EXPLORE
Movato
  • Interior Design
    • Bathroom
    • Bedroom
    • Decor
    • Design Finds
    • Kitchen
    • Living Room
    • Paint
    • Renovations
  • Architecture
  • Landscape
  • Lifestyle
  • About Us
Movato
Magazine
EXPLORE
Home in Canada
No Result
View All Result

Designing for Diversity

Universal design is becoming the standard for inclusive livability

by Barbara Milner
December 23, 2020
Share on FacebookPin itTweet itSend it

When soldiers returned home from the Second World War with disabling injuries, they unknowingly embarked upon another transformative battle: a change in how we design. The rights and needs of people with disabilities and the aged were brought to the forefront, and attitudes towards disability shifted. A new “social” model focused on direct action against discrimination, poor access, and inequality. Architects and designers responded by focusing their talents on creating buildings, products, and environments for all people, regardless of age or ability. This new discipline came to be known as Universal Design. 

In a strange twist of fate, the baby boom generation, born in the post-war years, is now driving this niche concept into the mainstream. With their rejection of traditional values and knack for redefining norms, these “actively aging” boomers are saying “no” to spending their senior years in care facilities, and are opting instead to live independently in their homes for as long as possible. In the spirit of living life to the fullest, future-proofing spaces to accommodate a wide spectrum of possible physical and cognitive challenges has emerged as a new standard. 

On a philosophical level, it can be argued that this generation has given rise to a new ethos: in design for human diversity, everyone gains. 

BED, BATH AND BEYOND 

Photo courtesy of Motionspot

In their quest for inclusive design, baby boomers are not dropping their high standards for impressive aesthetics. Motionspot, a design firm in the UK that specializes in accessible design, has debunked the notion that accessible spaces cannot look sexy and sophisticated. “A misconception is that Universal Design needs to look clinical and institutional. That, quite simply, isn’t right,” says Edward Warner, founder and CEO of Motionspot. “With the right design thought, you can really achieve the same high level of design intent as you can in a non-accessible space.” 

Through the clever and creative use of colour and lighting, Motionspot designs chic, modern bathrooms for clients with dementia. “The key features of the bathroom are highlighted with colour to more easily see, locate and use,” explains Warner. In the photo opposite, “the pink wall and alcove contrasts with the flooring to make it easier to accurately gauge the size of the room and navigate around it.” 

Photo courtesy of Motionspot

Beautifully designed accessible bathrooms such as this are becoming the norm. Curbless showers and removable grab rails with cover plates will soon be commonplace, as will flush flooring between bedroom and bathroom, which greatly reduces injuries that can result from late-night navigation of these spaces. 

Kitchens are another prime area of the home where accessibility should be integrated into the design plan. Investing in interior fittings that bring the contents of cabinets to the user, along with multilevel worktops and accessible pulls and knobs, are key considerations.  

One of the greatest obstacles in the movement to embrace barrier-free design has been a misconception about its cost. “People’s perceptions are that if something is a disabled adaptation, it has to be clinical. If it looks beautiful, it must be expensive,” says Warner. 

Photo courtesy of Motionspot

Motionspot is tackling this with the launch of a new product line called Fine & Able. “We are trying very much to blast that myth that things have to be expensive,” says Warner. Fine & Able offers a full range of stylish bathroom products with accessibility worked into the design and price. The line’s kitchen collection is launching this September.

FABRICS FOR LIFE  

Also launching this fall is a new collection of performance fabrics from Sunbrella called Retweed. “Our fabric is designed for a long lifespan, mirroring the very idea of what it means to effectively design projects to meet the demands of aging in place and the principles of universal design,” says Sarah Dooley, director of upholstery at Sunbrella. 

Photo courtesy of Sunbrella

Sunbrella is the flagship brand of Glen Raven Inc., a company that produced parachute fabric during the Second World War, developed pantyhose in the 1950s, and wove the fabric for the first American flag planted on the moon by Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. But it is out-of-this-world outdoor fabric that Sunbrella has become known for in the design industry. 

All of the company’s fabrics are stain-resistant, mold- and mildew-resistant, UV- and fade-proof. They are also soft to the touch and cozy, unlike the medical-grade texture often associated with high-performance fabrics. For these reasons, these outdoor fabrics are making their way indoors.

The Retweed collection will not only provide the high level of durability expected from a Sunbrella fabric, but is also composed of up to 93 per cent recycled content. For the educated active-aging consumers, this is sure to tick many boxes. 

Photo courtesy of Sunbrella

“When it comes to universal design, textile design is an important aspect of most principles, including flexibility of use, tolerance for error and low physical effort. Colour, versatility and function all play a role. Bold colours and large-scale patterns can aid in things like wayfinding,” says Dooley. 

The collection offers a palette of colourful earthy hues, blending vintage tweed and a mid-century modern aesthetic. That is, after all, the period that has greatly influenced the shift towards a more inclusive, social approach to designing for human diversity.  •

Columnist Barbara Milner is an interior designer and principal at South Hill Interiors, a design firm that serves the Greater Toronto Area and Kawartha Lakes region. The firm’s real estate arm offers realty services with Forest Hill Real Estate Inc.

Motionspot
www.motionspot.co.uk

Sunbrella
www.global.sunbrella.com

Tags: designdesign for disabilityDesign Trendsdiversityuniversal design

Related Posts

Doing it Themselves
Interior Design

Doing it Themselves

January 15, 2021

Photography: Jean BlaisStyling; Jean MonetFloral arrangements:Le Marché aux Fleurs du Village Marina Bibikova loves to play with light, textures and...

Sentimentally Designed
Interior Design

Sentimentally Designed

January 14, 2021

Photography: Larry Arnal The homeowners knew from the start that they would find a place in their home for a...

Aging in Place
Design

Aging in Place

January 13, 2021

The first big decision that Tom Moos and his wife Shoshanah made was to renovate and add an extension to...

Gathering Place
Interior Design

Gathering Place

January 12, 2021

Photography: Ariana TennysonStyling: Jaclyn Peters It is widely accepted that no man is an island, but can the same measure...

Lost and Found
Decor

Lost and Found

January 11, 2021

I am fascinated by the salvage of shipwrecks. Not only do I want catalogues and videos about the treasures found...

Mixing It Up
Interior Design

Mixing It Up

January 6, 2021

Photography: Lauren MillerStyling: Ashley Montgomery Choosing the right designer to redesign and decorate their three-storey home in Toronto’s Rosedale neighbourhood...

Next Post
A Painter for All Ages

A Painter for All Ages

  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Issues
Made with ❤️ in Montréal

© 2020 Home in Canada

No Result
View All Result
  • Interior Design
    • Bathroom
    • Bedroom
    • Decor
    • Design Finds
    • Kitchen
    • Living Room
    • Paint
    • Renovations
  • Architecture
  • Landscape
  • Lifestyle
  • About Us

© 2020 Home in Canada