Your home should be a place where you can truly relax and be yourself, but for many neurodivergent people, standard home environments can be overwhelming, uncomfortable, or even painful. Whether you're autistic, have ADHD, experience sensory processing differences, or have another form of neurodivergence, small changes to your living space can make a massive difference to your comfort and wellbeing.

The good news is that creating a sensory-friendly home doesn't require a complete renovation or a huge budget. This guide will walk you through practical, affordable adjustments you can make to transform your living space into a haven that works with your brain rather than against it.

Understanding Sensory Needs in the Home

Neurodivergent people often experience the sensory world differently. Some people may be hypersensitive (overly responsive) to certain stimuli, while others might be hyposensitive (under-responsive) and seek out more intense sensory experiences. Many experience both, depending on the sense and the situation.

As you read through these suggestions, remember that your sensory profile is unique to you. Pay attention to what feels good and what feels uncomfortable in your current living space, and use that awareness to guide your changes.

Lighting: Creating Visual Comfort

Lighting can have a profound impact on how we feel in a space. For many neurodivergent people, particularly those with sensory sensitivities, standard lighting can be a source of discomfort or even pain.

Simple Changes to Try:

• Install dimmer switches: This allows you to adjust light intensity depending on your needs at different times.

• Replace flickering fluorescent bulbs: Fluorescent lighting can cause headaches and eye strain. LED bulbs with a warm tone are generally more comfortable.

• Add lamps with different brightness options: This creates lighting zones and gives you control over illumination in different parts of a room.

• Try colour-changing bulbs: Some people find that certain light colours are calmer and less jarring. Smart bulbs that allow you to adjust colour and intensity can be a game-changer.

• Use natural light strategically: Window coverings that filter light rather than block it completely can reduce glare while still letting in daylight.

• Create dark retreats: Designate a space in your home where you can go when you need minimal visual input—perhaps a bedroom with blackout curtains.

The goal is to create a home where you have control over lighting and can adjust it based on your sensory needs at any given moment.

Sound: Managing Acoustic Environment

Noise can be one of the most challenging aspects of daily life for many neurodivergent people. Creating a home that provides acoustic comfort is essential for reducing stress and sensory overload.

Simple Changes to Try:

• Add soft furnishings: Rugs, curtains, upholstered furniture, and cushions all help absorb sound and reduce echo.

• Use weather stripping on doors and windows: This not only improves energy efficiency but also reduces noise from outside.

• Invest in noise-cancelling headphones: Keep these handy for times when you need to block out sound completely.

• Try white noise or nature sounds: A small sound machine can mask unpredictable noises with consistent, calming sounds.

• Create quiet zones: Designate specific areas of your home as low-noise spaces where family members know to keep volume down.

• Consider acoustic panels: These can be decorative as well as functional in particularly echo-prone spaces.

Remember that managing sound isn't just about reducing noise—it's about creating predictable, controllable acoustic environments that work for your specific sensory needs.

Touch: Comfortable Textures and Temperatures

Tactile comfort is often overlooked but can significantly impact how comfortable you feel at home. Uncomfortable textures or temperature variations can be constant sources of irritation for those with tactile sensitivities.

Simple Changes to Try:

• Choose fabrics based on comfort: Replace irritating upholstery, bedding, and clothing with textures that feel good to you. Many neurodivergent people prefer either very soft, smooth fabrics or heavier, weighted materials.

• Create temperature zones: Use space heaters, fans, or separate thermostat zones if possible to maintain comfortable temperatures in different areas.

• Layer bedding: This allows you to easily adjust warmth without having to completely change your bed setup.

• Keep comfort items accessible: Have favourite textures—whether it's a soft blanket or a smooth stone—available in areas where you spend a lot of time.

• Try weighted items: Weighted blankets, lap pads, or even weighted stuffed animals can provide calming deep pressure input.

• Consider your flooring: If walking barefoot on certain surfaces is uncomfortable, add rugs or wear socks/slippers that feel good to you.

The key is to be intentional about the textures in your environment and make changes that support your comfort rather than challenge it.

Smell: Creating a Pleasant Olfactory Environment

Smell can be an intense sensory experience. Many cleaning products, air fresheners, and scented candles contain strong fragrances that can be overwhelming for neurodivergent people with scent sensitivities.

Simple Changes to Try:

• Switch to fragrance-free products: This includes laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, personal care items, and air fresheners.

• Use natural odour absorbers: Baking soda, activated charcoal, and houseplants can help neutralise odours without adding artificial scents.

• Create ventilation zones: Good airflow helps prevent odours from building up. Consider how air moves through your home and use fans strategically.

• If you enjoy certain scents: Choose natural essential oils rather than synthetic fragrances, and use them sparingly in ways you can easily control.

• Designate food zones: If cooking odours are bothersome, try to contain food preparation and consumption to specific areas of your home.

Remember that scent preferences are highly individual—what feels calming to one person might be overwhelming to another. Focus on creating an environment that works for your specific sensory profile.

Visual Organisation: Reducing Visual Noise

Visual clutter can be mentally taxing for many neurodivergent people, making it difficult to relax or focus. Creating visually calm spaces can significantly reduce stress and cognitive load.

Simple Changes to Try:

• Implement the "out of sight" principle: Use closed storage like cupboards, drawers, and boxes to reduce visual stimulation.

• Create visual boundaries: Divide spaces with consistent colour schemes or themes to help your brain process the environment more easily.

• Reduce unnecessary decoration: Consider whether decorative items bring you joy or add to your visual stress.

• Use calm colours: For many, neutral tones create a more restful visual environment, though some people may find certain colours calming or energising.

• Organise by category: Grouping similar items together can make visual processing easier and reduce the cognitive load of finding things.

• Create clear zones: Designate specific areas for different activities to help your brain switch between tasks more easily.

The goal isn't minimalism unless that works for you—it's creating visual clarity that allows your brain to process your environment without unnecessary effort.

Creating Transition Spaces

Many neurodivergent people find transitions challenging, including the transition from the outside world into their home. Creating deliberate transition zones can help your nervous system adjust more comfortably.

Simple Changes to Try:

• Design your entryway intentionally: Create a space where you can decompress before fully entering your home—perhaps a chair where you can sit and remove shoes, take a breath, and mentally transition.

• Use room dividers or furniture arrangement: These can create natural transitions between different functional areas in open-plan spaces.

• Consider sensory signals: Some people find it helpful to use sensory cues like a specific scent, sound, or visual marker to signal transitions between activities or spaces.

• Create dedicated unmasking zones: Designate spaces where you can fully relax and drop any social masks you might wear outside the home.

These transition spaces acknowledge that our brains sometimes need time to switch contexts, helping to reduce the stress that can come with sudden changes.

Personalising Your Space for Your Specific Needs

While general principles can be helpful, the most important aspect of creating a sensory-friendly home is personalisation. Your sensory profile is unique, and your home should reflect that.

Steps for Personalisation:

1. Conduct a sensory audit: Spend time in each room of your home, paying attention to what feels good and what doesn't.

2. Track sensory responses: Notice which environments help you feel regulated and which trigger discomfort.

3. Experiment with changes: Start small and observe how adjustments affect your comfort level.

4. Involve household members: If you live with others, discuss needs and find compromises that work for everyone.

5. Create sensory retreats: Even if your whole home can't be perfectly sensory-friendly, having designated spaces that meet your needs is valuable.

Remember that your needs may change over time or even from day to day. Building flexibility into your home design allows you to adjust your environment based on your current state.

Supporting Different Neurodivergent Profiles in the Same Home

If your household includes multiple neurodivergent people—or a mix of neurodivergent and neurotypical individuals—you'll need to balance different needs. This doesn't mean compromise is impossible; it just requires thoughtful planning.

Strategies for Mixed Households:

• Zone your home: Designate certain areas that meet specific sensory needs, rather than trying to make the entire house work for everyone in the same way.

• Create sensory toolkits: Have collections of items that can help modify environments quickly—headphones, sunglasses, weighted items, etc.

• Establish clear agreements: Discuss and document agreements about noise levels, lighting, and other sensory aspects of shared spaces.

• Schedule sensory-intensive activities: Plan higher-sensory activities for times when sensitive household members can prepare or be elsewhere.

• Respect retreat spaces: Ensure everyone has somewhere they can go when they need to regulate their sensory input.

The key is open communication about needs and creative problem-solving to find solutions that work for everyone.

Next Steps: Creating Your Sensory-Friendly Home Plan

Now that you have some ideas for making your home more sensory-friendly, it's time to create a personalised plan. Here's a simple approach to get started:

1. Identify your top three sensory challenges at home

2. Choose one room to focus on first

3. Select 2-3 simple changes from this guide to implement

4. Notice the difference these changes make

5. Gradually expand to other rooms and challenges

Creating a sensory-friendly home is an ongoing process, not a one-time project. As you learn more about your sensory needs, you can continue refining your environment to better support your neurodivergent brain.

Learn More About Creating Environments That Work for You

Have you made sensory-friendly changes to your home? We'd love to hear what worked for you!

Interested in a more guidance on creating sensory-friendly living? Book a call wit us today.