The role of interior designers is to create beautiful, functional spaces that reflect the lifestyles of their clients. Yet there are key aspects in design that go beyond trends and finishes. Intentional design is a deliberate, thoughtful focus on planning living spaces for every stage of life.
Design choices should reflect comfort, safety and beauty that grows with you. It is not only about balancing beauty and function but about creating spaces that are easy to navigate, comfortable to use and improve your daily life without sacrificing style. Good design should make life smoother, not harder.
Whether building a new home, renovating, or updating a room, there are five things to consider in your design plan: safety, accessibility, comfort, function and beauty. This may sound simple, but applying these elements will help create a safe, comfortable home that adapts to life’s changes.
For example, when considering furniture placement in family or living rooms, there should be generous clearances and clear pathways of at least 36 inches around furniture and fixtures to allow for easier movement. The upholstery in living areas should have the proper seat height and firmness so that you do not struggle to stand up.
In addition, choosing the right lighting is key, as layered lighting can help reduce eye strain and shadows, improve visibility and better define walkways.
When designing your kitchen, consider using drawers in the lower cabinets. This feature allows easy accessibility to items as it reduces the need to stoop down to reach them. Installing pull-down shelving systems in upper cabinets brings items down to a comfortable, reachable height.
For the bathroom, consider curbless showers to eliminate the threshold and create a smooth, barrier-free entry that improves safety and accessibility. Also consider built-in benches for the shower and hand-held sprayers. Finally, non-slip flooring and comfort-height toilets are often overlooked features that you will be glad you chose.
Angelia Spraberry of Oak Highland Design believes planning and designing for aging in place is not about designing for problems but about planning for possibility.
“Intentional design is about creating a home that continues to work beautifully for you at every stage of life,” she says.
If you would like to explore how your home could better support you, whether that’s small adjustments or larger updates, you can reach out to Oak Highland Design at 205-913-6015 or aspraberry@decoratingden.com.
