Key Takeaways
- Universal design means building homes with features that work well for a wide range of ages and abilities without sacrificing design, so the home adapts as life changes.
- Universal design features are significantly easier and more cost-effective to include during initial construction than to add during a later renovation.
- Universal design benefits homeowners at every stage of life, not just retirement, including young families, people recovering from injury, and multi-generational households.
Most people design their home around who they are today: their current family size, their current mobility, their current stage of life. But a custom home is a long-term investment, and life doesn’t stay still.
Kids grow up and move out, parents move in, knees and hips don’t work the way they used to, and a home that felt perfect at 35 can feel full of obstacles at 65.
Universal design solves for that from the very beginning, and at Hjellming Construction, it’s a conversation we have with homeowners at every stage of life, not just those planning for retirement.
What Universal Design Actually Means
Universal design is the practice of building spaces that work well for the widest possible range of people, ages, and abilities, without looking institutional or clinical. It’s not the same as building a home specifically for a disability or a specific medical need — it’s about building flexibility into the bones of the house so it can adapt as circumstances change, whether that’s a temporary injury, a growing family, an aging parent moving in, or simply getting older in the home you love.
Done well, universal design features blend seamlessly into a home’s overall style. A wider hallway or a zero-step entry doesn’t have to look any different from a standard one — it just works better for more people, more of the time.
Core Universal Design Features Worth Building In From the Start
Some of the most valuable universal design features are far easier and less expensive to include during initial construction than to retrofit later. That’s part of why this conversation matters most before ground is ever broken.
Features we regularly discuss with homeowners include:
- Zero-step entries — at least one entrance to the home without stairs, making it easier to move in furniture, strollers, or a wheelchair down the road without a single design change
- Wider hallways and doorways — a few extra inches makes a meaningful difference for mobility devices, moving large furniture, or simply moving through the house more comfortably
- Main-floor primary suites — a bedroom and full bathroom on the main level means homeowners can live entirely on one floor if stairs ever become difficult, without needing to relocate
- Lever-style door handles and rocker light switches — small hardware choices that are easier to use for anyone with limited grip strength, arthritis, or simply an armful of groceries
- Reinforced bathroom walls — blocking installed behind bathroom walls during framing means grab bars can be added later without opening up drywall, even if they’re not needed on day one
- Curbless showers — walk-in showers without a raised threshold are safer for everyone and have become a popular design feature
*This beautiful curbless shower in our Chandler Drive new construction home is a great example of safety and beauty. View more of this home here.
Universal Design for New Builds vs. Remodels
The approach to universal design looks different depending on whether you’re building new or working within an existing home.
In a new custom build, features like zero-step entries and main-floor primary suites can be built into the floor plan from day one at little to no added cost.
In a remodel, we’re often working with what already exists, but there’s still a great deal that can be done, from widening a doorway during a bathroom remodel to reinforcing walls for future grab bars while they’re already open.
Either way, the earlier these conversations happen in the planning process, the more options are available and the more cost-effective they are to include.
*Our Oakwood Place project features a zero-step entry and wide sidewalk to the main entrance. View more of this home here.
A Feature for Every Stage of Life, Not Just Retirement
One of the most common misconceptions about universal design is that it’s only relevant for older homeowners. In reality, these features benefit almost everyone at some point.
A young family benefits from wider hallways when navigating strollers and moving furniture during a busy season of life.
Someone recovering from surgery or an injury benefits from a zero-step entry and a curbless shower, even temporarily.
A homeowner planning to age in place benefits from a main-floor primary suite that means never needing to worry about stairs.
And a multi-generational household — with a parent or grandparent living under the same roof — often benefits from nearly all of these features at once.
Designing with universal design in mind from the start means a home can flex to meet whichever of these situations arises, rather than requiring a disruptive renovation down the road.
A Family That Understands Building for the Long Term
Universal design is, in many ways, a natural extension of how Hjellming Construction has always approached building: with an eye toward the long term.
Scott Hjellming, our President, purchased the business from his father Orlie in 1988, more than 25 years after Orlie founded the company in 1962. His sons Cory and Bryan Hjellming now lead alongside him as Vice President and Treasurer/HR, representing the third generation of the same family carrying this business forward.
That kind of longevity shapes how we think about the homes we build, not just for how a family lives today, but for how they’ll live in the decades ahead.
Let’s Talk
Want a custom home designed to grow with you and your family?
Contact Hjellming Construction to schedule a consultation and start planning a home built for every stage of life. We’re excited to hear your vision!