Designing an autism-friendly home environment is not just about aesthetic choices; it’s about creating a nurturing space that meets the unique needs of your child. There are no set requirements on how to properly design a home for autistic children, but there are several ways to optimize your sensory environment at home to help you feel calm, in control, and productive.
One of the main focuses in the report Advancing Autism is to create a quiet space that provides a sanctuary of calm. Visual schedules provide structure for a sense of control, while quality time makes time to be present. Sensory rooms engage the Senses and should be comfortable and calming, promoting independent living while being safe.
To create an autism-friendly design, start by choosing low arousal colors, such as no bright primary colors or bold deep hues in spaces with specific uses. Consult a focus group of autistic children when trying to design neuroatypical-friendly environments. Focus on easy-to-clean finishes, vegan and safe fabrics, and G.O.T.S. Cover hardwood floors with natural organic cotton rugs with soothing textures.
Add Stimulating Furniture Block Outside Stimulation in Dining Rooms Build a Kitchen Designed for Skill-Building. A Bathroom Made of Sensory Dreams is a great way to create a calm bedroom set up for safe slumber. Each room should have an obvious purpose, smooth transitions between rooms, and clear boundaries.
To create a calming effect, avoid intense red colors for walls and furniture and stick to more neutral colors for your home. By following these tips and strategies, you can create an autism-friendly home environment that helps your child feel secure, engaged, and productive.
📹 Building your home to support your ADHD & Autistic needs🏡
MY ETSY SHOP♡ Transition Techniques neurodivergent-friendly Guided Workbook …
How to design a room for an autistic child?
A sensory room is a space designed to provide comfort and calmness for individuals with sensory processing problems, such as those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It includes weighted blankets, tactile pillows, mood lighting, accessible storage bins, soothing sounds/music, sensory room toys, and sensory walls. These rooms can be simple or elaborate, depending on the child’s sensory issues. Some sensory rooms can be simple and practical, while others can be more elaborate and high-tech. Visit PediaPlex to learn about building a sensory room at home and explore various options to cater to the needs of children with sensory processing issues.
How do you create a structure for an autistic child?
A structured home environment is crucial for children with autism, as it helps them thrive, enhances learning opportunities, and promotes their overall well-being. To create a structured home environment, children with autism should establish clear routines, designate a quiet space, implement visual cues for transitions, use visual supports for behavior management, organize and label items, and maintain consistency.
Visual schedules or calendars can be valuable tools for visual representation of daily routines, activities, and transitions, allowing children to refer to them and gain control over their environment.
Visual supports, such as schedules, labeled storage bins, reminders for daily tasks, and behavior expectations, are also essential for children with autism. Consistent use of pictures, symbols, or written words in a consistent manner helps children understand and follow instructions, reducing anxiety and ensuring they understand and follow instructions. Contact Rise Up for Autism for more information on their services.
What are the design considerations for autism?
Designing for autistic users should avoid bright colors, high luminance, figures of speech, idioms, hard-to-control animations, non-conventional scrolling behavior, time countdowns, time outs, jargon, abbreviations, sarcasm, and idioms. Instead, show all content about a subject on a single page, use soft, muted colors, add text labels to icons, allow users to save and return to forms later, respect reduced motion preferences, support email/chat as communication options, and cater to visual learners. For further guidelines and examples, refer to Irina Rusakova’s Designing For Autistic People: A Guide.
How to make a house safe for an autistic child?
Home modifications for children with autism include moving furniture away from areas where they can climb, placing alarms outside of their bedroom, using gates or barriers to prevent falling, and keeping medications out of reach. The home has evolved into a gym, school, restaurant, office, and gathering place for families, but ensuring safety requires taking precautions in every room. Many children with autism have sensory issues that make them fixated on potentially dangerous items in the home.
A study found that half of all kids with autism wander and try to escape their homes, resulting in devastating consequences. Children with autism are particularly drawn to sensory stimulators, such as wires, medications, or water, and may have their own fixations, such as climbing into washing machines or exploring bright liquids.
How to create an autistic friendly home?
The article provides seven ways to create an autism-friendly home for your child. It emphasizes the importance of creating a nurturing space that meets the unique needs of your child. Quiet spaces are a crucial aspect of creating an autism-friendly home, as they provide a sanctuary of calm and sensory regulation. Visual schedules provide structure for a sense of control, while quality time allows for the child to be present and engage their senses.
Sensory rooms also engage the Senses, making the environment more engaging and secure. Ultimately, the goal is to create a home that is not just about aesthetics but also a nurturing environment that meets your child’s unique needs.
How to create a structured home?
Young children often test limits to learn right and wrong, but it can be frustrating and challenging for parents. To maintain control and help children learn, it is essential to create structure through consistent routines and rules. Three key ingredients to building structure in the home are consistency, predictability, and follow-through. Consistency means responding to your child’s behavior the same way every time, regardless of the situation or emotions. Misbehaviors are less likely to occur if you consistently use the same consequence, like ignoring or time-out. Good behaviors are more likely to be repeated if you show your child that you like them.
It is not necessary to give consistent attention to all behaviors. Instead, focus on behaviors that you want your child to do more often, such as sharing, cleaning up, or following directions. Praise these behaviors each time they occur, as your consistent response will help them happen more often. For example, using time-out at home and at the grocery store to address a child’s behavior can help foster a positive environment.
How to make an autistic friendly home?
Setting up a sensory room for your child can be a fun and educational experience. Focus on elements your child finds calming, such as dimmable lights, textured walls, or soft music. Involve your child in the process to make it enjoyable. Weighted blankets are a popular therapeutic option for children with autism, providing comfort and calmness. Consult healthcare professionals for guidance on the appropriate weight, which is typically about 10 of the child’s body weight. Consider your child’s sensory preferences when selecting the fabric.
What is the best home environment for an autistic child?
To create a successful environment for a child with autism, it is essential to organize and provide structure through clear visual schedules, calendars, and routines. Inform transitions and changes using schedules, countdown timers, and warnings. Visual supports, such as pictures, text, and video modeling, are best for visual learners and provide information that stays.
Providing a safe place and teaching when to use it can help teach self-control. Remove distracting stimuli, such as flickering fluorescent lights or high traffic times, and pair companions or staff appropriately for challenging activities. Consider structural changes to your home or yard to increase independence and reduce risks during outbursts.
One barrier for children with autism in toilet training is the condition of the bathroom itself. To avoid defensiveness, the space should be neutral and have enough room around the toilet. Address other sensations around the toileting experience, such as temperature, fan running, or light brightness. Encouraging people to use the toilet can be achieved by making the bathroom a friendly place for them to be.
In summary, creating a successful environment for a child with autism requires organization, structure, and a supportive environment.
What is the best classroom design for autism?
To create a calming environment for autistic students, avoid visual distractions and clutter. Create a calming atmosphere with minimal bright colors and clutter, focusing on essential materials. Keep unnecessary items in closets and only display important materials.
Develop dedicated spaces for activities, such as a bulletin board with visual schedules and IEP binders, independent work stations, small group work areas, carpet areas for morning meetings, and a calming sensory area. This will help students stay focused and avoid sensory overload. For example, a bulletin board at the front of the room can house visual schedules and IEP binders. Additionally, separate areas with desks, table areas for math and ELA, carpet areas for morning meetings, and a calming sensory area can help students focus and learn effectively.
How do you create a safe space for an autistic child?
To create a safe environment for your child with autism, it is essential to keep them calm and avoid potential dangers. Keep the noise down, keep the lights down, and teach them about strangers. As a parent, you are your child’s superhero, and it is crucial to create a safe zone for them to thrive.
Keep it calm by reducing bright lights, flashy colors, clutter, and extraneous furniture. Take advantage of natural light and minimize furniture. Keep your home organized by setting furniture and household objects in designated locations, eliminating distractions and supporting a focused lifestyle. Set up a “homework area” with necessary tools labeled and designated for their use, making it accessible and reducing stress.
In summary, creating a safe environment for your child with autism requires a combination of calm, organized living spaces, and a focus on minimizing distractions. By following these guidelines, you can create a supportive and enjoyable home environment for your child.
How to design for children with autism?
It is recommended that a calming decorative scheme be created using muted, matte colors and recognizable pictures in signage and labeling. This approach has the potential to reduce arousal and stimulate the senses.
📹 AUTISM & ADHD FRIENDLY HOUSE HACKS!!!⎥EXECUTIVE DISFUNCTION⎥ADULTS WITH AUTISM
SO SORRY ABOUT TO BUZZING IN THE BACKGROUND… I FORGOT TO TURN OFF MY AIR PURIFIER ♀️ This video …
As a single person, I rent a 2B place and have a little yoga/relaxation room. Without the visible reminder of my yoga mat, I won’t exercise which in turn makes me super dysregulated. Cold is also dysregulating to me in the winter and I have social anxiety at the gym. Having my own space for movement and relaxation removes these barriers for me and it is a luxury I feel lucky to afford, even though neurotypical people don’t understand it.
I think that the best space accomodation i’ve done for myself is having a bed in my living room, i used to do everything in my “sleeping bed” and i feel quite uncomfortable sitting on anything else (i think i just need a large soft space that allows me to sit and lay down in any weird position that i want) Having another bed instead of a couch is a big game changer for me (also english isn’t my native language, idk if i’m properly explaining myself)
I recently decided to transform my underused dining room into a playroom! I need space to play despite being a full grown adult. I work better sprawled on the floor on a nice thick carpet, I have more space for my movement practices, not to mention increased room to play with the pup and the kittens. Sometimes I just lay their looking at the Aurora Borealis that I have lighting up the ceiling at night. I can’t really host dinners anymore but I hate cooking so it’s win-win 😅. The idea came from a book specifically to organize your home with ADHD in mind (so helpful!). Good luck with your new space!
One of the biggest accomadations I made is lighting. First I changed all the lightbulbs and added multiple different light sources, even candles. I also noticed that if I have a live candle instead of a lamp when I’m about to go to bed I get sleepier, I’m guessing its because of natural vs artificial lighting. In addition to this I placed my desk directly infront of my window. It’s helped with productivity so much bc not only getting sunlight, but I’m also hearing the birds outside and if my brain wants stimulus then I can have a short glance outside and look at nature. Another big accomidation for me was customization. As an autsistc person I often get really annoyed if something isnt excatly the way I want it so I’ve given myself the freedom to paint and customize my surroundings no matter what others might think of my choices. This includes changing outlet covers, painting walls, furiture and trimm, reupolstering seats & changing out the handels on my doors. Its made a big difference in how calm I feel in my space.
Both my husband and I are neurodivergent, and one of the things that helps me is decorating in neutrals. I know people rag on it these days (people hate the greige now), but it makes me feel calm and not over stimulated. For him, we have different systems installed to help him remember tasks and not lose track of items (white board calendar, key hook by the door). Those are small examples, but I hope this feedback helps!
I am AuDHD person and I live on disability. I literally have no money to not skimp on things. I have to buy what I can afford. Another thing is I can’t live fully alone for various reasons and I moved back in with my mother 6 years ago. So, I have to deal with her and what she wants for her house. It gets frustrating. I keep telling her about different things we could do to help me in my neurodivergence and she just doesn’t like a lot of the ideas I have. It’s really frustrating. Right now we are saving to put a shower in the half bath, which would really benefit us both because she’s getting older and our only full bath is upstairs. But I would also bathe more if there was an easier way to do it. My mother is awesome and she is totally my best friend and living with her is easy, but not having complete control over my space and being able to afford to make myself comfortable is really hard sometimes.
This is such an interesting topic in my opinion. Neurodivergent people are so often taught to adapt to their environment in order to thrive. I believe this pattern of teaching and thinking is completely backwards! I would love to hear more of Irene’s thoughts on this matter as she continues her moving process!
My partner and I had to make space to make two separate bedrooms. Their ADHD and my autism both get space at the end of night. We wind down differently and we stim differently, as well as different bed time. It ‘s been a huge improvement in our marriage. We are also in the process of finding a bigger condo so I can have a “alone time” room where I can soundproof the heck out of it, have a rocking chair and take care of my sound sensitivity. I need to have a room where I can’t hear my partner. My partner likes to move and talk a lot as part of their stim, so me having a quiet space separate from the main living area meant they can stim freely as well.
I have the $3,000 couch. It’s in my favorite, soothing color. It’s a crushed velvet texture and the light hits it just so. It’s really soothing and the experience of sitting on it is really soothing and it makes the experience of holding my favorite cup in my favorite couch and having lovely interactions with my favorite people on it really soothing. It just adds like two points to the entire experience.
I am 25 and autistic. I love this discussion! I am very sensitive to colors, the only color I can look at for a long time without feeling discomfort is pink. I recently got rid of all my furniture that I accumulated throughout my teens and college years bc I back then could not afford to choose the furniture I would have needed. Now I have the resources, so all of my new furniture is pink! I am so happy with my home now and it is soooo much easier to decrompress since everything in my home is pink.
love this article. My partner has a climbing wall and padded floor in the living room in place of a couch which fits our lifestyle so much better, even if people are confused when they come over and don’t know where to sit. We’ve also realized recently that the dining table is super underutilized and are now thinking about turning that space into a studio for knitting and crafting 🙂
It didn’t quite hit me until you posed your questions (thank you Editor Irene!), but I find that I build little stations for myself throughout the house. – I have a coffee station and coffee/tea related things there and a few other small things that I don’t have space for in the kitchen but need it be accessible like first-aid kits and stuff there. – I have a couple of those rolly carts from Michael’s so I can take them with me in different parts of the house with ease, but also each cart has a theme like “this is my art cart” or “this cart has my notebooks and journals and stickers” or “this set of drawers that roll is all the cat food supplies (including bowls)” etc. – I use a big basket in the kitchen to contain a lot of everyday things like breakfast oats and protein powders. I call it my breakfast basket! Like, everything has a small space/station for things so that they are out and I can see them and remember to do them, but also they are organized and are at least “in place” when I don’t have time to clean. It also helps me focus on the thing I need/want to do in that space too.
Hi. I know there are probably better articles to say this under but I wanted to say it under this article because you posted this around the time I finally worked up the courage to ask my parents to get me an autism assessment. I started perusal your articles about 4 months ago because I made a good friend who has autism and I wanted to better connect with him. After perusal through a few articles, I started to realize just how much I related to some of the things you were saying. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but I kept finding myself perusal your website. After about 2 months, I finally asked my mom to set up an appointment. And now, as of yesterday, I was diagnosed as Autistic and Adhd. I’m writing this because I wanted to thank you for making a genuine impact on my life through your articles. I’m 16 years old but I think if it weren’t for you, I never would have even considered that I was Autistic and may not have been diagnosed until much later in life. Thank you so much for making these articles. ❤
i’m 43 and have adhd and i live in a tiny house (not a tiny house… my house is just really small lol) and these are the things i’ve done to make it more soothing: 1) neutral colors (black, grey, beige), almost no patterns or prints (they are overstimulating). 2) lots of warm, fuzzy textures to make it cozy. 3) colorful pillowcases and wall tapestries i can switch out when i get tired of the colorscheme. 4) smart lightbulbs in my bedroom and main living area – my favorites!! bc i can change the luminosity and colors. i’m highly sensitive to light and cold artificial color is something i hate! i prefer low, moody warm light. a salt lamp helps too! and some candles. 5) aromatherapy for helping with moods and anxiety. 6) a place to hang my keys right by the door to minimize losing them. 7) lots of b/matching, basic neutral-colored plastic bins/baskets to organize all my stuff. 8) cute things that make me happy, including some plushies! 9) plus i always ALWAYS have some kind of ambience playing in the background (fire, rain etc) besides calming lofi music for when i need to concentrate. and i just got a cute vintage-looking speaker that sits on my desk bc i love retro stuff!
This is an absolutely interesting topic!! So many of us (of previous generations and assimilations) are just now learning of our neurodivergence. The very idea of “having needs” that needed meeting? 5 years ago, that was a foreign concept. In the beginning, I needed others to give me permission to “do my own thing” with my space, so it is important to see others in their own journeys. As far as couches go- I’m a thrift store lover. When my couch is too well-loved, I start the hunt for a $200 or less couch. I’m pretty fickle and like to change it out frequently. My latest came from FB marketplace for free- a red leather pottery barn couch that the owner wanted gone ASAP. This one may stay awhile because it is so easy to keep clean w/ multiple dogs and is okay as far as comfort goes.
I’ve actually been looking for a article like this for a while now without much success so thank you for making it 🙂 I recently moved so I am still in the process of making my space work for me and explaining to people that I will not get a dining table because I don’t want it to take a lot of space when I don’t use it much and that the 2nd bedroom will not be a guest bedroom for the 3 times a year it would be used but I am instead making it a workshop/creative room so I can partake in my 100 hobbies comfortably and you’ll just have to sleep on the couch lol
I have a daughter with Autism+ADHD. So we r moving soon to our own unit. Great ideas about no kitchen table. We are both artists, so our place will incorporate our art needs instead in our living space and bedrooms. My daughter likes calm neutrals and I like bright colours. So im having to be careful juggling and planned the AESTHETICS. We need lots of open space and open boxes baskets to easily drop things into to keep it neat and tidy. We are both visual, so we need to see things out in the open but tidy.
Yes! Environment is everything to me! My fave items: wireless speaker for rain/nature sounds & music, my weighted blanket, bed warmer (plugged version), pillow topper, dimly lit lamps. My no skimp items are: bedsheets, essential oils (if they’re cheaply made my nose will KNOW), headphones (again a sensory thing), and throws.
I wanted to pop in and thank you for doing what you do as a whole on YouTube. I’m a new subscriber, so there’s a lot more to explore! Everything about this article was helpful, but I struggle a lot to put it into words how or why. Every article I’ve watched of yours has helped me learn to be more insightful to myself and my unique needs. Thank you very much for sharing your experiences!
I just moved out on my own for the first time recently and definitely agree. Been spending a LOT of money on comfort (and storage, because the AuDHD hits hard without everything having a place to go in) and it’s so worth it honestly. It’s way too stressful not enjoying the one place you’re supposed to be at ease. Also for the rugs, my parents have 2 dogs so they got very thin area rugs that are easy to throw in the wash, with thick rubber grip pads underneath it to still give it nice plushness- seems to work pretty well and not super expensive! Their rugs have corners that hold the mats in place too so it’s not sliding off.
I’m 23 and have recently been diagnosed with ADHD and am waiting on an autism assessment. I’ve been given the opportunity to redo my room for the first time in about 15 years and it’s been so so freeing to be able to make decisions that work for me and how my brain works. Even just little things like having chest of drawers instead of a massive wardrobe I never use. But the thing that I’m most excited about (and spending the most time on) is being in control of my lighting. I’m partially sighted along with being ND and so lighting is something I’m very very picky about, and I always lived in places that had low yellow lighting and it would make me feel so uncomfortable. It hurts my head and it’s just flat out impractical. But I’m in the process of getting some lightbulbs that change colour and have more daylight style lighting and I’m so excited. It’s such a small thing to anybody else, but the idea of finally having a space that is bright enough and just comforting is so nice. Your articles have also been such a lifeline for me as I’ve been going through the motions of understanding myself and making life work for me. Thank you for all that you do ❤
I love this topic! Something that changed my life was swapping out my plates and bowls for plates made out of bamboo and buying these mats for rugs that stop them from slipping. Now my plates are on these mats and it really helps with my noise sensitivity! Also making everything visible in my room, it took the doors of my wardrobe and have stuff in clear containers
oh my gosh i love this!! I’m not even finished perusal yet but I’m so stoked to see this discussed. I’m an OT and also ND and I have really been wanting to figure out how to marry my love of design with neurodivergence…it is SO important to take these things into account for our spaces and ourselves. We need our spaces to be right for US.
this is so true. We have an apartment in our garage, when my brother lived there, he slept at the loft, had a living and dining room underneath it. No space for extra things like his studying and stuff and he was alwyays complaning about the lack of space and storage. But when I moved in? I had a study area instead of a dining room, i used the loft as walk in closet and i have a bedroom in the living room and my brother and his friends are so shocked lol
1) little key rack next to door 2) really really good mattress gives you the best sleep –> better brain function –> better life 3) no TV (got rid of all my TVs in 2015 even before i was diagnosed with ADHD, the news are just way too depressing & anxiety inducing), I have a laptop with a large screen & my phone, I get to choose what I watch, no stupid loud commercials either 4) i put my vitamins into one of those 7-day pill containers, fill it up once a week & can even throw it in my purse if I’m in a rush 5) get pre-packaged salads instead of buying 12 separate ingredients and then forgetting you have the ingredients & they go bad (i also like to add a can of tuna or chicken or shrimp to the salad for added protein) 6) i stopped using the refrigerator drawers because out of sight out of mind, everything is just visible 7) creating zones, like a large basket on top of the dog crate for all the dog stuff in one place, a hanging jewelry organizer over the door that contains all the little things that could get lost super easy 8) clear baskets for shoes and everything else too, you can see what’s in it plus it makes it easier to move when it’s time 9) slippers, because i don’t like my feet touching the bare floor 10) a few small blankets that i put over the dog bed interchangeably, that way i wash the blanket instead of the whole bed which falls apart after 2 washed. The blankets act like sheets 11) don’t skimp on bed sheets and blankets, get ones with natural fibers like cotton and linen (no polyester or microfiber), get the higher thread count, not that scratchy stuff 12) I love how comfortable my sofa is but it was too low to the ground for me so i ordered taller sofa legs and replaced them, now it is the perfect height for me PS.
Irene, I am so glad you made this article and opened a conversation about how to accommodate to yourself in your living space. This is perfect timing for me personally as I’m now 24 and it’s a first time for me to finally live alone (not sharing a room/bed with anyone) which opened up bunch of questions for me. Moreover, I can have the autonomy to curate how everything works with my routines in the apartment and it’s soo liberating. I am a floor person 🌞 I love working on the floor, laying on a flat surface, reading, perusal youtube, eating sometimes, I also do yoga so it’s super important for me to have a fair share of empty space in my apartment where I can just be on the floor. Another thing I’ve been dreaming about for last 7-8 years is kotatsu. I am usually cold so a built-in heater would absolutely be a saver for me. the blankets are great and the fact it’s on the floor makes it so much cozier. I would also love to have a big one in a dining room, so I could share a meal and chat with my friends. maybe without a heater tho, just a low table would be great. So yeah, thank you again for making this article and brining up this topic, creating the space to share our thought. I’m picking up a habit to read through your comments more and more often (and writing too) and it makes me feel safe and seen and connected to the community 💙💙💙
I moved out for the first time last year for uni and I’ve slowly been learning how to make my life more accommodating for myself. The main things I’ve changed in my room is having a mirror that’s reversible, with a pin board on the back for posters and photos (since I get dysphoria a lot, this is the best). Also most of my clothes go into the draws under the desk instead of in the wardrobe, which is only for clothes I don’t want to crease. The wardrobe also keeps all the kitchen equipment and large hobbies. Having lots of fairy lights and lamps in different places helped massively with how much and what kind of work I can get done since I always work at night, it can help me conceptualize the space differently. I also kept lots of cases on top of the wardrobe for different needs (e.g. makeup, random supplies, bathroom stuff) so I knew the general area to look for things but was completely free to forget it was there when I didn’t need it. Finally having a reading nook was the best ever – hardly ever read in it and didn’t use it how I expected but it was amazing when I did use it and 100% worth it
This is not a vote for designing your house for guests, nor setting up a dining room, but another important consideration for accommodations is disability-friendly seating. You mentioned it a bit. As someone with a physical disability, few things make me feel more welcome than friends who have comfortable seating (sometimes even for friends like me). It may seem small, but AuDHD + disability + chronic pain often means not speaking up when you’re in pain/when things cause you pain out of fear of being picky/demanding/annoying/etc. it’s a common feeling among neurodivergent people, but specifically in this context for neurodivergent people with chronic illness. This is less of a “build your space for your guests” than “what else can make my space feel safe and comfortable?” It can be as simple as getting chair cushions with lumbar support, heating pads, etc (all of which anyone can use!). I really love my Cushion Lab cushions and pillows (I want to get more!!)
I heavily relate to not using a dining table and looking to invest in better quality tv dinner trays. I love hearing other people talk about this topic, I am in college and was doing online classes and i learned alot about myself and how to better build a space and schedule to accommodate my needs and what feels natural to me. additionally my partner and i are autistic and have a lot of tactile sensitivities, so we prioritize finding/ replacing things in our house like bowls, plates and utensils with something that feels better for us to use. 🖤
If you want to make more articles like this, there’s a new book called The Sensory Home that would be great. Also, I like to have a seating area in my kitchen (loveseat coffee table) instead of a dining table. It takes me a long time to cook and relax in my kitchen and it just improves my quality of life.
This is something I’ve felt for a long time but I’ve struggled with because of why spaces are “normally” used for and already feeling awkward enough. I haven’t implemented it yet but I’m planning on it. For example, I love eating together as a family but it feels awkward for us at the kitchen table because we normally use the kitchen table for art. I’ve wanted to get those small individual Japanese floor table so we could just sit on the floor and eat and move our little tables wherever we want. Even outside! Also, the closets seem to be this black hole of energy lol. I’d love to change it up, make more space, add a few cushions and some fairy lights and have it be more of a moody hideaway spot to draw, read, take a nap, or just ponder things. I love your article. Thank you so much for bringing up this topic and just being you 😊
I can never afford to shell out on furniture. Unfortunately, thats just the reality of many peoples’ situations. However, there are small, more affordable changes that I have made to accommodate myself. Lighting is a huge thing! Many small, lights instead lf glaring overhead lights, soft blankets on the sofas and bed, lots little stims around the house where i tend to sit and having things displayed/out where i can see them. One other thing i really want to invest in is bamboo plates and bowls. Its a nightmare putting dishes away with how loud it can be so bamboo can really help if you struggle with the loud clank of ceramics.
You’re on the right track and I’m in 100% in agreement with getting what works for your life. I’m in the process of moving for the millionth time and have the same sentiments. Everything I bring into my home is done with intention and purpose. It must support my ND and overall well being. ❤ thanks for sharing
HI! 👋 New here. I’m moving (again), and while I’m not autistic, I do hv serious mental illness challenges (w ADHD, PTSD, others are private), along with some fun physical challenges. These tips are great! My family is very “neurotypical.” They aren’t bothered by certain sounds, lights, etc. I tried explaining it, but it’s tough, and they TRY to understand. I’m going to show my sister this article! For me, lighting is more important than anything. A yellow-tinged grey interior brings on flashbacks.😢 We fixed that w warm white lights with dimmers. This changed the entire “vibe” for me! And, it was very inexpensive. I realized I don’t need an office bc my new place has a *comfortable* and functional dining area, which, like you, I’ll rarely use for eating, hostessing. I certainly don’t need a separate desk. Plus, it’s comfortable. For me, a quality bed is crucial. I sprung for an adjustable base model finally, and it’s really helpful. The couch is also super important to me. Like you, I’ve bought the more inexpensive ones, only to find they’re shot in 6 months. ⚠️Also, if the couch isn’t comfy, I’m going to stay in bed all day — not good for mind nor body.⚠️ I don’t hv the money for a couch like yours, but I dated a man who did what u did. I got to help design.😊 It lasted over a decade. I’ll spend more this time than previously. Middle-ground. Finally, u inspired me! It’s a really small place. Your trampoline room sounds fun! Can I come over? 😜 🎹 I’ve always wanted a music room w a piano.
As an undiagnosed adult, I had struggled in the past with people being judgemental about my apartment an the way it looks and I always thought it has to be functional for me. For example, the table that should be a dinning table, I use it as a desk because I really need a large space to work and I can’t function using a normal desk. And I need multiple chairs to put my feet up. Once I had a partner who was zero empathetic and wanted to change my apartment to her desires. I let her move things and it felt so uncomfortable. Now I do what I want, and it led me to not sharing my space at all but I’m perfectly fine like this.
We have this brown couch and recliners set that came from Sam’s years ago. The recliners rock, every armrest has built-in storage, and the center of the couch folds out into a mini table with cupholders. They’re absolutely perfect, except for the material they’re made out of. So I got several very soft blankets and throws and keep them covered in soft amazingness!
Commenting to say this is EXTREMELY interesting to me and validating to hear!! I’ve been reflecting on so much of the same concepts so it’s so great to hear someone say it out loud. Makes me feel like I’m on the right track and not crazy for the ways I’m obsessively planning my space and my next move. I’ve been worrying if I’m being entitled or prissy or whatever when it comes to wanting to invest in things so I love how you worded it as accommodating for our sensitivity. I just feel a lot of shame for even feeling like I “need” certain things that other people may not find to be necessities. Even something as simple as me refusing to consider an apartment without a patio because I need fresh air and sunlight or else I’ll go insane… anyway, thank you for sharing!
I totally agree. I’m also planning my space like this but so good to hear that i’m not “insane”, i’m not alone and it’s normal in our different way. I simply try to figure out my needs, what solution can fulfill it the best and research products. A home is really important to us to protect ourself and have a safe space. It’s a need. Great article❤
I’m realizing after I typed all this out that it is super long and mostly just me processing my own ideas so moving the important info to the top haha: long story short I have so many ideas and realizations after perusal your article – this has been immensely helpful to me, thank you for sharing! I would definitely be interested in any and all articles about moving/setting up an apartment/decorating etc. I’m currently in the process of moving and have been hyper focusing on how to layout my apartment and what furniture I am keeping vs. what furniture I want to buy replace etc. so finding this article is perfect timing for me! The idea of making the space work for you and not just doing things because you think you should seems so simple but it’s so big, I know I’ve subtly made adjustments over the years when I think back on it but I don’t think I ever put that idea into to words so when you started talking about it – like this huge wave of realization and relief washed over me. Like obviously I can do whatever I want in my own apartment but I’ve still been holding on to a lot of the “rules” and have been stressed about how to fit them in, i.e. the dining table! I bought one I aesthetically liked when I moved into my current apartment but I’ve basically never used it in the 3 years I’ve lived here… so this article helped make it click that I can not worry about trying to make a dining space when I could use that space in a way that is actually more important to me. I’m also thinking about what to do with my new “living room” space since it is technically the biggest room in my new apartment but I don’t spend much time in my current living room… so now I’m thinking about how to set it up in a way that I would get more use out of the space instead of just designing a “normal” living room just because I should, or if it even has to be a “living room” at all.
I moved out and have been living alone for the first time ever for almost two years now. I spent a little more than a year constantly moving things around to figure out what actually works for me. Ngl, it went much smoother once I found out I’m also autistic last year. The one thing I knew for sure when I was moving into my own space was 1. I don’t need a dining area/table, and 2. Even tho it’s just me, I need at least 2 bedrooms for all my art supplies, and things. I also purged everything I wasn’t needing, which gave me the financial space to purchase things outside of my initial budget (and tbh comfort), like a huge 6pit stove with oven and brouler, because I knew that living alone would mean I’d finally be able to enjoy cooking and baking more. My garden now is a huge upgrade to the small balcony I had before, but now I realize that a. i need more outdoor space so I can actually decompress outside and b. I can’t be living close to others because my sensory sensitivities have been on overdrive for months now and I’m always antsy because of it. I can’t even garden in peace. This one might be TMI for some people, but I’ve noticed that being naked helps me decompress a lot, so ideally my next home is somewhere I can walk around naked all day if I need to. Thank you for your articles, they help me sort out a lot of what’s going on in my head.
Thanks, I needed to hear that (to arrange the space to fit our needs and not to look normal). My brother forced me to buy that huge couch that I never wanted and I’ve been stuck with it for years and it takes so much space, your article encourages me to sell it and put just a mattress and cushions instead as I initially wanted to !
This is so enligthening, I am myself in the middle of a move and this new house is a lot smaller but the garden area is way bigger. I’ve found that I’ve been sleeping better and in a better mood just because I get to spend time out in the sun without bumping into random people. Besides that, I still have a lot to fix around the house and I’m stealing some of y’alls tricks and tips.
I love this article. Because of my adhd, I simply will not do things that my brain sees as tedious and annoying. I’ve been trying to eat more fruit instead of sweets, but I simply will not cut up watermelon, pineapple, etc…so I started buying pre-cut fruit. It costs more, I admit, but it’s the only way I know I’ll actually eat the fruit I buy, so it’s worth the extra cost for me. My family however think it’s ridiculous. It’s hard to not take it to heart knowing they think what I’m spending my money on is ridiculous.
I love this idea and I’m very glad you made a article on the topic! I have never really considered this mindset before, but I’m already planning to sit down and assess how I’ve been doing things with a different perspective. This came at the perfect time too because I just started the process of looking for a different apartment. I’m currently in a 2 bed / 2 bath place, but I spend the most time in the kitchen and on my computer, while hardly utilizing my bedroom or the living room. I realized I was spending so much money on empty space and subsequently couldn’t really afford to purchase the actual things I wanted to have in it. (That wasn’t my original plan because I had been splitting expenses with a previous boyfriend but got stuck with the full payments after we split.) I also find it overwhelming to try to clean and maintain everything. I’d rather be cozy in a small studio with just enough space for everything I want and need. I have so many thoughts about the product quality you mentioned as well. (Apologies for my comment being a bit all over the place, I’m at work and can’t spend so much time composing. I probably shouldn’t be writing this just now at all haha.) There have been so many times where I bought a more affordable option only for it to be a waste of money because I didn’t end up using it. I was always raised to be frugal, so I’ve really been doing a lot of introspection about changing this habit. The latest things I have been looking into are barefoot shoes. They’re expensive, but I’m planning to try a pair because I think they’ll make a huge difference.
I love the emphasis on creating a space with you in mind, and realizing you don’t have to do things the way you were originally taught. Even young people will tell other young people things like, “If you do something like that, you’re a psychopath lol.” And I know it’s a joke, but hearing it all the time makes it seem like that’s something that most people feel. Like, I just discovered I’m totally allowed to cut my apples into very tiny pieces and not slices. I can totally eat my fries with a fork. My food doesn’t have to be pretty, I just need to be able to eat it and not dread it.
I’ve recently been diagnosed. We’ve realized I have little to no routine, and we’ve determined that could be a huge hinderance to me being successful. But I have no idea what an adult routine really looks like. I don’t have anyone in my life to really teach me or show me what that’s supposed to look like. From getting up to going to bed I don’t have a routine. And my life is chaos. I just don’t know how to fix it. Any advice or recommendations for content would be amazing. I love your articles and your honesty, it’s helped me learn so much about how this works and which of my behaviors translate to autism rather than just plain depression. I’d love to become more regulated but again, I don’t know where to start. I need to completely revamp my life to make my life easier or at least more pleasant.
Oh man, thank you for this article! 🎉 And the permission to just not have a dining table. It sounds silly hearing myself say that. But wow, they end up collecting stuff and I use them as work surfaces. We rarely eat at them. And I love the idea of inhabiting my space with guests but just doing that in a way that’s an extension of how I inhabit it when I’m by myself. Why have entire pieces of furniture or rooms that aren’t well suited for me! ❤ And I have absolutely thought of a small trampoline too. They’re so good!
I happened to own 2 desks, and one of them is a big wide single drawer table desk, and I decided to put it in my dining room as a craft table, and if I ever have guests for dinner I can just clear it off, put the craft supplies in the nearby closet, and pull it to the center of the dining room, and throw a table cloth over it so that it looks like a dining table. I am currently in search of 4 chairs that will go well with the legs of the desk.
The main bedroom in our house is an art room, & we sleep on a futon in the lounge room that I pack up each morning because I find it more flexible. I love cabinets and bookshelves to display collections of things, & our walls are filled with art, barely a blank space in the house. Warm light from lamps and coloured light from fairy lights is really comforting so I have them on every day. I’d love to design a house from scratch cause it’s pretty tricky working from someone else’s layout, nothing is really how I would prefer it to be, but gotta work within the limitations of reality.
I love this topic, please get into as much depth as you possibly can. My partner and I just moved our couch in an unused spot that works surprisingly well for us. Initially, we had a traditional setup for our living room. Moving the couch and coffee table made us realize that we could use our newfound space for exercise!
For me, buying items in materials that are super easy to clean is a priority. We bought a sofa in Aquaclean fabric (i don’t know if it exists in the USA, i live in Spain). It has a really soft and nice texture, looks like something in between velvet and leather (hard to descrive) and can be cleaned just by wiping it with a damp cloth. I researched the material and it’s pretty interesting, it has antibacterial proprieties because of the phisical structure of the fabric, without need of using any products to clean. I love it because of the texture, there is absolute no smell and no stains (we have a cat and eat on the couch constantly).
I personally enjoy sitting on the floor or a bed a lot of the time, so in my office I have one low table, a nice rug to work on, one office table by the window where I can get sunlight, watch the trees and hear birds and one bigger table for creative projects. I also have a movement room where everything is low laying… dojo mats in the floor that connect with a “sofa” that is actually a futon with loads of pillows. So I can dance, stretch, sit and lay around fluidly. I also pay a lot of attention to lighting. I only like warm low light and don’t use a bright overhead light. Instead I’ll have a small brighter lamp at my work stations. Otherwise antique lamps, salt lamps and candles. I also pay a lot of attention to air quality so I prefer to have open windows whenever possible and burn woody natural incense. Having lots of plants increases oxygen and makes the air more fresh/moist. My next additions: switch out all the light switches to dimmers & get a humidifier.
Love this idea! My husband and I switched to individual blankets (versus a shared comforter) on our bed when we got married and it was a game changer. Maybe the bed doesn’t look “made” like in other homes, but we both sleep so much better now. No fighting for covers and can adjust blankets easily to individual desired weight/warmth.
My partner and I have transformed the third floor of our shared house into a loft-style living space, with our bed at one end and the living room at the opposite one. It works soo well for our neurotypes to have everything in one room but divided by furniture like our open-shelved wardrobe, carpets, and a small dining table. Our “dining room” is home to our coats/shoes, extra storage and freezer because we never used it for dining anyways! I totally agree with adapting our spaces to fit our different needs, and have been doing it for years – even before we knew either of us were ND lol. Enjoy the new couch, it looks beautiful!
Great article! We have moved frequently, and I am new to thinking I am on the spectrum. Only in the last few years have I really been able to take these concepts to heart and remember where/when/how/why certain living situations made me thrive and others were really crap. I think it’s important to note it’s OK to forgive yourself for having an unexpected reaction to a place. Sometimes, you think the situation will improve but it ends up a bit worse. In a future article, it would be fun to hear your perfect house and maybe collab with another creator to design a mockup or something! I would take the windows and urban location from a loft I lived in; backyard from the last place; the kitchen, bathroom, proximity to hiking and nature where I am now; and a concrete balcony for my cat like when I lived in a ‘60s apartment. Example: I had found a place with a garage to work on my car, but the combination of first needing to fully clean/gut/renovate the garage and then to earn more money for car tools/parts contributed to another burnout longer term. My intention and my belief is still that I really want a garage to work on a car & do my special interest, but now I realize it has to be easier, faster, cheaper to set up for my needs. I am now more comfortable having nothing or an empty space, vs filling a room with junk because it is “supposed to be” a bedroom/dining room/whatever…
love this topic! interior design is something I think a lot about so I’d love to hear more! I live in a small one-room student apartment and enjoy moving around my bigger furniture regularly, such as my desk, which I have positioned ‘freely’ in the space instead of up against a wall, and I have my mattress directly on the floor in a little ‘nook’ of the space, which I find quite cozy – I like to use a soft, but firm ottoman as a bedside table to put books and my computer, and also to just put my legs up on when relaxing in my bed, which is nice since it’s soft so I’m not risking breaking it or hurting my feet or having to be careful when using it. I’ve found that I don’t like furniture that is too stiff or upright to sit on or use but prefer more low to the ground, loungey pieces, which just makes it more cozy as well. I have a light strip from philips hue by my bed that I really enjoy since it lets me choose both the hue and brightness very particularly to fit my mood, and since the lights are a bit recessed behind the mattress, they’re not too harsh on my eyes and cast a nice gradient of light on the wall instead. I like to sometimes set a timer at night when reading before bed so it automatically gradually dims 🙂 I’ve also purchased a hanging chair for my space that I’m excited to put up soon. one thing I enjoy about my apartment is the floor material which is a kind of epoxy coating I believe, it’s never too cold and very smooth to walk on barefoot so I haven’t really felt the need for a carpet.
Before I even finished perusal your article, I’ve already picked online one of those cosy tatami adjustable armchairs to read/rest & retreat at floor level, all snug in a little nook dedicated only to me (living room feels a bit too big and exposed). I love interior design and had only recently considered I needed a little hiding place in my own bedroom, where I could also be on the floor (hugely calming). Definitely looking forward to seeing more of this kind of content. Bless your little cotton socks 🤓
Ooh ok! Ive been lurking for awhile but this is the first time i feel like i have something to add, lol. Hi Irene! On the dining room thing! My dad (who Im starting to suspect may be autistic as well, lol) never grew up with a dining room table to eat at, so we’ve always eaten in the living room on the couch! When we have company or even just eat something more “involved” we pull out those collapsible TV tray type tables and set those up. They’re nice bc they fold up pretty flat and can be stowed like, behind the couch or along a wall out of the way. Also, have plenty of spots to set drinks! We can’t have a coffee table bc of the way our living room is but we have lots of little side tables and stands around in arms reach. Also ik this comment is already a year long but something I find I can’t cheap out on is shoes. I spent my entire childhood in cheap twenty dollar shoes that would disintegrate in 6 months and it drove me insane! It felt like I would just get used to a pair of shoes, get them broken in the way I wanted, and the sole would pop off! And then having to go through the process of picking out and breaking in new shoes? Hated it.
Love this! I think it’s fun seeing how other people are breaking conventions to make spaces actually livable. I’m still figuring out how to live in my own apartment but I use an outdoor rug inside so I can clean pet incidents easier, and I’ve leave a little tray on my couch because I always eat there. I definitely agree with you on the couch- I’ve always been afraid of spending too much money on a couch but I absolutely despise mine and I’m realizing that if the texture and depth were different I would use my living room more. Looking forward to seeing what you get!!
Autistic here, diagnosed at 45. I always wondered why I gravitated towards my office at home…it’s painted a dull blue, and I’ve put acoustic tiles all up the wall corners. It’s basically a dead room (in studio terms), and…it’s absolutely the most comfortable space I have. Those high-frequency echoes are serious stressors for me, so we don’t have any hard floors in the house. Then I was diagnosed and…yeah, it’s basically a sensory dampening zone, no bright lights, no colour distortion from those yellow-ish room lights (I have mine set to daylight, but not too bright), and acoustically deadened. I guess that might’ve been a bit of a clue… 😉
Thank you so much for your content, it’s always very helpful! I am not yet diagnosed officially, but I think the idea of building a home that fits our individual needs is really important, no matter what. My home is now more on the minimalistic side because I got really frustrated on my inability to keep order. Less things in my environment helps a lot with that! I also spend a lot of time on my computer and so I bought a desk with adjustable height which was very expensive but also very high quality. I really struggled to buy it because it was so expensive but it really changed my life. It is much more comfortable to study and doing my job because I can move more freely and so I get less distracted and frustrated. And I can quickly change the height by using the mechanics instead of electronic (I also totally love the sound when doing so 😅). So, I would do it absolutely again! 🎉
I really enjoyed this article as it made me feel seen. I struggle with change and decorating because if indecision and I thought that that somehow made me lazy or strange since I was completely comfortable with having only the things I needed which usually is the bare minimum. Even though I love to see a home filled with memories even if it’s a bit cluttered and I also enjoy seeing well decorated spaces, I thrive on minimal decor and the predictability of the things I’ve had around me for so long. Don’t get me wrong, I love to bring new things into my space every once in a while but it usually takes me a long time to get used to new things. I’ve also tried to stand by the fact that my home is for me regardless of if it’s impractical for someone else. It is hard to convince my husband of that sometimes though 😅. I grew up in a home where the home was set up for guests almost at all times but no one ever came over. It was very frustrating living in a home like that and I refuse to cater to others in my sanctuary. Thanks for sharing!
I just moved in my new home and I do have a dining table (I don’t mind having one, and I have more than enough space anyway). I di made sure that the lighting is exactly how I want it (with only warm light). But my main focus was creating what I call my “safe space”: the bedroom and adjacent study room. You have to go through the bedroom to get to it, as it’s for me and only for me. I went for warm colors and more than enough space for my books. It has become my den, a place to come to rest.
I have all my furniture on wheels/sliders/Teflon etc so it can be moved. With the exception of two dressers which are top heavy and not safe to shove around and an other item that is still too heavy despite sliders,, I can move everything in my house by myself. The idea of furniture being static makes me claustrophobic and I find comfort in being able to rearrange things when I want, sometimes according to the changing seasons as my use of the space changes.
I totally agree with setting up your home to suit yourself, not other people’s ideas of what a certain space should look like. I am finally living alone, after years of having to rent a room in other people’s houses. I have my apartment set up to function best for the way I live. I am extremely frugal, so I don’t spend a lot of money on furniture and decor, but what I do have is useful for me. Since I live by myself and spend most of my time alone, I don’t have a couch in the living room. I just have one comfortable chair, a side table, and a little table I put my laptop on. I don’t watch TV, so I don’t have one. My apartment is quite small, but big enough for just myself. I am very into fitness, so having so little furniture in the living room gives me plenty of space for my workouts. My “dining table” is just a rectangular foldable utility table with a tablecloth on it. I use it for eating, but it mainly serves as my desk for working on my laptop, and for writing. I tend to move a lot, so having few possessions also makes it easier and less expensive to pick up and move whenever I need to. I was dating a guy a few years ago who made some derogatory remarks about my apartment, along the lines of “it isn’t very comfortable for visitors”, meaning him I guess! I pretty much told him well, it’s MY apartment and I have it set up to suit ME, not anyone else. He also used to move my things around, without asking me, which I didn’t like at all. Needless to say, for this (and other more serious) reasons, I ended up breaking up with him.
I am so late to this conversation BUT I don’t use my closet in my room! i prefer drawers and dressers for my clothes bc I cant STAND the stuffy smell my clothes have after being in a closed room. so I actually put my piano in the closet to save space! whenever I want to play I just open my closet door and bring up a chair!! it also helps with acoustics and sound for the piano so that’s always nice!!
❤ this article! I have thought about this, making the house suit the family. We are getting ready to transition into a more permanent space/house. I know many who use the extra room/dinning room as a “staged room” if you will & I have been thinking there are so many opportunities in utilizing that room for a personal area or comfort area for the individuals who live there. (I hope that made sense) We did the trampoline in our extra room, for our daughters, in our 1st big house. Some people got a kick out of it & some people thought, that is a great idea. Either way, it was our house and it worked for our family.
I really appreciated you mentioning that a dining table wasn’t necessary for you and your living space! I’ve always forced myself to have a dining set even if I didn’t use one or want one and I just realized.. I only did that because it’s what I perceived to be “normal” — I never considered that it was an option to not have one. I’ve always disliked sitting at a dining table (dining chairs are usually uncomfortable) but felt like it was necessary if we ever hosted people. In reality, I don’t host often enough for it to be a problem. At the end of the day, it’s way more important for me to have a comfortable space that is visually pleasing and fits my sensory needs. In the future I’d love to curate a living room area with lots of comfy floor seating and side tables so that there’s enough space for friends and family without compromising my needs.
Um, just a heads up on pet smells. A small carpet shampooer with plain water, and spray with hydrogen peroxide. Pick up what you can, spray with peroxide, run the shampooer, and if you can still smell it, spray with peroxide again. If you don’t use all the chemicals the rug won’t get….. Crunchy? Idk, the weird texture they get.
I think my future home and space is going to involve hard wood floors instead of carpet! It is much easier to handle cleaning a surface like hardwood, especially with how my physical disability interacts with my autism. My bathroom and kitchen floors are all cleaned much more easily than my carpet… There’s a huge dread i feel in needing to get out the vacuum, even if it’s my convenient lightweight one
For me the only cheaper-end couch I have found comfortable both depth and pillows is ikea furniture. It even has options to buy a new couch cover for much less, so when my cat scratches it up too much I can replace just the cover for under $300. The brand also doesn’t change up their stuff too much so I don’t have to redo all my research next time.
one alternative suggestion i’ll throw out there, regarding a perfectly suited couch: shop for a good deal on something vintage, with an appealing shape & good solid bones, then get it reupholstered in colors & textures that you love. prices vary quite a bit but you could potentially save some money while getting exactly what you want
Decluttering and becoming a minimalist has helped me a lot. Also, I’ve come to terms that I’m just someone that really likes to study in bed under my blankets hah. I’m looking into buying a desk that will hover above my bedside to atudy more efficiently. That or buying a recliner that I can use a rolling desk with heh.
“Cheap is always more expensive” learned that in Covid making jewelry. You may as well get the thing that you want that’s a little better quality then invest anything at all into some things that just aren’t an investment ❤ thanks for reiterating that it’s especially hard for me with fast fashion to not cave but. It’s never worth it 😢
I have a little one bedroom flat with my boyfriend, we are both undiagnosed neurodivergent (its pretty obvious tho, just too expensive to get tested rn). Im currently in the process of making our little place into what i call, “A home that puts the Fun in Functional”. The biggest thing I’ve done so far is get a variety of different seating options for different spaces and purposes. Our space is set up so our front door opens straight into our little dining room, then all the other rooms open directly off that, and the dining room is the sunniest room in the house, and therefore my favourite place to spend time. I noticed i was sitting in there a lot just on the floor coz there wasnt much other option, and I’d want to lie down as well, but I’d find myself getting stuck either standing, sitting on the floor, or lying on my bed or the couch. So to combat that, I’ve now got a big fluffy pink beanbag by the front door, to sit on in any weird position i want and relax in after a long day, but its close to everything and isnt too hard to get up off. I can also open the front door and get some fresh air and sunlight and enjoy the outdoors without having to go out if its not a comfortable weather situation for me. I also have a backless rolling computer chair instead of our hard dining chairs, so i can sit by the table, but if i feel stuck, i can also still move around without getting off the chair. Its been really great for cooking too, bc i can roll it into the kitchen and sit down while im cooking so i dont get too distracted and forget what im doing.
I’m going to my first apt now and one of the first things I want to buy is an Alexa. Everyone has been telling me to focus on the more basic stuff first but honestly I feel like having an Alexa and connect it to different things around the house so I can just order it to do something for me instead of actually having to get up to do it would make me so much more productive and would make the little tasks feel less overwhelming. Also I feel like I would get distracted less bc if for example I’m cooking and I think of a song, I can just tell Alexa to play the song instead of taking out my phone then getting distracted by it and end up burning my food (which happens a lot with me..) I also like the idea of having a non sentient being to just air out my thoughts lol This made me feel less guilty in investing in something that people had called a vanity buy
I thought this topic was very interesting. I also don’t use my dining room, and feel more comfortable eating with a TV tray on the couch. So my dining table has become a place where I just set stuff I don’t know what to do with. It’s just very junky and cluttered. It would be interesting to think about a better use for the space, even if it’s just extra shelving or storage for the things currently sitting on that table. 🤔
I totally agree with everything, but especially the part about building your home for you, not for the idea of a home. I want a 2 bedroom apartment to turn my big living room into a floor sitting cosy space possibly a studio (i slept on my living room couch for 2 months once because my mattress was lumpy, and kind of loved it), 1 bedroom into my art studio/work office space, and the 2nd bedroom into a relaxation/meditation/zen/workout/yoga space with a Japanese floor futon bed that I can put away for more floor space. It doesn’t make sense to anyone else but I’m autistic and I need my space to be set up to do more of the things I want to do. A bed and a large couch in a space pretty much guarantees that I won’t get out of bed or not lay on the couch all day. It takes up so much floor space that dancing or yoga or stretching in my apartment is impossible and the only chair I can fit is the uncomfortable dorm room study chair. Being in bed is actually my least favourite thing to do and worsens my chronic pain but it’s the thing I do the most when I’m home because the absence of floor space and the presence of a large couch/bed makes it so I frequently get out of bed to do something and “be out of bed” and quickly realise there is nothing to do out of bed. No space for hobbies, crafts, or even art. I don’t even have space to pace back and forth while on the phone or doing vocal practice, which is detrimental to my adhd. Constantly “resting” is causing me chronic fatigue ironically.
This is a very important topic as comfort is crucial to help us relax and unwind. I got rid of my dining table as I eat mostly at my desk. I’ve always liked to have a spacious and comfortable couch in my living room, in which I can have some meals, take naps and watch movies surrounded by my dogs. I’ve always spent a lot of my time making my apartments extremely comfortable, soothing lights etc…
I have 2 extra bedrooms in my house most people with extra bedrooms make them guest bedrooms or storage space. I hate that idea like why are you going to pay for a space that you are never going to utilize. So instead i have a craft room which im in often and my husband has a music room 😊 now these extra bedrooms get utilized almost every day 😁
My bedroom is a Sanrio themed dreamland. It’s the room I always wanted as a kid and is not at all “age appropriate” by our cultural standards for a 33 year old lady but I could care less. I love collecting Sanrio and I feel happy waking up in my princess pink bedroom. I also have a dedicated meditation room that was originally designed to be a small bedroom.
I’d absolutely want more in the vein of this but with less “you just have to spent more money”. Having enough to be able to prioritise is of course the best but a lot of people on the spectrum does not have the funds to just prioritize differently and find the money. I know it’s a tall order and I’m not thinking solely focus on those living on disability but make space and send help in that direction too 🙂
Hi, this is interesting ❤. The best thing I have done for my space in the past was using the dining room as a dedicated room for Dungeons & Dragons. I invested a good amount of money to get this huge table and I felt so happy that all my friends had room for their books, for their dice, for their papers and writing implements, as well as food, drinks, miniatures. It just takes a lot of space and I’m glad I made that choice. I don’t have this table anymore, it stayed at my ex’s place when I moved out into a small appartment, but if I get the space for it again, I’m likely to make that choice once more! I did use it as a dining table one time at christmas, when we had cheese fondue and we were 12 friends sitting around it. Very loud, very packed but it’s still a fond memory.
I would say first glance, my house doesn’t look like it definitely has 2 neurodivergent adults and 1 neurodivergent child living there. We have been told that it’s ‘different’ by a few people over the years, but really obvious pieces of furniture aren’t missing or in different rooms. We have a very colorful house, I mean really bold color wall color, a lot of wall art and non-overhead lighting, but almost no ‘stuff’ that cant be hung on the wall. My husband especially, really loves the dopamine drop from a stimulating room, but the way we balance that is kinda minimal furniture and very few blank surfaces where clutter can collect. Most of the ways we have integrated systems that support us are in our routines and in the drawers and cabinets if you open them. For example, almost no laundry gets folded, we just use color coded baskets if it cant be hung up.
my mother nannied for a wealthy woman who owns Vanilla Wood (a furniture company) her design style is my absolute goal. However, I couldn’t help but notice she would use her dining room as an office space. Every day. I wonder what her life would have been like if she just used it as an office but with a real desk and chair
I can’t afford to make the changes I need to do yet so it’s quite frustrating. I desperately need a new mattress but just can’t afford it so my back and chronic pain is a bigger struggle. I don’t live in a traditional house so it’s exhausting knowing what is best to change for myself. I need to try and think outside the box.
My fiancé and I had to invest in a nice cordless vacuum despite not having much money. being able to complete chores with ease is super important to both of us (we both have ADHD). we also recently got a hamper with wheels because walking to the laundromat was a huge struggle before even though it’s only a few buildings down from our apartment. We also invested in a tall swiffer duster so dusting would be easier. we still stuggle with deep cleaning, doing dishes and folding laundry a lot if anyone has any tips 😅
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately when considering what I’d like to have in my own place if I get to move out within the next year. For instance, I don’t think I’d really need a couch or a full living room, but a table with comfortable chairs that I could use for studying, for working, for eating, etc is gonna make a big difference for me. There’s also a lot of little details that are easy to forget, but that could be important for my day to day life. It’s something I wanna consider ahead of time so I know what to look for when the time is right
I love this!! I’ve spent extra money on a thick fluffy mattress pad and giant marshmallow comforter. I spend extra to get what I need visually and sensor wise in my home office: Wrist rests, a good chair, fidgets, cycle for under the desk for my feet, organization tools, shelving. I spent a TON of time looking for the best couch and coffee table. I spend up on my collections that give dopamine, like Garfield phone or giant lava lamp or beautiful glass. But the biggest system change I’ve made is with laundry. I COULD NOT get my brain to do it. I saw someone awhile back say smaller loads and that seemed like just more work. So I really sat down among my piles of clothes and figured out that the system I needed required 6 small open containers. 3 for clean, 3 for dirty. 3 categories. So, somehow for me, washing my clothes separate from kid clothes separate from linens has made a massive difference. And even if they aren’t folded, all the clean is in a tidy (see through – that is key!!) container and not on my floor. I really feel inspired to find other systems. We do eat at the coffee table though.