The Future of Design Is Individualized

When it comes to designing sanctuarylike, healthy homes for neurodivergent people and other individuals with unique needs, interior designers Lisa Kahn-Allen and Patricia Kennedy know of what they speak.

Kennedy suffered a traumatic brain injury 14 years ago and continues to have sensory and other issues related to that. Kahn-Allen has a daughter with a seizure disorder, as well as other physical and emotional disabilities. So, their first attempts at designing homes to meet the needs of special populations were their own houses.

The “Designing for Neurodiversity” panel, from left, was moderated by Jane Dagmi of High Point x Design and included interior designers Lisa Kahn-Allen and Patricia Kennedy.

“I have (oriented) my entire business, design philosophy and life philosophy around the idea of sanctuary. It permeates every single thing that I do,” says Kahn-Allen, founder of Finding Sanctuary by Lisa Kahn Designs in Naples, Florida. “… This has become something of a hot topic in our industry and I’m glad, but it’s more than a trend for me. This is something that I have been living and breathing and experiencing for 20-some odd years. … It’s part of every conversation I have with clients.”

Kahn-Allen and Kennedy, who is founder and principal of Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Rendezvous Design, spoke Friday, Oct. 25, as part of the “Designing for Neurodiversity” panel, moderated by Jane Dagmi, managing director of High Point x Design.

The panel was part of the Future of Design Expo, which focused on designing spaces that promote health, wellness and happiness for specific populations. The event was hosted by Andmore at the Suites at Market Square.

Sessions also included “An Introduction to Trauma-Informed Design,” “Understanding Client Personalities for Tailored Design Solutions” and “Designing for the Mind: Improving Emotional Well-Being Through Design.” There was also a panel on “How to Successfully Sell Your Interior Design Services.”

Neurodivergence includes autism spectrum disorders and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, as well as other congenital and acquired cognitive differences, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and traumatic brain injuries.

Some estimate 20% of the U.S. population, or 66 million people, is neurodivergent, making it an enormous client and customer base for the home furnishings industry.

The bedroom by Patricia Kennedy’s Rendezvous Design firm features an oversize image of horses, animals that have been used in therapy for decades.

When Kahn-Allen was creating a more comforting space for her daughter, she invested in thick, plush carpet and floor pillows, giving her daughter soft places to land; she brought the grounding colors of the earth and sky into the space; she added aromatherapy machines and speakers to bring soothing scents and music into the room; and she found the softest linens for the bed.

The changes to her daughter’s room changed the dynamic of the house, allowing the entire family to heal and better cope with the stress of unpredictable illnesses. Kahn-Allen soon found herself approaching the entire home with the idea of a sanctuary space in mind, and then carried that into her client interactions.

Kennedy considers herself a wellness designer focused on neurosensorial design. It has three key components, she says. First is biophilic design, or adding natural elements into the interior. Second is sensorial design, which stimulates all the senses — sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste and a sixth that Kennedy defines as how you feel in a space. Third is salutogenic design, which focuses on fostering health and well-being rather than focusing on the limitations of disability or disease.

Showing images of some of her residential work, Kennedy noted an outdoor space featuring river rock underfoot for reflexology and a double-chaise lounge for cuddling with a pet or loved one under sheltering aspen trees.

An indoor living room she showed was grounded with a granite hearth and wood-burning fireplace for gathering and warmth; walnut wire-brushed flooring for texture (and heating underneath for winter comfort), biophilic touches like leather, fur and petrified wood; expansive windows; and an outdoor deck to connect the indoor and outdoor.

Over the course of the discussion, Kahn-Allen and Kennedy noted a number of touches that may aid neurodivergent clients:

  • Comfort: heated flooring, steam showers, cold plunge tubs.  
  • Sight: dimmable switches, blackout panels to help the body maintain normal circadian rhythms.
  • Sound: speakers for music, acoustic panels to dampen outside sounds, fountains to bring in soothing sounds.
  • Smell: aromatherapy machines, candles, specially selected cleaning.

With the event being held at the start of furniture market, the panelists also noted some High Point vendors they turn to when designing for well-being. Kahn-Allen’s picks include the Phillips Collection (live-edge tables and stump tables), Currey & Co. (especially the lighting source’s nature-inspired collaboration with Aviva Stanoff) and Wendover Art (for large-scale photographs that create an immersive experience).

This bathroom by Patricia Kennedy’s Rendezvous Design firm incorporates biophilia elements, like the tree wallpaper.

Kahn-Allen, who has a partnership with Chelsea House, kept in mind the idea of creating a sanctuary space when designing her latest products for the company, featuring crystal accents and pyramid silhouettes, and incorporating concepts of sacred geometry into cabinet fronts and transformational images like butterflies into tray designs.

“Honestly, there are so many resources with furniture with beautiful natural materials … beautiful raw wood tables, petrified wood tables, leather finishes, marbles,” Kahn-Allen said. “… What’s interesting to me is that as all of us have more interest in these subjects of well-being and creating spaces of sanctuary the vendors are responding. I’m seeing more and more (of these) products available.”

In this design work, Kahn-Allen and Kennedy noted the importance of getting to know clients more deeply to best understand their habits, their limitations, their needs, their preferences and all the ways a home can help them function and feel their best.

Kennedy says: “This is a different type of design, rather than just making a space pretty, you’re creating a space that really supports them.”

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