Pottery Barn Launches Accessible Furniture Collection

Older Americans with mobility challenges and people with disabilities have federally enforced protections and accommodations in public spaces that provide access to buildings, public transportation, and other places. Ramps are constructed for wheelchairs, crosswalks have audible notifications of when it’s safe to continue, and important events include American Sign Language translators for the hearing-impaired. However, in private homes, creating a user-friendly environment for differently abled people isn’t mandated by law.

For those who need accommodations, it can be difficult to find furnishings that not only make it easier for them to maneuver through their rooms but also add style to their living spaces. Enter Michael Graves Design, an accessible design brand, and Pottery Barn, whose new collaboration addresses both function and aesthetics.

The collaboration focuses on the bedroom, where comfort and ease of use are crucial to independence and safety. The accessible bedroom furnishings are adaptations of three of Pottery Barn’s most popular collections—Sausalito, Cayman, and Farmhouse—with all the quality and style you’d want from a piece of Pottery Barn furniture, plus features to accommodate different physical abilities, focusing on accessibility and safety.

“Bringing together Pottery Barn’s design leadership for beautiful, quality home furnishings with Michael Graves Design’s award-winning accessible design knowledge has enabled us to create a collection that harmoniously blends aesthetic appeal and functionality,” said Pottery Barn president Monica Bhargava in a statement.

Rob Van Varick, chief design officer of Michael Graves Design, adds, “Together with Pottery Barn, we are setting new consumer expectations with products that seamlessly blend safety with style.”

Included in the Michael Graves Design for Pottery Barn collection are:

Bedframes: Armrests and grips are integrated to make getting in and out of bed and sitting up easier. A built-in bench offers a spot for dressing and storage.

Nightstands: Large drawer space with a built-in electrical outlet keeps cords off the ground for easy access and has room for cumbersome items like CPAP machines or laptops. A large handle makes gripping and opening the drawer less difficult.

Dressers: Like the nightstands, the dressers have large handles, and there is 9 inches of clearance for wheelchairs at the bottom of the units. Guardrails around the top keep items from falling off and grab bars allow for “furniture surfing” to aid movement from one location to another. A dresser seat is also available for sitting and dressing or putting on and taking off shoes.

Armchairs: Two armchairs, the Yardley and the Bradford, are designed to make getting in and out of the chair easier. The seat rest depth and armchair height were specifically chosen for this purpose. The Bradford chair is available with an optional grab rail along the back and foot risers for added comfort and functionality.

The inaugural Michael Graves Design for Pottery Barn collection will be available on August 1, 2024, for purchase on the Pottery Barn website and in select stores in the coming weeks.