Due to increasing life expectancy and declining fertility rates, Australia’s population is continuing to age. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), there were 4.2 million older Australians (aged 65 and over) in 2020, with older people comprising 16 per cent of the country’s population.

ABS expects it will continue rising to between 3.6 and 4.4 per cent in 2066.

Due to these statistics, many bathroom specialists and designers are installing accessible products in bathrooms that will help prevent falls for mature residents. 

A Melburnian entrepreneur and design engineer, Dave Sayers, was well-aware of this issue. 

‘As I watched my grandparents age quickly over recent years, they began struggling to move around their house,’ he says. ‘They refused to have grab rails installed because of the stigma attached around the generic hospital-like supports.’

When starting his research in this field, Dave turned to a good friend and occupational therapist. She said that she’s had many requests from her clients for more attractive home-care products. ‘Why are the bathroom rails so clinical? They remind me of a 1900s hospital,’ Dave says.

Before long, he launched Avail, a new range of grab rails and accessories that are not only strong, functional and ergonomic – they’re also stylish.

This range of sustainable products provide clients ‘with a sense of security without being a constant reminder of their ageing or limitations’. 

Avail’s grab rails and seats provide support and stability. They assist clients to safely shower, get in and out of a bathtub, on and off a toilet or up and down small flights of steps. As well as being accessible, these compliant bathrooms meet the highest safety standards.

‘Grab rails give people an independence that they may not otherwise have at home,’ Dave explains.

Manufactured in Melbourne’s suburb of Seaford, Avail grab rails offer a variety of sizes and shapes to match physical needs – as well as complementing interior design elements. This ranges from a matte black grab rail for a modern aesthetic to a brushed brass grab rail to fit into a classic heritage design.

When installing these products, the weight and strength of the user needs to be considered. Avail recommends installation into the wall studs at each bracket but some installers will install into just tiles, depending on the customer and bathroom.

Avail provides a personalised solution, designed to suit clients and their needs. For more information, visit Avail or call 1300 945 720.

Tapping into originality

For carpenter, builder and inventor Oliver Maclatchy, there’s nothing better than being in his office. That’s because his ‘office’ is an expansive workshop with an abundance of tools and a fireplace in Melbourne’s suburb of Fairfield. He refers to it as his much-loved shed.

While he worked as a carpenter for 16 years, Oliver started tinkering in the workshop, developing bespoke tapware using reclaimed and recycled timber. These are suitable for kitchens, bathrooms and laundries.

Under the helm of Wood Melbourne, he launched his handmade Timbre Bath Spout in 2013. 

Oliver’s passion is ‘to reinvent the bathroom space’, utilising natural materials that are pliable. He’s also determined to make the finished products affordable for Australian clients.

Another breakthrough for Oliver was releasing a concrete tap, followed by one made of brass-encased timber, concrete and marble. He then joined forces with Archier Architects in 2019 to produce Wood Melbourne’s Cape Barren hob outlet paired with the new Elle range of wall and hob mixers.

Oliver continues to design new one-off pieces. He currently showcases a frameless shower head, vanity units, a toilet holder, a brass wall hook, a soap bottle holder and – of course – some of the most innovative taps on the market today.

For more information, visit Wood Melbourne or visit the showroom by appointment.

Cool customisation

Adding personality to a kitchen appeals to many clients. An easy option is to introduce Samsung Electronic’s Bespoke Refrigerators which offers unique configurations. With seven different colours and two types of finishes on offer, mixing and matching the exteriors can add real impact to a kitchen space.

The fridge’s exterior is made from premium aluminium which provides a level of dent- and scratch-resistance and allows marks and stains to be easily removed. Each modular fridge will be connected using a pairing kit that the installer will bring along at the time of delivery.

With the BESPOKE Freestanding French-door Refrigerator with Internal Beverage Centre™ , a fully integrated beverage centre – including a water dispenser, auto-fill jug, and drinks storage – has been designed to live within the front-door to not compromise your kitchen aesthetics.

With seamless connectivity, the fridge has a SmartThings Energy support which allows users to monitor and manage their fridge’s electricity use and offers tips to help reduce their carbon footprint and save money.

First published on 13 April 2023