Accessible Home Design
Thoughtful home and garden modifications for ageing in place, disability and independent living, developed alongside your occupational therapist.
A home that continues to work for you
As we grow older, recover from an injury or experience changes in mobility, our homes may no longer work as well as they once did. Steps become harder to navigate. Bathrooms feel less safe. Doorways become restrictive. Gardens become difficult to maintain. Moving between the house and outdoor areas can take more effort than it should.
That does not necessarily mean you need to leave the home you love. Thoughtful modifications can make your home safer, easier to navigate and more comfortable, while preserving the warmth, character and sense of belonging that make it yours.
Orterra Home works alongside occupational therapists, allied health professionals and age care providers to transform functional recommendations into a cohesive home and garden design that is safe, accessible, welcoming and designed for the way you want to live.
More than a collection of modifications
Accessibility is often approached as a series of individual additions, such as installing a handrail, changing a shower or adding a ramp. These changes may be necessary, but they should not feel separate from the rest of your home.
At Orterra Home, we look at the complete picture. We consider how you move through your home, how the indoor and outdoor spaces connect, how the garden is used and maintained, and how your needs may change over time.
The result is not simply an accessible home. It is a home that feels considered, comfortable and genuinely yours.
Designing from the inside to the outside
Your daily life does not stop at the back door, so neither should your home modification plan. Depending on your needs, this may include:
- Entrances and access — safer, more comfortable ways to enter and leave your home, including level or gently graded access, ramps, wider pathways and improved lighting.
- Interior spaces — redesigned bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms and living areas that are easier to move through, with accessible storage and space for mobility equipment.
- Indoor and outdoor connections — reducing level changes, widening openings and creating clearer pathways so outdoor spaces are easier to reach and enjoy.
- Accessible gardens — accessible paths, comfortable seating, raised garden beds, shaded areas and manageable planting.
- Safer outdoor spaces — surface stability, gradients, drainage, lighting, handrails, gates and trip hazards.
- Easier maintenance — resilient planting and carefully selected materials that reduce upkeep while keeping the garden green and inviting.
Working with your occupational therapist
An occupational therapist assesses how you complete everyday activities and identifies the changes that could help you live more safely and independently. Their recommendations may address movement through the home, personal care, access, falls prevention, assistive equipment and home modifications.
Orterra Home takes those functional recommendations and explores how they can be thoughtfully incorporated into the design of your home and garden, collaborating with you, your occupational therapist and other relevant professionals to balance accessibility, practicality, appearance, budget and future needs.
If you do not already have an occupational therapist, we can help you understand which professional you may need to contact before the design process begins.
Planning for today and tomorrow
Good accessible design responds to what you need now while considering what may change in the future. You may only need a few improvements today, but planning ahead can prevent expensive or disruptive work later.
Where appropriate, we can develop a staged plan that identifies immediate priorities and improvements that can be completed over time — giving you a clear direction without requiring everything to happen at once.
Who we can help
- People who want to remain living safely in their own home as they grow older
- People living with disability who need their home or garden to better support daily life
- NDIS participants working with an occupational therapist or home modification assessor
- Families adapting a home for an ageing parent or family member
- People planning ahead so their home can support them through different stages of life
- Homeowners who want accessibility to feel integrated, attractive and intentional
Our design process
- 1Getting to know you
We learn about your daily routines, what is becoming difficult, and what you would like to keep.
- 2Understanding the recommendations
We review the advice from your occupational therapist and discuss the functional requirements with your support team.
- 3Looking at the whole property
We assess the home and garden together, identifying barriers, opportunities and connections that may otherwise be missed.
- 4Developing your design
We create an integrated design response that brings together accessibility, comfort, beauty, practicality and your personal style.
- 5Planning the modifications
We can coordinate with your occupational therapist, building designer, access consultant and builder to move the design towards construction.
- 6Supporting you through the process
We can remain involved as the project develops, supporting the original vision through documentation, pricing and construction.
Accessibility without losing the feeling of home
An accessible home does not need to feel clinical or institutional. A ramp can become part of the garden. A handrail can be carefully incorporated into the architecture. A level entrance can feel generous and welcoming.
That is what Orterra Home brings to the process: the ability to see your home and garden as one connected place, and to create practical solutions without losing its warmth, personality or sense of home.
