Universal Design Principles & How They Improve Your Home!
Inclusive, comfortable, and even luxurious - creativity is the only limitation when it comes to incorporating Universal Design principles in your home.
Countertops at different heights can accommodate different occupants regardless of their age, abilities, or tasks. Here, this ‘work-from-home’ area can double as a cooking prep space if someone needs to sit while they work, and lower counter space is also fantastic for rolling out cookies and pie crusts!
First and foremost, I find there’s a common misconception that Universal Design means all of the sudden your beautiful house feels like a rest home with grab bars everywhere and red call buttons by your bed - but that is not at all what it’s about!
The primary focus of Universal Design is about creating accessible spaces for all people.
After having our son, I began observing how he was using the same spaces we were using, and it made me think even more about how our needs (all of us - you, me, our parents, kids, etc.) for our homes change and evolve the same way we as people change and evolve.
I am not a fan of ‘doing the same thing twice,’ and if you’re spending a good chunk of change on a kitchen or bath remodel, do you really want to do it all over again because you didn’t think about what ‘future you’ would need? For the tens of thousands of dollars that kitchen and bath remodels cost, I don’t want to pay to do the same thing twice.
Layered lighting like skylights and windows for natural light, LED can lighting on dimmers, and task lighting like table lamps give you the ultimate control over your visual environment. Flowing seamless flooring transitions from hardwood to tile allows you to flow from one space to another effortlessly while visually identifying the transition, like between this master bedroom and master bathroom.
I’m highlighting a few of the most common principles I implement in most remodel designs (I bet you’ll start noticing them going forward!) that you’d never think twice about which have:
Flexibility in Use - like multi-purpose spaces that can serve families with young kids as well as grandparents
Equitable Use - layers of lighting, flush flooring transitions, and barrier-free showers, as well as
Low Physical Effort - like cabinet pulls instead of knobs, door levers instead of door knobs, soft close cabinet doors/drawers, and easily accessible storage - all while feeling like a dream home (not an assisted living apartment!).
To learn more about the other Universal Design principles you can consider for your own home updates, why they’re important and how they can improve your (home) life, check out my interview with HGTV where we dive a little deeper into the details and gather inspiration from the HGTV Universal Kitchen Design Ideas and Universal Bath Design Ideas.
Tell me which of these features would make your life easier in the comments below!
If you’re in need of some more creative ideas to spruce up your home for the long haul, reach out and let’s talk about your ideas and how I can help!