If you are planning a home remodel this year, you must consider your space, budget, and style, but don’t forget to examine your family’s needs to create spaces that fit your requirements and lifestyle. Whether you are designing for a young and growing family, for aging in place, or for a multi-generational household, universal design principles have you covered!
What is universal home design? This design approach ensures that spaces throughout your home are usable, safe, and comfortable for people of all ages, sizes, and abilities. It focuses on accessibility, flexibility, and long-term livability that meet your changing needs.
Universal designs can take you from young children to teenagers, or help you create spaces that fit your lifestyle today while also allowing you to age in place. It provides convenience for families with young children, elderly parents, or individuals with mobility challenges. It also increases home value and appeals to a wider range of potential buyers if you intend to sell your home in the future.
In this blog, we will examine what is universal design, and why it is important. We will also look at how universal design principles can be applied to kitchens, bathrooms, and other living spaces to enhance your home and family life.
Why Is Universal Design Important?
First, let’s explore further what universal design is and why it can benefit any home remodel.
Core Principles of Universal Design
Universal design incorporates accessibility features, but focuses on design principles that can benefit all users of your home. It allows for equitable use of your living spaces, since they are accessible to everyone. Universal designs are flexible since they accommodate a wide range of preferences and abilities.
This design approach is simple and intuitive, as it makes your home easy to understand and navigate. Spaces designed with universal principles are easy to use with minimal strain and low physical effort. They provide enough space to allow for appropriate clearances and layouts that are easy to navigate. They also take into consideration factors such as accessibility of storage, minimizing slips, falls, and bumps, and ease of use with proper lighting and clear pathways.
Why You Should Care About Universal Design
By focusing on universal design principles throughout your home, you create spaces that grow with your family and meet everyone’s needs, from members of your household to visitors. This approach to design increases safety, especially in kitchens and bathrooms where accidents are more common. It promotes independence for aging family members and enhances day-to-day convenience for everyone. Universal design can also boost long-term home value by future-proofing your home and improving its appeal to a wide range of potential buyers.
Universal Kitchen Design Ideas
While universal design can be applied throughout the home, let’s focus first on some of the most important spaces in any home. The kitchen is the heart of the home, where family life happens, meals are prepared and shared, and everyone gathers when you have guests over. Let’s explore some of the simple ways you can create a kitchen design that is safer and more accessible, while still being highly functional and stylish.
Cabinetry and Storage
- Include a range of storage features that are easily accessible and simple to use, such as pull-out shelves, lazy Susans, and deep drawers instead of just traditional base cabinets.
- For upper cabinets, consider pull-down shelves that are easy to access.
- Go for adjustable height shelving in cabinets and pantries to change them to fit your needs.
Appliances
- Install wall ovens at comfortable heights that are easier to access, with side-opening oven doors that are more accessible.
- Add induction cooktops, as they are safer to use since they heat up quickly and cool down when pots and pans are removed from the burner.
- Include drawer dishwashers, microwaves, and freezers, which make it easy to access and view contents, while also reducing how much bending you need to do in the kitchen.
Workspaces
- Include varying countertop heights that suit both seated and standing use and fit a variety of ages and abilities.
- Go for rounded countertop edges that minimize injury when moving throughout the kitchen.
Lighting and Controls
- Install task lighting under cabinets, as well as over islands and key workspaces.
- Use rocker switches, touch controls, or smart lighting systems that work well if you have limited mobility or difficulty gripping switches or knobs.
- Make sure all switches and outlets are easy to reach.
Clearances
- Make sure you include wide pathways so anyone can use them, including those with mobility devices. They should be at least 42-48 inches wide, though this may need to be wider in a home that requires wheelchair access. Your experienced kitchen designer can advise on the right clearance for your needs.
- Maintain open floor space, clear of obstacles and clutter, for flexible movement throughout your kitchen.
Universal Bathroom Design Ideas
Bathrooms are spaces where everyone must feel comfortable and safe, but they can also be one of the rooms where accidents happen due to slippery surfaces and trip hazards. By including some basic universal design principles, you can ensure your bathroom design is safe and accessible, while still being stylish and welcoming.
Showers and Tubs
- Choose curbless walk-in showers with swing-out doors or an open style.
- Leave enough space around doors or entryways to access the shower safely, including with a mobility aid or with someone to assist you in showering.
- Go for multiple showerheads that include a handheld showerhead, which makes it easier to assist with showering.
- Select only non-slip flooring and tubs to avoid slipping and falling.
- Include built-in benches or fold-down seating in the shower where you can take a break if needed or sit down while someone assists you with showering.
- Include grab bars in and around the shower and tub to make bathing safer.
Vanities and Storage
- Choose a simple vanity style that minimizes bumps and is easy to clean.
- Go for a floating vanity that allows seated use and makes it easier to clean your bathroom floor around the cabinet.
- Incorporate pull-out storage that is easier to access, but also include locked or out-of-the-way storage for medications and other hazardous products. This is especially important in a home with young children or any vulnerable individuals.
Toilets
- Select comfort-height toilets since they are safer to use for aging in place.
- Leave space beside the toilet for grab bars or mobility aids.
Safety and Accessibility
- Include strategically placed grab bars throughout your bathroom in key locations, which can also double as stylish towel bars.
- Make sure you include good lighting, which is essential and must be easy to access and operate, including night lights for safe navigation.
Universal Design in Other Spaces
Universal design principles can be easily applied throughout the home, creating spaces that balance style and functionality while remaining safe and accessible for everyone.
Laundry Rooms
Laundry is part of daily family life, and must include features that make it easy and safe for all members of your family to help with this regular chore. Install front-loading washers and dryers that are raised are easier to access. Include counter space for folding and sorting clothes, as well as pull-down or slide-out ironing boards. Storage in laundry rooms lets you easily access cleaning and laundry products, so make sure your storage is accessible, plus include safe storage for hazardous materials like laundry detergents and cleaning products in a home with kids or pets. Make sure you have adequate lighting and wide doorways and walkways to improve safety and accessibility.
Entryways and Hallways
Entering and exiting your home and moving between rooms can be made safer with some simple changes to your design approach. Choose step-free entrances with ramps or level thresholds to avoid navigating steps and make it easier to access the home with a mobility aid. Make sure your entryways are covered for weather protection when entering and exiting the home.
Go for wider doors and hallways that are at least 36 inches. Include good lighting and slip-resistant flooring to make it safer to navigate. Choose smart locks or lever handles, since they are easier to operate, including with limited hand strength.
Master Closets
Closet designs make daily life much simpler with organized storage, which means you can find exactly what you need when you need it. Include a variety of storage that is easy to access, such as adjustable rods and shelving for flexible storage. Go for pull-down rods for higher spaces so you can bring them to your required height when needed.
Just like in other spaces, good lighting is essential, including motion-activated options and targeted light to see contents clearly and walk safely through the closet. Make sure your walkways through a closet are wide enough to accommodate mobility devices and that you have a clutter-free space that can be safely navigated.
Living Spaces
Living rooms should be stylish and welcoming to all members of your household, as well as visitors to your home. Whether this is a family room attached to your kitchen design or a separate living or entertainment room, include universal design approaches so everyone can spend time together safely and comfortably.
Choose consistent, flush flooring transitions throughout your home. Select rocker light switches placed at accessible heights that make it easier and safer to access lighting, or go for a smart lighting design throughout your home. Large windows or glass doors are ideal for natural light and easier visibility, while also letting your living room feel connected to the outdoors. Smart home features for lighting, temperature, and security control can also enhance a home’s living spaces while being easy to use for everyone.
Create a Safe, Accessible, and Stylish Universal Design for Your Home
Universal home design promotes comfortable and safe long-term living, with designs that can take you from busy family life to aging in place, and everything in between. This approach to home design ensures your home grows with your family’s needs, reduces the need for costly renovations later as your needs change, and adds to your home’s resale value.
Consider universal design principles when remodeling or adding on to your home, and you will create spaces that provide for the safety, comfort, and peace of mind for everyone in your household. Contact McDaniels Kitchen and Bath for expert guidance on creating functional, stylish, and universal home designs. We are experts in designing spaces for all ages and abilities, and have Certified Aging in Place designers who can help with all your home design needs.