As Canada’s population ages, interior designers will play an increasingly important role in meeting the needs of older adults who want to maintain their independence, safety and quality of life by proactively taking steps to future proof their homes and age in place.
In British Columbia, one in five people are currently over the age of 65, and the Office of the BC Seniors Advocate projects that within the next decade, that figure will rise to one in four.
This statistic is important in light of the National Institute on Ageing (NIA) 2025 Ageing in Canada Survey released in early 2026, that shows more than 80 per cent of Canadians want to remain in their homes in their later years, but only 38 per cent have taken steps to do so.
“Aging-in-place design is less about preparing for decline and more about preserving independence through beautiful, ergonomic environments that can flexibly support people across their stages of life,” says Lori Sutherland Burns, principal at Port Moody-based Studio Ten Interior Design.
Hannah Cheng, founder and principal interior designer at New Westminster-based CHY Design agrees.
“What draws me to aging-in-place design is the opportunity to create homes that are not only safe and comfortable, but also beautiful and welcoming. I believe some of the best design solutions are the ones people hardly notice. They quietly remove barriers, make everyday tasks easier and support independence without compromising the feeling of home,” says Cheng, who is certified in adaptive home renovation with an emphasis on aging-in-place design through the Canadian Home Builders’ Association.
Burns says when discussing a custom home or a renovation, adaptable — or aging-in-place — design is always part of the conversation.
“We design beautiful homes that just happen to be adaptable,” she says, adding, “everybody deserves to live somewhere that’s super functional and beautiful.”
That early conversation with clients is exemplified in a recently completed project that included aging-in-place design throughout a home that won several awards in the 2026 Homebuilders Association Vancouver (HAVAN) Awards for Housing Excellence.
Excellence.
Hannah Cheng, founder and principal interior designer at New Westminster-based CHY Design. Photo by Supplied
“We knew this was going to be their forever home,” says Burns, adding the primary bedroom, en suite and closet are all on the main floor.
“All the doorways are accessible width so that if they ever needed a walker or a wheelchair, they wouldn’t have to make any modifications,” she says. All the showers are curbless and accessible width and the hallways are wide for the same reason.
In addition to her role at Studio Ten, Burns is program head for BCIT’s Diploma in Residential Interiors and a faculty member who teaches all levels of the Interior Design Degree program including Inclusive Environments, a design studio that focuses on designing an independent living/assisted living residence for ages 55-plus.
According to the British Columbia government’s Seniors’ Fall Prevention information, one in three residents in the province over the age of 65 will fall once every year, and falls are the main reason why older adults lose their independence.
The risk of home stair falls is a major concern. Having no stairs is the best solution but if a home does have stairs ensure good lighting especially in hallways, stairways and entrances where level changes may be difficult to see, particularly at night. Even short sets of two or three steps should have sturdy handrails to provide extra support, says Cheng.
Stair dimensions also matter, she says, adding that steps should have a consistent height because uneven risers can disrupt a person’s natural walking rhythm.
“Our body has a sense of memory. So when you’re going up or down the stairs and all of a sudden one tread is a little bit shorter or higher it catches you off guard and you can easily lose your balance,” she says, adding if flooring is being replaced it’s important to account for any changes that could alter stair height.
Bathrooms, with their hard, sometimes slippery, surfaces are one of the most important places in the home to focus on to reduce the risk of falls.
Grab bars are often one the first things on the list but safely adding them can be a challenge. However, planning ahead can make this a relatively easy task. In a new build, or during a bathroom reno, installing wood blocking to fit between the studs before the walls are closed with drywall or tile will provide anchor points for future grab bars.
“Even if you don’t feel like you need [grab bars] right now, I would still put in the wood blocking so that in the future you don’t have to take down your wall tiles, you can just add the grab bar,” says Cheng.
She points out that adding comfort-height toilets is also a feature worth considering. “Comfort-height toilets are typically around 17.5-inches from finished floor to seat,” says Cheng, who advises optimal heights should be tested in bathroom showrooms because needs may vary according to body stature.
But aging-in-place design isn’t just about mobility, it’s also about vision, says Burns who notes the importance of making sure there’s a difference in lightness and darkness that is easily discernible even if a person has vision challenges.
We always make sure that there is sufficient [visual] contrast between the floors, cabinets, countertops and backsplashes,” she says adding that carefully planned, balanced lighting with appropriate colour rendering to reduce glare, show trip hazards and limit visual confusion is also necessary.
Smart home technologies such as motion-activated lighting, video doorbells, smart locks, programmable thermostats, motorized blinds and touchless faucets can improve safety and convenience for older adults.
“My mom, for instance, is 85. We set up her home so that she has everything voice activated — smart locks and lighting — she doesn’t have to get up to turn off a light, it’s all voice activated,” says Burns.
Cheng says circadian lighting systems that mimic natural daylight to support peoples’ internal biological clock can also be helpful.
“It’s a type of lighting system that adjusts the colour temperature and also the intensity to sync with our natural sleep patterns and help with our sleep at night,” she says, explaining a system can be preprogrammed through a computer, or there are light bulbs, such as Philips Hue, which can be managed through a smartphone.
