Aging in their own space
When Patty Lombard realized that her aging parents could no longer live on their own in Florida, she and her husband, Bill Simon, agreed to move them to L.A. — not to generic senior housing but to their home in the historic Fremont Place neighborhood. Making room for Rocci and Anne Lombard was the easy part. There was a tiny, existing structure on the property — chauffeur’s quarters, built in 1937. The bigger challenge was personalizing the couple’s new lodgings to address their mobility issues and indulge their passions.
So Patty and Bill — she’s copublisher of LarchmontBuzz.com, he’s an executive search consultant — enlisted Patty’s sister, Joanna Lombard, an architect in Miami, and local architect Gunther Motz. They redesigned and expanded the structure into a snug two-room cottage with a small kitchen, a bathroom and loads of wall storage. Patty and Bill also rethought their landscaping.
“We wanted them to feel at home here and have their own space so they wouldn’t feel like they were under foot,” Patty says.
Rocci (pronounced “Rocky”), 96, is a retiree from the insurance business who enjoys gardening; Anne, 90, is a former home ec teacher who loves to cook. Both use walkers, so special attention was paid to accessibility.
With help from contractor Tom Salazar, the front door was widened in case a wheelchair is ever needed and steps at the back were replaced with a ramp and railing. Grab bars, a taller toilet, a walk-in tub and a bench in the shower were installed in the bathroom.
Outside, landscape designer Judy Horton, who had revamped the garden years earlier, removed tripping hazards. In their place went a concrete driveway and motor court for surer footing. A new brick-paved patio gives Rocci and Anne their own outdoor seating area surrounded by white-blooming camellias, oak-leaf hydrangeas and agapanthus. ‘Iceberg’ roses continue the monochromatic theme, but Horton couldn’t resist also planting yellow ‘Julia Child’ and chocolate-colored ‘Hot Cocoa’ roses near the sidewalk in a nod to Anne’s culinary interests.
Another ramp leads to the back yard, where Horton and Libby Simon, a design colleague, added three raised planters alongside the pool. The elevated beds enable Rocci to stand or sit while tending tomatoes, basil and arugula intermingled with nasturtiums, marigolds and sweet peas.
“I wanted Rocci to be able to reach the plants from the front and the side so he could garden on his own,” Horton says.
Since the pool deck had begun to deteriorate, Horton had new concrete poured, leaving gaps where Rocci can grow herbs. Pots contain citrus trees.
All that produce comes in handy in a separate, open kitchen that Patty and Bill created near the pool, by renovating a lanai. Foldaway doors enclose the space that gives Anne plenty of room to cook and bake: It’s equipped with extras like a pizza oven and a radiant-heated floor. “I knew that if it was cold out here, my parents would never come out,” Patty says.
In addition, she ensured that dishes and staples are visible and within easy reach on open shelves. And a sofa and TV make a comfy spot for the family to kick back.
“I tell Dad that the changes weren’t just for him and Mom,” says Patty, who has hired caregivers to assist her parents while she and her husband work and their two daughters are away at school. “This whole process has really opened our eyes and made us realize that accessibility helps everybody. Having my parents here has been great.”