Since starting her career in 2000, Jessica Curry has specialized in kitchen and bath design. Over the years working in kitchen and bath showrooms, she built relationships with a wide range of trade professionals and gained extensive knowledge of products and materials. She also learned from every client she worked with on projects large and small. When she launched her own business, Interiors by J. Curry, a decade ago, she combined her extensive knowledge and experience to become an in-demand designer in Rochester, Minnesota.
The Intersection of Aesthetics and Accessibility
Jessica’s expertise in bath renovations made her the ideal choice to tackle a bath remodel project. Her client suffered from a progressive form of arthritis and needed a beautiful spa-like retreat that was also ADA-friendly. “This bathroom is unique in the fact that it caters to my client’s current and possibly future disabilities,” Jessica explains. The design challenge was to maximize storage while incorporating a separate oversized shower/tub area and two distinct vanities.
The solution focused on personalized accessibility:
- Dual-Height Vanity: One vanity was designed slightly taller to accommodate the client’s current height and avoid excessive bending, while the second area featured open knee space at an ADA-compliant wheelchair height for potential future use. This lower area also serves as a great seated makeup area.
- Zero-Compromise Details: Jessica notes, “The homeowner still wanted and deserved a beautiful aesthetic that felt like a retreat and not an unattractive but accessible application.” Details included a seated tub with a retractable door, a French door walk-in shower with zero entry, grab bars, a bidet toilet, and varied shower and towel bar heights.
To add drama to the space, Jessica wrapped a wall/ledge by the windows in a showstopping mint green porcelain that coordinated with the shower wall. This design choice “helped bridge the layout gap and make things feel intentional and elevated but didn’t compromise function,” said Jessica. The result was a space where the client could gracefully age in place while feeling proud to use it every day.
Hardware: The Final, Functional Detail
When selecting decorative hardware for the project, Jessica wanted a warm, golden finish, ADA-friendly pull available in a range of sizes for proportion and scale. The Griffin collection from Jeffrey Alexander in Satin Bronze provided a timeless elegance that integrated beautifully with the luxurious spa-feel of the bath. Jessica believes the warm tones have earned a “timeless classic position in today’s homes.” She’s also excited about warmer bronze and copper materials, as well as the introduction of mixed-material hardware incorporating glass, acrylic, marble, or wood with metal.
Jessica offers crucial tips for selecting the best hardware:
- Proportion and Scale Are Key: Choose hardware sizes that are correctly scaled to the doors and drawers they will adorn.
- Homeowner’s Lifestyle: Think about who lives in the home. “A bar pull-style handle with overhanging details may not be a good product for an avid cook’s kitchen, as you may get caught on the hardware or run into the ends more often,” she advises. For homes with small children, a softer or more curved design might be safer.
- Mixing Metals: While mixing is popular, Jessica suggests repeating at least one metal finish throughout a room (e.g., matching the hardware to the light fixture or faucet) to ensure the space feels balanced and cohesive.
Jessica’s commitment to personalized design, whether through ADA-friendly layouts or thoughtful hardware selection, reinforces her driving belief: “I truly believe the right home renovations or personalization can improve our clients’ everyday quality of life.”
View more of Jessica Curry’s work here:
- Website: interiorsbyjcurry.com
- Instagram: @interiorsbyjcurry
- Facebook: Interiors By J. Curry LLC