, and you're like, oh, we'll do the upstairs later, or oh, we'll do the basement later, my advice to anyone is whenever you have drywall open and you can easily run electrical or plumbing up, down, sideways, left, or right, do it.

because it's so much easier to go back later on and quickly pop in a washer and dryer or add like a half bath or something like that where people don't think about. So I added a washer and dryer into my closet. My primary bedroom is on the main floor and we switched. So my closet now used to be the bathroom. It's like a long thin layout. So it just didn't make sense for a bathroom, but we already had water there. So I was like, let's put in a washer and dryer. Like that's...

easy, boom. And it's actually one of those RV washer and dryers where it's a combo. So it doesn't need to be vented. It does the whole thing in one cycle. It's fabulous. But we also, when we did our kitchen renovation years ago, we ran a stack of a plumbing stack upstairs into our attic space so that we can easily add a bathroom or washer and dryer up there. So that's my recommendation. Like plan for the future. Even if you're not going to do the renovation, you're like, man, maybe we'll get to it one day.

If you already add the plumbing and don't have to go back through other walls and other rooms and all of that, it's, you're going to save thousands of dollars by doing that.

Janet (20:53.782)
Well, that's a great point that you bring up. And I like that you mentioned just planning ahead when you have your drywall open. One thing that I really recommend to people is add wall blocking, especially in your bathroom. Even if you don't need grab bars or you don't need any safety equipment installed in your bathroom currently, you don't know if you will need that in the future. And so it doesn't even cost.

very much money to add wall blocking while it's in the construction phase and then take a picture of the wall blocking. Also use a fractional tape measure when you're taking your pictures so that you know the size of everything and keep those for yourself. And then if you sell your home, you know, you can tell the future buyer that, hey, all of this wall blocking is already behind the walls.

Here is where it is, here are pictures. And that's just gonna make it so much easier to add any equipment that you need to add in the future. And it's gonna cost a lot less money and you're not going to have a demo in your bathroom.

Michelle Schiessle (21:52.374)
Mm-hmm.

Michelle Schiessle (22:10.423)
Oh, yes, for sure. Yeah, wall blocking and also outlets. The thing about technology these days is everyone wants things plugged in all the time, right? Like TVs or Bluetooth speakers or Alexa, like whatever. So we have to have outlets. And now even more, the toilets. The toilets are fancy these days, right? They open automatically, they talk to you, they wash your bum, all those things, but they have to have outlets. So if you're doing a bathroom renovation, add outlets near your toilet. Like people don't...

Janet (22:27.213)
Mm-hmm.

Janet (22:36.694)
Yes.

Michelle Schiessle (22:37.827)
People don't think about it, but people are like, oh, I want one of those fancy toilets. I'm like, cool, do you have power there? They're like, no. And I'm like, well, you know, like we're gonna have to work on that. Add outlets everywhere and then also add switches or outlets with built-in nightlights. I love a nightlight. I'm like the old lady with the thousand nightlights, but now we add them into our switches and outlets built in. So if you walk into the bathroom at night, something's glowing. Or if you're walking around the stairs at night, something's glowing.

Janet (22:54.126)
Mm-hmm.

Michelle Schiessle (23:07.603)
In the closet, we have outlets behind our clothes, like in our built-in system, so we can go back and add custom lighting later on. I'm telling you, add outlets everywhere.

Janet (23:18.61)
Yeah, that's a very good suggestion because it is true that, you know, all of these things are so much cheaper to add during the construction phase and you're going to need them. Like you mentioned the outlets by the toilet, we need at least two GFCI outlets in the bathroom, depending on how large your bathroom is. And what you mentioned about the bidet, like that in the last five years, the bidets have just...

grown leaps and bounds. Everyone is putting a bidet in their bathroom and it is a feature that really does help people age in place because toilet hygiene is improved, right? You have the prevention of urinary tract infections, which puts many older people in the hospital, can also lead to a fall, lead to confusion. So all of these things, it's important.

to do because it's going to make your home more comfortable, right? And it's also going to make it safer, right? So I think you brought up some fantastic points. Michelle, any future trends that you see specifically related to aging in place design from the perspective of an interior designer?

Michelle Schiessle (24:21.435)
Mm-hmm.

Michelle Schiessle (24:24.921)
Right.

Michelle Schiessle (24:44.415)
Again, it kind of goes back to functionality. And I think it has to do with sprayers, like sprayers on your faucet or your shower system or near your toilet or even your bathroom. So a lot of people will install a freestanding tub, but they'll just add, you know, the regular faucet with the two knobs and they don't add a sprayer. And coming to go clean around your bathtub or your tile or clean around your toilet.

And I understand grout lines are a pain. I hate grout lines. And I love tile, but you have to have very small grout lines, like very thin. So focus on like tile selection and water sprayers. So add a separate water sprayer into your shower. Don't get the one that's the dual where you have to like remove it and, you know, do the diverter. That's a pain. Have one that has a long reach. You can wash down your whole shower, run tile up the wall. So you can wipe down any messes you make.

Again, I have toddlers, they make messes in the bathroom. So I just want to hose everything down. I want everything waterproof. So even your sink. In your bathroom, people are washing their face and their hands and they have this tiny drip that you can't accomplish anything with. Add a sprayer so you can clean it. I mean, I think that really would make life a lot easier.

Janet (25:40.27)
Mm-hmm.

Janet (25:58.558)
Yeah, you see, I think that because you have toddlers, you think like a caregiver. And having toddlers and being the caregiver for an older person, you know, can have a lot of overlap. So, you know, we tend to forget as our kids get older, you know, how it can, you know, the bathroom can get really messy, you know, how.

Michelle Schiessle (26:04.875)
Right.

Michelle Schiessle (26:14.313)
Mm-hmm.

Janet (26:27.27)
it's not going to be necessarily in the toilet, but outside of the toilet and things in the shower and everything and you're right in that stage of life where you're experiencing it.

Michelle Schiessle (26:37.34)
I'm just doing it all.

Michelle Schiessle (26:41.555)
Yeah, and I, you know, it's not just my kids. Like I pull a lot of references. I grew up in Sarasota, Florida, where it's primarily old people. Like my first job was at a retirement home. I spent a lot of time around the older community and I just really bonded with them. Like I, I guess I have an old soul. I get along with older people better than I do with younger people. Sometimes I spend a lot of time, um, with my stepmom who worked at an Alzheimer's facility, so, you know, understanding how those people operate and how you're supposed to communicate with them. And.

you know, just their daily life. So I've had a lot of like hands-on experience seeing, you know, what it's like to live in one of those retirement communities versus living in, you know, your own independent home. And just now seeing that my mom has dementia, she's so unorganized and it's so hard to keep up with things. And she really needs someone to kind of come in every day, not necessarily take care of her, but just check on things, make sure things aren't expired or she's taking her medicine or...

She locks her doors. I don't know, just like silly things that, you know, you don't really think about until you're having to kind of manage that remotely. I have to manage it from Atlanta, unfortunately.

Janet (27:51.31)
Mm-hmm. Yes, that's important that you have those supports in place. Because I always say that just because you have the diagnosis of dementia doesn't mean that you immediately have to go live in an assisted living facility or a memory care. You can continue to live at home by yourself, like your mother does, as long as the right supports are in place for a period of time. Now once...

Michelle Schiessle (28:16.507)
Mm-hmm.

Janet (28:19.274)
you know, the dementia level worsens, you know, then you may have to think about either moving her into your basement where she has, you know, 24 hour care or moving her into some kind of assisted living facility or having a paid caregiver in her home. But until then, it can save you a lot of money to remain in your home the way your mom is doing right now.

Michelle Schiessle (28:42.488)
Right.

Michelle Schiessle (28:47.195)
And that's really the subject of all conversations, I think. If we had the money and she wanted to, we would put her in a facility, if that's what she chose. She likes her independence. She likes staying in her little community now. And that's fine as long as we can maintain it, as long as we can check in and keep an eye on her and control things for the most part. We have to know where her doctor's appointments are because she does get lost. She still drives.

she gets lost occasionally going to certain places. So we have to monitor on tracking apps. We have to be like, are you at the right doctor's office? Are you there at the right time? That's a lot of work, but for now she's still okay most of the time. It's just those people are going to have issues occasionally.

Janet (29:31.13)
Yes. Well, thank you, Michelle. I really enjoyed talking with you today and enjoyed that you shared so many aspects of your life with your family, specifically your mom, because I think that there are many people that can relate to what you're going through. You're in that sandwich generation, which is, you know, just very challenging. But unfortunately, many of us will experience

Michelle Schiessle (29:51.739)
awesome.

Janet (30:00.162)
the same circumstances at some point.

Michelle Schiessle (30:03.827)
It is. Yeah, it's a lot being in that situation with older parents and younger kids. It's, it's a two for one, that's for sure. So, but

Janet (30:09.234)
Mm-hmm. Yeah. So, Michelle, how can people get in touch with you if they would like to hire you?

Michelle Schiessle (30:18.123)
Yes, of course. So we have our website. We're all over social media, Facebook, LinkedIn. Our website is demora-designs.com. We also have a home decor store where we sell home decor accessories and fixtures and lighting, and that's shopdemora.com. So yeah, we have lots of opportunities for business in Atlanta and in Tampa.

Janet (30:43.498)
Okay, great. Thanks for being with us today.

Michelle Schiessle (30:46.755)
Yes, thank you. Thank you for having me.