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5 Accessible and Luxurious Homes

In honor of International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3, Luxury Defined tours five homes equipped with adaptive, mobility-friendly features for greater inclusion for all

It is not enough to merely survive our environment but to strive to create environments in which we, our families, and our friends can thrive: Obstacles we eliminate; barriers we raze; and where we encounter limits on our abilities, we create the tools to transcend them. Luxury Defined honors the Dec. 3 observance of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which serves to lay the foundation for a future of greater inclusion for all. To that end, we present an international collection of luxurious homes, each fitted with the ultimate in comfort, convenience, utility and accessibility for the able and the adaptive.

This unique contemporary villa in the resort community of La Reserva Club Sotogrande is beautifully positioned on the resort’s championship golf course, with views across the fairways to the Mediterranean Sea and the North African coast. The open-concept design incorporates adaptive facilities, including an elevator, handrails in the bathrooms, and level gardens. All doors are wide and wheelchair-accessible for ease of passage throughout the house. The massive front door opens to a galleried hall connecting the home’s spacious living room, dining room, and kitchen—a chef’s dream with top-of-the-line stainless-steel appliances, cold storage room, pantry, and separate laundry room. Sliding doors in the living room, dining room, and the kitchen provide easy access to the serene outdoor areas, which are enhanced by color accent walls, a split-level garden with fountain and koi pond, a shaded barbecue area, and a mosaic-tiled infinity pool with ipe wood deck and charming thatched palapa. An elevator rises to the five en suite bedrooms, including a primary suite with a sea-view window, dressing room, accessible bathroom, and a terrace with outdoor shower. The lower level includes a staff apartment, six-car garage, and luxurious recreation area with cinema, wine cellar, bar, and fitness center with massage room, sauna, and Jacuzzi.

Custom Home in Cameron Crest Farms, Johns Creek, Georgia

This custom-designed home sits on more than six gated acres in Johns Creek, Georgia, a leafy suburb some 25 miles northeast of Atlanta. The rambling main house extends to more than 10,500 square feet, including the attached carriage house with a wheelchair-accessible elevator. Other thoughtful details include stepless showers with wheelchair access, wide doors and hallways, and hardwood floors for ease of movement between the main living areas. The heart of the home is a large family kitchen with a center island bar and breakfast nook. Just off the kitchen is a family room and a formal dining room. There are six bedrooms, seven full bathrooms and one half-bathroom. The main suite bath has a soaking tub and an oversized mobility shower fitted with handrails and multiple showerheads. Other high-end upgrades include geothermal HVAC system, Kolbe windows, Wolf/Sub-Zero kitchen appliances, and rock wool sound-proofing. The garage has parking for six cars and an RV, as well as high ceilings to accommodate a car lift. There’s even accommodations for canine residents, including a dog grooming room with a custom washtub and a fenced dog run.

Leonide Windmill in Anna Paulowna, Netherlands

Leonide Windmill is a one-of-a-kind home on the Oude Veer canal in Anna Paulowner, Netherlands. This ancient-seeming, two-story saw barn was actually built in 2002, incorporating a restored, functioning 1892 windmill. The main living spaces are housed in the saw barn, which provides 2,895 square feet of luxurious, wheelchair-accessible accommodations—executed in a superb fusion of traditional and contemporary design. At the heart of the home is the living room and a sleek country kitchen. The conservatory offers sweeping views of the countryside and opens to a level terrace with a dining area. There are three bedrooms, including a primary suite with a wide door opening to a terrace. Further highlights include an office. workshop, an indoor pool with sauna, and a second-floor wraparound deck. The riverfront gardens include a boules court, aviary—and a chicken coop.

St. Gabriel Village Residence in Toronto, Canada

This luxurious, thoughtfully appointed residence is at Toronto’s St. Gabriel Village, an elegant collection of condominium suites by Shane Baghai and Rafael & Bigauskas Architects. This elegant corner suite offers 2,165 square feet of split-level living space with skyline views from every room. The light-filled two-bedroom, three-bathroom home, with a subtle paint scheme of grays and cream, was designed with accessibility in mind. The ultra-contemporary amenities include a large eat-in kitchen with a center island and quartz countertops; a stepless shower for the primary bedroom, and a private elevator allowing easy movement between the living spaces and two convenient parking spaces and storage lockers in the building.

Stately Prewar Condominium on Park Avenue in New York City 

Just a stroll from Central Park, 737 Park Avenue is among New York City’s most celebrated prewar buildings. Residence 12E is a distinguished high-floor residence with magnificent proportions, vast living spaces, triple exposures, and a prime Upper East Side location. A private elevator serves this stately 4,719-square-foot, five-bedroom, seven-and-a-half-bathroom home, opening to a central foyer and the 800-square-foot, south-facing great room. The lavish entertainment wing’s 10 windows bring in the light and the views. It adjoins a corner library/guest suite with an en suite bathroom. The windowed, eat-in corner kitchen, by Varenna, has a dining area, pantry, service room, and adjoining full bathroom. All bedrooms have en suite bathrooms, generous closets, and city views. The deluxe owner’s suite has a wing to itself and features three customized closets, a windowed dressing room, and dual bathrooms with statuary slabs of Italian marble, custom Varenna vanities, heated floors, and Dornbracht fixtures. Additional interior details include rift and quartered solid oak flooring, custom casement windows, and a central air conditioning and heating system.