Every morning at 6 a.m., Derek Lavender would kiss his wife LeAnne goodbye, hop on his motorcycle and head to work. Even though he’d been an avid biker for years, he never failed to text her when he got to the office. She had to know he’d made it safely. On June 15th, 2016, however, his text never came. LeAnne recalls, “At 7:13 a.m., I received a call from the local hospital explaining that Derek had been in a serious accident, and I needed to get downtown as soon as possible. I remember the neurosurgeon handing me Derek’s helmet, and a tooth fell out of the head mask. Although Derek had on a full-faced helmet and all the gear, he still managed to break seven bones, his spine and collapse his lung.”

For months the couple lived in Chicago, a three-hour drive from their home in Indianapolis, while Derek underwent rehabilitation and familiarized himself with how to use his new wheelchair. Then, upon their return to Indy, the two put their home on the market so they could move into a more-accessible rental close to Derek’s job. And so began their new life.

Many things changed on that day in June, but the twosome’s shared passion for design and DIY didn’t wane in the slightest. In April of 2017, after several months in the accessible rental, they were ready to dive into a new project and set out to find a new home to renovate. It didn’t come easy, though. LeAnne and Derek toured over 50 options in hopes of finding one that would accommodate Derek’s wheelchair. Not having any luck, they instead settled on a mid-century, ranch-style house they’ve since deemed The Quarry for its abundance of limestone. Sitting on an acre of land, the two-bedroom home didn’t have any accessible features, but it did offer them a great opportunity: The chance to rekindle their love for rehabbing older houses.

The Quarry won out because its lack of space came with a manageable price tag, and this lower cost also left wiggle room in the budget to customize the owners’ suite and create a more open floor plan. “Since Derek’s accident was still fresh and we had no experience with accessible living, designing a home around a wheelchair was a whole new ballgame,” LeAnne says. In the end, floors and walls were torn out, the ceilings were vaulted and the stairs throughout got the axe. The bulk of their time went into transforming the garage. Over the course of four months Derek and LeAnne worked with contractors to turn the space into a bedroom for themselves complete with a standing bar and accessible ensuite bathroom. The latter even boasts a walk-in shower, wheelchair-height mirrors and a vanity that’s free from lower cabinetry so Derek can get ready in the morning from his chair.

The arduous process of making the house comfortable for Derek not only resulted in a retreat he and his wife are extremely proud of, but one that helped them emotionally heal at the same time. “The past couple years have been filled with a lot of tears and a lot of laughter,” LeAnne recalls. “One thing is for sure: We never lost ourselves amidst the chaos. We merely have had to find ways to make our hobbies work for our new lifestyle. Designing and renovating The Quarry brought us back to our ‘before-the-accident’ days.” Scroll down to see all the wonderful work this couple has done to turn this mid-century house into an accessible home, and head to Lavenders Longhsot to learn more about their journey. —Garrett

Photography by Cory Phillips

Image above: In the entryway (which features original tile and woodwork), LeAnne and Derek placed two mirrors at different heights: One a little lower for those who use a wheelchair and one higher up for those who don’t.

1/14 LeAnne, Derek and their dog Barkus Adroolius give the homes they live in affectionate nicknames. This one in particular has been deemed The Quarry because of its limestone elements.

2/14 This grand mid-century front door is what initially drew the couple to the house. “Since we rarely use the front door, I sometimes walk over and keep it open just because it adds such charm to the rest of the home,” LeAnne says.

3/14 The cutout to the right of frame wasn’t part of the fireplace’s original design. LeAnne explains, “During the demo portion, [the crew] discovered that the fireplace was actually incredibly crooked and leaned to the right. Instead of adding more drywall (to balance it out), we decided to create a cutout which let in more light and added an extra element to the fireplace.”

4/14 LeAnne and Derek had this accent wall painted a dark, brooding color to disguise their TV.

5/14 Part of the renovation involved vaulting the dining area’s ceiling. To make it seem like it was always that way, LeAnne and Derek had the construction crew install leftover wood paneling from a demolished wall to the upper part of the addition.

6/14 “Since we love to host, we knew the dining room was incredibly important, but we were having a hard time finding a table to fit the space and our needs. We opted to commission the table in order to meet Derek’s needs. The 10-foot table is concrete with a wood inlay. Not only is it accessible, (but) we appreciate that the wood complements the paneling without taking away from it.” – LeAnne Lavender

7/14 The kitchen still features its 1950s cabinetry and is open to the home’s TV room. “[That] was really important to us because when Derek gets home from work, he wants to get out of his chair. I love to cook, so I appreciate that I can talk to Derek while he is on the sofa,” LeAnne says.

8/14 The two weren’t huge mid-century design buffs before purchasing this home, but the space’s inherent nods to the style have turned Derek and LeAnne into fans.

9/14 “What we love most about our home: Plenty of space for the chair, our dog, and our people.” – The Lavenders.

10/14 LeAnne and Derek’s previous home featured a detached garage which the DIY-loving duo turned into a tiny home. Their bedroom inside, unfortunately, was only accessible by ladder so the couple knew they’d have to move after the accident.

11/14 The two clearly have a sweet spot for garages. They also turned their new home’s garage into their bedroom. They raised the floor to eliminate the steps it took to get inside and installed a standing frame for Derek. The tool makes getting ready in the morning easier.

12/14 The bathroom off of LeAnne and Derek’s room has been amplified to accommodate a wheelchair. For example, the countertops sit higher than average and don’t feature lower cabinetry, a tweak that allows his chair to easily slip under them. The mirror is also mounted a bit lower so Derek can comfortably use it.

13/14 The flooring in the bathroom extends into the couple’s zero-entry shower and soaks up enough water to provide traction for Derek’s chair.

14/14 The 1940s ranch-style home came in under budget, leaving the couple with the funds to make it accessible.