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On the JJ Barnes Blog, I check out the collaboration work that interior designs brand Hovia have done with autism experts to create a range wallpaper for people with hypersensitivity for Autism Acceptance Week.
The conversation about autism is getting bigger, and many people, charities, and organizations hope that society can change for the better; making autistic people’s support and acceptance commonplace. To achieve this, many brands are making steps to become inclusive and welcoming to all by making design changes that seem small to some, but can make a huge difference to those they’re intended for.
When the design team at Hovia got in touch with me to share their new initiative it seemed like such a positive idea that I had to bring it to your attention! Whether you’re an autistic person yourself, or the friend or loved one of someone with autism, hopefully this information will be useful and inspiring.
About the initiative
The interior design company Hovia has reimagined four of their most popular murals in collaboration with autism specialists.
Conscious design decisions that aim to accommodate and empower more people are encouraged by the campaign. In addition, the new collection is released in honor of Autism Acceptance Month in the United States (April) and World Autism Acceptance Week, which runs from March 27 to April 2.
About the designs
The designs created for this partnership are meant to help autistic people who are hypersensitive in their daily lives and reduce visual stimulation.
Pinks, neutrals, soft blues, and greens are featured in the wallpapers. In order to reduce stimulation, each design only uses one color, and the shades gradually shift from light to dark in a calming wash of watercolor paint.
Hovia’s design decisions for the collection were influenced by insights from research that looked into how interior environments affect autistic people.
The advice
- Use neutral colors like ivory, beige, light mocha, muted teal, and soft gray.
- Use tranquil hues like pale blue, soft green, and muted purple (cold colors).
- Consider homogeneity in painting.
- Avoid saturated and bright colors because they cause glare and make eyes uncomfortable in certain situations.
Tips for sensory decorating
Wallpaper has a significant impact because it typically covers a large portion of the room. This impact can help prevent a negative sensory experience and promote a positive one by using the right colors and design.
According to Hovia’s Head of Design Catherine Jacob, responses to colors are subjective, and no two people have the same way of seeing the world. She explained that they used colors and designs for these murals that they know many people with hypersensitivity will like, but they also know that not all autistic people will like them.
Jacob continues by recommending that, when selecting a mural for someone else, you show the design to them and get their opinion, as well as looking through various wallpaper colors to find something that resonates.
Haverstock
Additionally, Haverstock, an architectural firm with 30 years of experience designing specialty spaces, offers their expert advice on how to create a roomy interior.
Autistic adults, young people and children often find overly stimulating environments to be uncomfortable and distressing. An autistic person’s heart rate can be lowered and they can feel more in control of their environment in calm spaces that use colors in a muted range.
Haverstock’s Claire Barton explained why the Hovia murals are suitable for a hypersensitive aware environment:
- A variety of muted tones to choose from. Each adult with autism is unique, and they will have their own preferred calming tonal range.
- Instead of patterns, irregular images. An autistic person may have to work much harder to process repeated geometric patterns, which can be painful for them to absorb.
- Contemporary, imaginative plans. Barton said that it’s refreshing to see mature, modern designs being made for the market for people with special needs because they break away from the institutional design styles that seem to be used most often in these kinds of environments.
Autism Acceptance
World Autism Awareness Week was renamed “Acceptance” instead of “Awareness” by the National Autistic Society in 2021.
The autistic community in the United States is also pushing for the end of the term “Awareness,” requesting that the media use the term “Autism Acceptance Month” instead.
Gaby Richardson of the National Autistic Society explained that awareness is the awareness of the existence of autistic people. Acceptance means including and supporting people with autism in one’s community, fostering deeper connections and comprehension among us all.
Hovia
Hovia, an interior design company based in the UK, backs the effort to make the world a more welcoming place. With the sale of this collection, Hovia is pleased to support two charities in the United Kingdom and France: The National Autistic Society and Fondation Perce-Neige.
The National Autistic Society (England & Wales charity no.) will receive 15% of the proceeds from Hovia’s UK product sales. in Scotland, 269425 and SC039427). The estimated total contribution is £4,400.
Hovia will give Fondation Perce-Neige 15% of the money it makes from selling products on its French website. The estimated total contribution is £4,400.
Find more now:
At Hovia, you can now purchase the murals Vast, Olympus Pink, Still Green, and Cevenne Neutral. The custom-made murals start at $4.55 USD per square foot.
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