While you’ll have heard of accessible design — which, broadly, facilitates wheelchair access and is required to meet building regulations in many public and commercial spaces — it’s often confused with inclusive design, which goes way beyond legal requirements, slopes and wide doorways. In addition to creating accessible spaces, inclusive design also takes in the 92% of people with disabilities who don’t require a wheelchair. It increasingly also caters to a whole raft of other considerations, from age to sex and gender to race, mental health and well-being, ethnicity, heritage, faith and culture, and even needs arising from hormonal fluctuations, such as those prompted by pregnancy, breastfeeding, menstruation, IVF treatment and menopause.
Of course, not all of this is relevant to all homes, but there are lots of inclusive ideas from public design that can help us better shape our domestic environments to be more comfortable now, as well as future-proof and sustainable. Below are a few key points you could consider for each room in your home.
Oliver Leech Architects
Mowlem & Co“Storage can be really lacking in homes,” Storey says. And in hallways, that lack can result in trip hazards and tricky routes in and out, whether you’re overrun with children’s paraphernalia or have rolling walkers to house.
A dedicated cabinet for baby carriages or mobility equipment will always be useful. (Consider one with an electrical outlet to allow charging.) Measure the largest item that may need to be stored in there and, with the addition of adjustable shelving, it’ll be a flexible space.
“It all also frees up circulation space in the property, creating a safer way to move around it,” Storey says.
House of Jade InteriorsMenopause- or menstruation-induced “brain fog” — difficulty thinking clearly, concentrating and accessing memory — is a reality for many at one time or another. Other things such as stress also can affect mental accuity. “A clear, clean space with fresh air to work in can massively help,” Storey says. “Personally speaking, I’m dyslexic, so my concentration can really fluctuate. Clutter and lack of storage make a huge difference to the ability to focus.”
Plants can also help on this front. Not only are they known for boosting feelings of well-being, they can also help to screen spaces and clean the air.
“Having the opportunity to stand is massively helpful too. You get better blood flow, which will help with concentration,” Storey says.
For anyone prone to migraines, texture is a consideration. “Avoid harsh white desk surfaces and go, instead, for a muted version or natural wood,” Storey says. “This reduces glare.”
Storey also consults on inclusive office design and always aims to give employees customizable work stations. Overhead lighting can exacerbate migraines, so she always specifies desk lamps.
Equally, for pregnant or menopausal women, comfort can be greatly improved by being able to control the temperature in their personal space. At work, this may mean providing breakout rooms where people can retreat with their laptops. “At home, this is obviously much easier to do,” she says.
Agnieszka Jakubowicz PHOTOGRAPHYIf you have the space, en suite bathrooms offer independence and privacy within a shared home, Storey says. A first-floor bathroom is a bonus, and, if you’re redoing one, make it grab bar-ready by reinforcing the walls. “You’ll save money and time on retrofitting the walls later on,” she says.
Consider, also, making the opening wide enough for a wheelchair and creating space and plumbing to put in a shower, potentially at a later date, as getting in and out of a slippery bath can be difficult or scary if you’re older or have compromised mobility. Trash bins, operable windows and a working lock are also considerate additions for all types of guests.
House of Jade InteriorsStorey highlights the importance of seating that’s easy to get in and out of, especially for pregnant women or those with mobility difficulties. “Seating that’s too low — below about 48cm [18.9 inches] from the ground — can be problematic, or seating that slopes down at the back, because it requires a lot more upper body strength to pull yourself up,” she says. “The same goes for sofas that have really soft cushions or where the seat is very deep.”
She says that some textured or patterned fabrics can be distressing to people with sensory processing disorder, while too-smooth surfaces may pose problems for older people. “Leather can be quite slippery for a person with lower core stability, because there’s not enough resistance on the fabric,” she says.
For some less mobile people, Storey says, “Also reduce the amount of times they have to get up to turn on a light, get the remote or use a coffee table by having everything within reach.”
Storey Interiors LtdStorey designed this house just outside Bristol, England, to accommodate three generations.
Multigenerational design is key to inclusive design, since it covers a number of demographics at once: new mothers, young children, young adults still living at home, older people and those with mobility difficulties or low sight or hearing. Create a home that works for them all and you’re well on the way to a fully future-proofed space.
“What I always try to consider is how a space will flex and adapt, not just to everyday life, but in years to come,” Storey says. “So think, are you going to have children? Do you have a parent coming to live with you? How would the space accommodate them?” This project features generous circulation space, step-free surfaces, bedrooms downstairs and a self-contained suite upstairs.
With mobility equipment in mind, Storey advises having electrical outlets in more places than you think you’ll need them so different layouts and needs can easily be accommodated. “You could put one near the entrance or outside, so a mobility scooter could be charged,” she suggests. “More sockets also mean you can provide more lighting, adjusting levels for older eyes.”
Similarly, have easy-to-press switches in a contrasting color to your walls so they’re easy to see. And position them at a good height for all ages — about 3⅓ to 4 feet is perfect, Storey says.
For older inhabitants and the very young, factor in thresholds between rooms. “Make those transitions as seamless as possible. If you do have steps, highlight them — perhaps with different colors for the edge or risers and the treads,” Storey says. “Contrast is really helpful for all ages.”
Corinne Acampora Interiors & ArtFor older or younger relatives living with you, Storey says, “a nice way to create privacy, perhaps a space to retreat to for a private phone call or for watching a movie, is to make use of dead spaces. Could you build in a little seating nook on a landing, for example?”
360 design studioInclusivity should also look good. Leech says that at Butterfly House, “We thought first how to create a beautiful home that anyone would really enjoy living in. And then about how to make it better for someone getting older. The most successful designs are the ones that are flexible for everyone to enjoy, and the ones that are beautiful.”
Architect Oliver Leech recently completed Butterfly House (pictured), a beautiful, two-bedroom garden annex for his client’s mother, who was in her 70s. Leech says, “In kitchens, storage should be easily accessible and practical. Cooking and getting [dishware] down should be really easy.”
At Butterfly House, he excluded wall cabinets for this reason. He also included an island on castors. “The idea of it being flexible was key,” he says.
Varied seating options are helpful, says inclusive design specialist and interior designer Becky Storey of Storey Interiors, highlighting that bar stools may be tricky for some older people with reduced core stability.
In our story on designing for neurodiversity, architect and inclusive design consultant Stephanie Kyle raised the importance of good ventilation in kitchens, particularly for those with heightened sensory awareness, common among neurodivergent individuals. She explained that good air flow means “if someone burns toast, you can get that smell out quickly.”