Chicago-area interior designer focuses on accessibility and style

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Creating your own living space to meet your needs is important, especially when there are physical challenges involved.

Chicago-area interior designer Leslie M. Stern understands how to create accessible environments with style.

"When Eileen hired me, she told me she was moving from a large home in the suburbs to a condo," Stern said. "To make it more accessible for her and her husband, we first had to work on renovating the kitchen and the bathroom."

Once a Chicago public high school art teacher to deaf and hard of hearing students, Stern used her experiences to design barrier-free interiors in homes and buildings.

"It depends on the disability, sometimes many physical changes have to be made, but many of them are just common sense," she said. "Selecting materials that are safer for anybody to use."

Issues with client Eileen's home were physical, visual and safety.

"It's didn't have enough lighting, the cabinets were not easy to use for someone with mobility issues, the bathrooms - we wanted something so that there would be less chance to fall," Stern said. "The bathroom is the most dangerous room in the house."

"After we were done with the renovation, we worked on the furniture," Stern said. "We used as much furniture as we could, but we re-purposed it, re-upholstered it, built up the cushions so that it gives better support."

"Eileen does have some low-vision issues, she wanted to have recess lighting but sometimes that can be glary, so we did it with fluorescent lights so we don't have the heat issues," Stern said.

"I worked on flooring because that was very important, so making sure we have floors that are not slippery easy to walk on, eliminating a lot of the thresholds," she said.

For more information on interior designs for people with disabilities, visit www.lesliemsterndesign.com.