Case Study: Creating a Sensory-Friendly Apartment Rental

Autism-Friendly Home Modifications and More: Designing a Calming and Inclusive Living Space for Everyone

When designing the apartment in my home, I focused on two key aspects: autism-friendly home modifications and creating a space suitable for anyone with sensory needs. The apartment, that I have made available for both short- and long-term rental over the years, is fully furnished with these considerations in mind. My goal was to ensure that autistic adults, as well as anyone with sensory sensitivities or disorders, would feel comfortable and supported. While sensory rooms for children are common, I noticed a lack of examples for adults—especially in everyday living spaces. That’s why I’m sharing my own experience and approach from right here at home!

To create a truly sensory-friendly living space, it’s important to consider all eight senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, vestibular (balance), proprioception (body awareness), and interoception (internal body signals like hunger or temperature). By thoughtfully designing for each of these senses, you can craft a home environment that reduces overstimulation and promotes comfort and calm. From the lighting and acoustics to textures and spatial layout, every detail matters. You can explore how I’ve incorporated these elements in my own apartment by flipping through the photos at the end of this post.

See

Lighting is important.  It is important to consider autism-friendly lighting and autism-friendly colours. In general, autism-friendly lighting avoids fluorescent lights and it includes adjustability. You can see examples of this in each room where there are both overhead lights and a floor or table lamp.  It is important to offer different levels of brightness and adjustability.  Each room also has access to natural light.  I designed the orientation of the house to maximize natural light in the bedrooms in the morning and the combined kitchen, living room, and dining area throughout the afternoon into the evening.

In the toilet, an opaque window covering is over the window.  In the bedroom and office, horizontal blinds offer multiple options to adjust light levels.  Also, the electric fireplace offers another option altogether as a light source.

Many people wonder which colours are suitable for autism.  I kept the space feeling light and airy and chose white.  In contrast, there are light oak cabinets for warmth.  Finally, the floor is a medium-dark grey-brown.

In autistic home decorating, less is more.  You will notice that while there is décor in each room, there is also a lot of white space on purpose.

Hear

A sensory-friendly apartment, including an autism-friendly home, needs to pay close attention to the noise.  In designing living space for autism, consider noise dampening and noise reduction.  For instance, I had the builder add in additional noise proofing between the first and second floors.  The apartment is in the basement, so this was critical.

Furthermore, in creating and autism-friendly environment, the bedrooms were designed so the closets are between them.  That provides a little extra sound buffer.  Finally, the stackable washer and dryer are also in a closet to help minimize noise.

Taste

Creating a sensory-friendly home includes thinking about taste and not the decorating kind!  I added an extra water filter to the water system to filter out any flavor of the water.

Touch

When planning for sensory-friendly home modifications for autism; include the sense of touch. In this instance, it comprises the temperature too. The apartment has electric baseboard heating.  So I added an electric fireplace with a fan for another heat option.  It is a basement apartment that stays mostly cool in the summer.  Nonetheless, fans were made available, as well as two dehumidifiers.

There are a few pillows on the couch and bed, they can be used, or not.  Giving greater choice for guests.

Incorporate autism-friendly interior design with access to fresh air and the outdoors.  For example, keeping the windows open to provide fresh airflow. Additionally, the backyard is sensory-rich as it borders on a little wood.  However, I chose not to include a lot of yard furniture or outdoor décor to provide balance and make it sensory-friendly.  As well, you will note that the backyard is stamped concrete and not grass so there is a less rich sensory-experience on your feet.

Smell

In making your home autism-friendly, pay attention to scents and aromas.  I use mostly scent-free cleaning supplies and scent-free laundry detergent.  Moreover, I don’t use fabric softeners.  Instead, I use dryer balls and add vinegar to the rinse cycle, which adds no odour.

The ventilation system of the apartment is shared with the house.  It runs independently but can be turned up by a button on the wall.

Movement

You will see that I also followed minimalism in an approach for autistic people.  Or, for that matter any guest who seeks sensory-friendly and wants to avoid sensory overload.  The goal was for a “just-right” amount of furniture and décor in each room for function.  This was to prevent clutter and a distracting space.

Further to the autism-friendly housing design, there is an office/den in the two-bedroom apartment.  This area provides additional private space where someone can sit.  Alternatively, with enough space to engage in various forms of physical activity such as yoga.  I ensured there were two extra closets outside of the bedroom and a lot of cabinetry in the kitchen.  Autism design guidelines should include adequate storage to reduce clutter, allow for clear pathways and movement throughout the space.

Finally, there is a large, flat surface in the backyard to allow for greater outdoor movement.

Balance

It is a basement apartment, so there are stairs down to it.  As part of home modification, including home modifications for autism, I added a handrail.  Also, there a red mat at the bottom to provide contrast at the landing and interior entrance to the apartment.  Your sense of vision and your sense of balance are strongly linked.

Interoception

Interoception is your sense of your internal body and how you feel internally.  This includes sensations such as hunger, thirst, and the urge to use the toilet. It is important to consider interception in autism home design.   For example, the apartment was designed so that the washer and dryer were separate from the toilet.  When combined, the toilet is more likely to be occupied with someone doing laundry.

Remember: a sensory-friendly home follows 8 senses

When choosing an interior design for autism, sensory disorder, sensory sensitivity, or sensory overload, remember the eight senses.  I hope my sensory-friendly apartment has given you an excellent example of an autism-friendly home environment for adults — moreover, a sensory-friendly design for anyone who seeks it.

Additionally, consider checking out this research, “Toward an Autism-Friendly Home Environment” by Nagib et al., (2017) discussing sensory-rich barriers for people with autism and ways to make your space more sensory-friendly ¹.

• The décor is primarily from IKEA and TUCK Studio. 
• Photos by Kelly Lawson Photography.

Sensory-Friendly Success Stories: Transforming Spaces, Inspiring Change

Intrigued by the possibilities of sensory-friendly design? Dive deeper with our library of case studies! Explore real-world examples across various environments, from musicans to conferences to restaurants and co-working spaces. See how diverse organizations have implemented successful sensory-friendly solutions, and gain valuable insights to guide your own journey towards creating a more inclusive space. Let’s break down barriers and unlock the potential of sensory-friendly design together!

Let’s Make Sensory-Friendly a Reality: Budget-Conscious Solutions Exist!

Envisioning a welcoming space for everyone is a beautiful dream. But budgetary concerns shouldn’t hold you back. The good news is, there are funding solutions waiting to be explored!

Dive into our blog post, Making Inclusion a Reality: Funding Your Sensory-Friendly Transformation to discover a treasure trove of possibilities. Grants, community partnerships, and creative fundraising ideas – this post equips you with the knowledge to bridge the gap between vision and affordability.

Remember, sensory-friendly design is an investment in an inclusive future for everyone. With a little resourcefulness, we can turn dreams into reality together!

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1. Nagib, W., & Williams, A. (2016). Toward an Autism-Friendly Home Environment. Housing Studies, 32(2), 140–167. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2016.1181719