Bringing beautiful products to accessible bathroom layouts

When Dave Sayers, founder of Avail Designs, had grandparents needing to install grab rails in their home, he was disappointed with the options available. 

“They refused to have grab rails installed because of the stigma attached with the stale hospital-looking rails,” he says. “While working as a design engineer, I was approached by an occupational therapist friend who spoke of the requests from her clients for more attractive home care products. From there, Avail began with a more ground-up redesign of the grab rail to improve their style, ergonomics and installation.”

Available in finishes including chrome, brushed nickel, brushed brass, brushed gold, bronze, gun metal and matt black, the Avail Design grab rails are stylish and can blend seamlessly with the rest of the design – including matching tapware choices from Nero, available via SA Plumbing Supply. The brand also supplies matching accessories including toilet roll holders, foot rests, towel rails shelves and robe hooks to complete the look. 

“It’s a range of colours that’s not available from other brands that provide products for accessible bathrooms – they are far more aesthetically pleasing, which is really key to being able to have a cohesive design,” says Paterson. 

“The products have also been designed to be modular meaning you can easily make a custom size with the way the mounting system works. 

“It’s a really nice alternative choice to bring into the accessible market here in New Zealand for both private and commercial spaces like hotels – and it’s offered at a very good price point.”

Read more: Should you future-proof your bathroom?

“At SA Plumbing Supply we are trying to provide the market with a whole range of options that suit all price points and design styles. All brands have a different design style – it’s like artwork, you either like or you don’t. It’s about giving people choices so we can move forward and create great universally designed bathrooms,” says Paterson.

The need for accessibility shouldn’t compromise the beauty of a space, and Avail Design’s products are focused on combining safety with style, creating dignified, safer home solutions. 

“At Avail, our core aim is to give the peace of mind that we and our loved ones can live safely and independently with dignity,” says Sayers. “Design has the unique ability to dignify – it can make people feel valued, respected, honoured and seen.”

Read more: Designing accessible bathrooms

If you’re looking to make your bathroom a more accessible space, or are a design professional helping clients create universally designed bathrooms in residential and commercial settings, explore the range of Avail Design products from SA Plumbing Supply.