Founded 6 years ago by Patricia Nunan, CKBR, CKD, CAPS, Lifestyles Design is one of the leading experts in the field of Universal and Aging-in-Place design. This is a unique area of home design and renovation that focuses on helping people of all ages and physical abilities live independently in their own homes – for as long as they choose.

With over ten years experience in this highly specialized field, Patricia is the region’s foremost authority on Universal and Aging-in-Place design. She leads a team of talented professionals all committed to providing excellent service and quality to our clients.

• The area’s most experienced design & build firm specializing in home modifications and home safety for persons living with a disability, the elderly, and families that have special needs.
• A full service firm, offering both design and construction services as well as assistive technology products.
• An award-winning designer, honored by the National Association of the Remodeling Industries in 2004, 2006, and 2007 as Regional Contractor of the Year for kitchen design.
• A compassionate advocate of the disabled, with extensive experience in handicapped- accessible design.

Patricia Nunan is the CEO and owner of Lifestyles Design. She brings to her position a long and rich background in home design and construction management, with a specialty in designing and specifying handicapped accessible homes, kitchens, baths, and appliances. She is an award-winning designer, a published author and a much sought-after speaker on the subject of Universal & Aging-In-Place Design.

Patricia has been in the design and construction business for over 15 years. She started her career as a drafter/designer for upscale gourmet grocery stores that incorporated kitchens, dining areas and accessible facilities for customers. Patricia continued her design career with a local Architect, which specializes in designing senior centers, YMCA’s and facilities for those with special needs. Before opening her own business she was a Production Supervisor for a Big 50 construction company. As a Certified Age in Place Specialist, Patricia Nunan is specifically trained to meet the needs of the baby boomer and beyond.

• Certified Kitchen & Bath Remodeler (NARI) 
• Certified Kitchen Designer (NKBA)
• Certified Age-In-Place Specialist (CAPS) National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
• Accessibility Inspector & Plans Examiner, International Code Council (ICC)
• President of the BucksMont chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industries (NARI)
• Secretary of the Mid Atlantic chapter of the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA)
• Founding board member of the Lehigh Valley Age in Place Coalition
• Advisor to the Lehigh Carbon Technical Institute where they are building the first Universal Design home in the country built by high school students
• Participant in the National Association of Home Builders-Research Center certification program
• Provider of training modules used in the Certified Age in Place Specialist (CAPS) training program nationwide
• Founding member and continuing contributor of the Women Owned Business Certificate Series at Montgomery County Community College
• Past chair of the Montgomery County Community College Board of Directors, Alumni Association.
• Committee member, New Hanover Township Open Space Committee

Patricia has her degree in Fine Arts from Montgomery County Community College, Blue Bell, PA, and settled in construction because of her love of houses. “I really like the challenge of making things  fit together,” she explains. “I loved putting puzzles together as a kid and I still do it, it’s just that the pieces are bigger now.” “I have been in or around the business my whole life. My grandfather was a construction supervisor and something was always under construction as I was growing up. I can relate to the customer who has trepidations about taking on a remodeling project. I have been living in the same house for 34 years and added thee additions and remodeled the kitchen twice. I’ve lived in the mess of construction. I remodeled my kitchen when my daughter was just a year old – and I’ll do it again. Life changes. Now I want to make my kitchen and other areas of my home ready for the next adventures of my family’s life. I want to be able to make the choice to age in my home if I choose to do so.”

Patricia’s Story: Why I Love My Work
“One of my very first design projects was for a woman who had many strokes that left her partially paralyzed and barely able to speak. When I first met her she had been sleeping on a cot for years in the dining room of her home, and was very removed in every sense, emotionally and physically. Though she had good care from her family they didn’t think it made any difference to her if she was sponged bathed in the dining room. After speaking with her and her nurse, I learned that she desperately wanted the ability to bathe herself. So, in addition to wheelchair ramps and a caregiver’s room, we built a new bath with a roll-in-shower that she could use. We made it easy for her to get outside by providing a wider doorway to a deck that would let her enjoy the sunshine again. No more being carried like a child.

“I went back four months later just to see how things were going and she was a different person. She came out of her room fully dressed in her wheelchair, pushing herself. And with this great grin on her face, the first thing she said was ‘I take a shower every day.’  It was the most incredible feeling; she was not the woman I had met before. We had given her back her dignity. I knew at that moment, this is what I wanted to do with my career. It’s very rewarding to make such a big impact on another person’s life. It is a feeling that never goes away.”

— Patricia Nunan
CEO, Lifestyles Design