The design for life has been embraced by top creatives across the globe—including Mini and McLaren designer, Frank Stephenson, fashion designer, Stella McCartney, and architects like Frank Lloyd Wright. If you wish to make sustainability a more important part of your daily life, then you can start by embracing the design for life concept in your home’s interior design. The following tips can help you make a start.
Quality Over Quantity
If you have the pleasure of designing your interiors from scratch, ensure that fixtures such as floors, walls, and tiling are made to last. For flooring, for instance, materials like natural stone tiles (in granite, limestone, or marble), porcelain tiles, and concrete tiles are all good choices. These materials will stand up to the pitter-patter of tiny feet and withstand parties and the weight of heavy equipment or furniture. For walls and columns, materials like reclaimed wood, brick, and glass are all durable choices that can extend the lifetime of your home.
Thinking of the Future
Whether you are a millennial or a baby boomer, thinking about essential home features for older persons is key. You never know when you may have an injury and need to use a wheelchair, or ask an older person from your family to stay. At the design stage, make sure floors are flat and that the transition from room to room is seamless. Entry points that are accessible by stairs should also ideally have ramps next to them. Doorways should be as wide as possible and bathrooms should have walk-in showers to reduce accident rates. Of course, if you love a good bath once in a while, you can still have a tub. A standing tub works better than a shower tub, as it provides home dwellers with more than one choice.
Investing in Quality Furniture
Most interior design lovers enjoy jazzing and switching up their interiors from time to time and you can do it at a small cost by changing accessories like cushions, lamps, and rugs on a seasonal basis. When it comes to main items of furniture like sofas, coffee tables, accent chests, bookcases, and credenzas or consoles, however, it pays to invest in items that are resistant to scratches, humidity, and chipping. Ideal materials for these items include quality vegan leather for sofas (since leather lasts around five years longer than fabric), steel, bamboo, and reclaimed solid wood.
Design for life is a concept that is enjoying considerably greater consumer demand, thanks to growing concern about global warming. To ensure your interiors stand the test of time, choose sturdy materials for fixtures and furniture alike. At the architectural design stage, build an accessible home with wide doors and other features that older persons need to be safe and comfortable.
