Meet Alyssa! She is our lead designer at Monarch Lane and combines her expertise and care to create beautiful, functional spaces for our clients. With a Bachelor’s in Interior Design and a certification in Universal Design, she bring thoughtful solutions that blend style and accessibility. Having been with us for years, she’s known for her creativity, attention to detail, and dedication to making every client’s vision a reality!

In Today’s world, inclusivity has become a cornerstone of progress. Universal Design
embodies this by creating environments, products and systems that can be used by
everyone, regardless of age, ability or background.

But what is Universal Design?

I was always fascinated by Universal Design after reading about it’s origin story.
In short, in the early 1950s, a young lieutenant realized the fatal flaw in the cockpit design of U.S. air force jets. In the late 1940s, the United States air force’s pilots continually could not keep control of their planes.

Engineers all thought it was pilot error, but the pilots insisted it was not. They soon turned to the cockpit design. Back in 1926, when the army was designing its first-ever cockpit, engineers had measured the physical dimensions of hundreds of male pilots, and used this data to standardize the dimensions of the cockpit. For the next three decades, the size and shape of the seat, the distance to the pedals and
stick, the height of the windshield, even the shape of the flight helmets were all built to
conform to the average dimensions of a 1926 pilot.

The United States air force authorized the largest study of pilots that had ever been taken
to see if their pilots has changed since 1926. What they found out was amazing to me. Out
of 4,063 pilots, not a single pilot fit within the average range on all 10 dimensions. Designing a cockpit to fit the average pilot, is actually designing it to fit no one. This story really stuck with me as I continued to design for our clients of different ages,
genders, shapes, sizes and needs.

So, I have compiled my 3 favorite ways to incorporate Universal Design into your home.

1. Kitchen | Induction Stoves

Induction heating has no open flame or exposed heating element that could accidentally
catch things on fire. Whether a client has young kids or a forgetful parent, this sleek but
effective stove is safe for any family member.
If you turn on an induction burner with no pot on it, it will not get hot. The instant you
remove your pot from the induction surface, the heating stops. The surrounding cooktop
stays relatively cool. Wolf Induction Cooktops can power off with one tap for added safety.

2.Bathroom | Grab bars

Grab bars have come a long way from the ones you see in public restrooms. They can be
much thinner, come in all kinds of styles and finishes and are easily available. We like to tell our clients that even if you don’t see a need for grab bars now, we
recommend to always block for them in all of your bathrooms. By asking your contractor
to add extra wood between the studs, inside the wall, of where they would typically go for
future needs that may come up. Life happens outside of your planned way of life.

3. Living Room | Furniture Knowledge

When sourcing furniture for a client, we tend to ask questions you might not have ever
had to think about. Like, “How do you tend to sit in this space.” It always seems to happen
that our clients are a tall husband and a short wife, so picking furniture that they both like
to sit on can be tricky. With this question we find out who are the loungers, the curl up in
the corners and who sits with their legs up. This helps us make sure the room has
something comfortable for each of them. Below you can see us trying on different pieces of furniture. We want to make sure we know about depth and support, quality and fit. We take extensive notes on these trips so we can suggest the best for our clients.

“What age groups of people are in your life?” As someone who has a lot of family living
close by, I know they all sit different. My sister who has a newborn likes to sit with her legs
under herself to cradle her baby in her arms, while my 93 year old grandmother needs a
firm cushion and to sit by the arm of the chair or sofa to push herself up or lower herself
down.

These are just a few of my favorites, but there are so many ways to help your home be
designed for all your loved ones in mind.

If you want to get clarity on an upcoming design or construction project, book at 2 hour consultation in your home! We look forward to helping you by designing a perfect space to meet your unique way of living!