A Dialogue with Michelle Canny
Designing for Neurodiversity: How to Create Sensory-Friendly Spaces That Work for Everyone
Episode 101
In this episode, Michelle Canny of Michelle Canny Interiors shares her approach to designing spaces with neurodiversity in mind. Learn how she creates environments that consider sensory needs, particularly for her son who is on the autism spectrum, and discover practical tips for incorporating sensory awareness into any design project.
I hope you enjoy the episode.
Beth xx
How Interior Designer Michelle Canny Creates Sensory-Friendly Environments
When most people think about interior design, they focus on how spaces look—the colours, patterns, and styles that create visual appeal. But for interior designer Michelle Canny, good design goes far beyond aesthetics to address a more fundamental question: how does a space make you feel?
In this insightful episode of Design Dialogues, Michelle shares her unique approach to designing with neurodiversity in mind, particularly for her son who is on the autism spectrum. Her strategies offer valuable insights for any designer looking to create more thoughtful, inclusive spaces.
Beyond Beautiful: The Importance of Sensory Design
"If it's too much colour, too much pattern, too much going on, it's too distracting. And that makes them feel less in control of themselves and their emotions," Michelle explains when discussing how neurodivergent individuals experience spaces.
This understanding—that design elements directly impact emotional wellbeing—forms the foundation of Michelle's approach to sensory-aware design.
For neurodivergent individuals, including those with autism or ADHD, sensory experiences can be significantly more intense. A pattern that seems subtle to most might feel overwhelming, or a fabric that seems perfectly comfortable might cause sensory discomfort.
"The way in which he interacts with these surfaces on an everyday basis could mean the difference between him not feeling comfortable to have a shower in the bathroom and him feeling like he's totally at ease," Michelle shares about her son.
Practical Strategies for Sensory-Friendly Design
Whether you're designing specifically for neurodivergent clients or simply want to create more comfortable spaces for everyone, Michelle offers several practical approaches:
1. Colour Selection: Understanding Emotional Impact
Colours affect us on both conscious and subconscious levels, influencing our emotions and stress levels:
"More warmer colours will always have more of a stimulating effect on our senses. So there's sort of the reds and the yellows and because they're more seen as bright colours or they're more seen as like emotion evoking colours."
For spaces intended to be calming, Michelle recommends:
Neutral base colours
Blues and greens for their soothing properties
Light grays that feel balanced
Avoiding overly stimulating bright or warm colours
This doesn't mean spaces need to be boring or beige—it's about creating an appropriate sensory foundation and then adding personality in controlled ways.
2. Material Selection: The Power of Touch
For many neurodivergent individuals, the tactile quality of materials is extremely important:
"For him, touch is a very big thing. So textures in a home, it has a massive impact on our bodies. And the types of fabrics we choose play a big part in how we feel or experience a space."
Michelle recommends:
Natural fabrics like cotton, bamboo, and linen for breathability
Avoiding synthetic materials that can cause sensory discomfort
Considering weighted blankets for comfort and security
Using plush rugs that provide tactile comfort
The key insight here is to involve users in the selection process. Michelle describes how she asks her son to touch samples and describe how they make him feel—a practice that could benefit all clients, not just those with sensory sensitivities.
3. Sound Management: Creating Acoustic Comfort
Sound is often overlooked in interior design but can significantly impact how comfortable a space feels:
"To reduce the noise in his room, he has blackout curtains and sheers so that he can get the natural light."
Effective sound management strategies include:
Using solid core doors rather than hollow doors to block sound
Incorporating soft furnishings that absorb sound
Considering the acoustic properties of flooring materials
Using white noise or nature sounds to mask disruptive noises
"I will often have things such as water sounds or rain sounds on an app for him to help him soothe and calm," Michelle shares, highlighting how technology can enhance sensory comfort.
4. Lighting Considerations: Natural and Artificial
"Natural light is a massive impact as well in bringing wellness into a home."
Lighting affects everything from our mood to our ability to focus:
Maximize natural light where possible
Use warmer lighting rather than cool, harsh lighting
Avoid highly reflective surfaces that can create glare
Provide options for different lighting levels
"The noise you know is playing on you or you could live in a really dense urban area could be very loud so you may consider certain fabrics and things like that that will you know lessen that noise," Michelle explains, highlighting how different sensory elements interact.
The Emotions Wheel: A Tool for Better Design Conversations
One of the most innovative aspects of Michelle's approach is her use of the emotions wheel to help clients articulate their responses to different design elements:
"Often we can experience a certain amount of emotions. For example, you know, I know I'm happy. I know I'm sad. I know I'm joyful. I know I'm angry and they're just base basics. But what we don't often, you know, we're not able to articulate is the broader spectrum of emotions."
This tool helps bridge the communication gap between designer and client, allowing for more nuanced conversations about how spaces make people feel.
For example, instead of a client simply saying they don't like a material, the emotions wheel might help them express that it makes them feel "overwhelmed" or "anxious"—giving the designer much more useful information to work with.
Biophilic Design: Connecting to Nature
Michelle emphasizes the importance of incorporating natural elements:
"Introducing more biophilic design, so introducing more plants into the space."
Research consistently shows that connection to nature improves wellbeing for everyone, but it can be particularly beneficial for neurodivergent individuals:
Indoor plants improve air quality and provide visual comfort
Natural materials like wood and stone offer tactile variety
Views of nature, even through windows, reduce stress
Natural patterns and forms feel inherently comfortable to most people
The Universal Benefits of Sensory-Aware Design
While Michelle's approach is particularly valuable for neurodivergent individuals, the principles benefit everyone:
"People forget that, you know, lighting, sound, smell, taste, I mean, we don't taste interior, but even when you think about when you go, say, for example, to an open home and they have the smell of fresh coffee, they do that intentionally."
As host Beth Bieske notes during the conversation, "This is what a good designer should be doing for all of their clients. Because really how, so much of our job is actually like, there is the aesthetic, obviously. But it is like we want our clients to walk in the front door and just go, I'm home, it's my sanctuary."
This is perhaps the most important takeaway: designing with sensory awareness doesn't mean creating clinical or boring spaces. It means creating environments that support wellbeing on multiple levels, resulting in spaces that not only look beautiful but feel right.
Implementing Sensory-Aware Design in Your Practice
For interior designers looking to incorporate these principles, here are some practical steps:
1. Expand Your Initial Client Questionnaire
Add questions about sensory preferences:
Are there textures they particularly like or dislike?
Do they prefer bright or subdued lighting?
Are they sensitive to noise?
Do certain colours affect their mood?
2. Create a Material Selection Process That Engages All Senses
When presenting samples:
Encourage clients to touch materials, not just look at them
Consider how materials sound (do they absorb or reflect sound?)
Think about maintenance and how materials will age
Discuss how different materials might feel in different seasons
3. Consider the Full Sensory Experience of a Space
When designing, think about:
How light changes throughout the day
The acoustic properties of the room
Temperature variations and air flow
How people will physically interact with the space
4. Use the Emotions Wheel in Client Conversations
Introduce this tool to help clients articulate their responses more precisely:
Move beyond "like" and "dislike" to more specific emotional responses
Connect design choices to desired emotional outcomes
Help clients understand why certain elements might be triggering negative responses
The Business Case for Sensory-Aware Design
Beyond creating better spaces, there's a strong business case for incorporating sensory awareness into your design practice:
Expanded Client Base: As awareness of neurodiversity grows, more clients are seeking designers who understand sensory needs.
Deeper Client Relationships: When you help clients articulate their sensory preferences, you demonstrate a level of care that builds trust and loyalty.
Better Outcomes: Spaces that feel right on a sensory level lead to happier clients and stronger portfolios.
Differentiated Expertise: Sensory-aware design represents a specialized skill set that can set you apart in a competitive market.
Design That Truly Enhances Lives
"We are not just picking cushions," Michelle emphasizes. "You are creating a functional, beautiful space that improves your client's life. If you don't value that, it's going to be very hard for the client to value that."
This statement captures the essence of sensory-aware design—it's about recognizing the profound impact our environments have on our wellbeing and creating spaces that truly support how people live, work, and feel.
By incorporating these principles into your design practice, you can create spaces that don't just look good in photographs but actually enhance the daily lives of the people who use them—whether they're neurodivergent or not.
After all, as Michelle reminds us, good design isn't just about what we see—it's about how we feel.