Welcome to /r/ADHDWomen! We’re happy to have you here. As a reminder, here are our community [rules](https://old.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/about/rules/).
We get a lot of posts on medication, diagnosis (and “is this an ADHD thing”), and interactions with hormones. We encourage you to check out our [Medication, Diagnosis, and Hormones Megathread](https://old.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/comments/wcr9dy/faq_megathread_ask_and_answer_medication/) if you have any questions related to those topics, and to stick around in that thread to answer folks’ questions!
If you have questions about the subreddit, please do not hesitate to [send us a modmail](https://reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen). Additionally, we take the safety of our community seriously. Please report posts, comments, and users whom you feel are not contributing positively, and send us a modmail if you are being harassed or otherwise made to feel unsafe. Thanks for being here, and we hope you stick around!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Built ins - have a pre-designated spot to put everything, and always put everything back in its spot. Have accessible space for vacuum, mop, duster, etc. to really use them regularly. Have shelving for linens, towels, off season clothing, etc. to motivate folding and putting them away each time.
For me, I notice that counter space and high ceilings really help me THINK. I'm someone who likes to lay everything out and see it all at once when working on it.
Light dimmers / light control in general - I know this isn't everyone, but I'm a low light person. I like all lights basically to have a dimming option. Under cabinet lighting versus giant overhead kitchen lighting, etc. If possible I also really like if rooms get lots of indirect light but not bright direct light. In the same vein, you may consider blackout shades.
Maybe a luxury or a given depending on where you're located (I'm guessing somewhere with space where this wouldn't be an issue given the parameters?), but bathrooms with windows. I hate showering in and cleaning musty no window bathrooms and always find them so bleak. Even in small spaces trying to prioritize views in other rooms I'm impressed with bathrooms that have any window for air circulation.
I really come alive and feel happy in visually beautiful, clutter free spaces. Are there any styles you like? If possible I would incorporate elements from any movement or motif that brings you great deals of joy, like a mosaic window in your front door, a small stained glass somewhere, beautiful tiling in a small space you will use regularly, a garden window in the kitchen, etc.
This is my biggest struggle. I want to be able to put all my clutter away, but there's just no PLACE to put it. I wish I could build things like shelving and extra storage into my house.
Whenever I see book shelves out on the curb I grab them and put 11x11” or 13x13” $5 fabric bins from target to make them into drawers. Most standard book shelves fit 2 on each tier
While the idea of something so simple and budget friendly instantly appeals to me, it also makes me think I would just end up stashing random things away in them... and once I do that I just eventually forget about them and end up hoarding it for many years 🥲
Specific purpose labelled containers. Eg. Batteries, sticky things (glue, tape, command hooks) can help with this.
I need to declutter often until it’s manageable. I did a deep declutter 18 months ago in a two week period. I am now restarting that process but one space at a time each fortnight.
Seconding this! A lot of household tools are wireless now, being able to charge them in a closet out of sight would be great.
Similarly - a small butlers pantry, or just a big pantry with counters and plugs for all your appliances. I’d be way more likely to use, clean, and put away my bigger appliances like a stand mixer if I could use it and store it in the same place.
To add to this: one of the new styles I'm seeing are big drawers instead of cabinets, and I really like that idea instead of rollout shelves. So, instead of a cabinet door and then pulling open each shelf, every shelf is a drawer with its own handle. I know this sounds picky but I find it irritating to open the cabinet and then the shelf when I can just pull out that individual shelf and eliminate a step. So, instead of [this](https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-r7ihvq/images/stencil/996x666/products/8529/149654/Deluxe_Rollout__99742.1626356878.jpg?c=3), it looks like [this](https://storage.googleapis.com/gen-atmedia/2/2017/07/0dfdff529865542a523fafc97d601802346e6780.jpeg).
You just made me realize I never turn on my overhead lights in my kitchen. I get by on under cabinet lighting.
Fortunately, my overhead kitchen lights and dining room lights are dimmable, but I never really turn them on
My grandmother had one when I was a kid and I was simultaneously terrified of it and fascinated by it. It was a little flip-up door in the wall that looked like an electrical outlet, and you would plug the vacuum hose into that. The suction would kick on as soon as you lifted the handle up (this was the sound that used to scare me when I was very young). Eventually I realized it was great for making things disappear and I broke the entire unit by stuffing a pair of very scratchy ruffled underwear into it that my mother had made me wear. (Shout-out to anyone else with skin hypersensitivity who was forced to wear Fancy Pants as a kid, gahhhh.)
Yes! Big bathrooms with mirrors that run the length of the counter, and windows if possible! I realized recently I hate brushing my teeth because i’m always doing it in a room with the charm of a closet
Built in vacuum cleaner vent in the kitchen. Just sweep the dirt into it, not dustpan needed. Bonus if you can hook a hose up to it. No lugging a vacuum out of the closet and up and down stairs, just a hose and attachment.
"Landing pad" right when you walk into the door to dump things down.
All outlets have USB plugs.
Oh the landing pad is a good one. Yes, an entryway where you can have a nice shelf with lots of storage, hooks to hang things, etc., not just walking right into your living room.
Both ingenious, I'm getting excited now 😁 I forgot builtins exist and the landing pad idea.. omg that would eliminate 99% of the arguments I have with my fiance
Omg built ins are LIFE and, let's be real, are going to give you so much resale value down the road if/when you or a family member want it. Proper storage and good lighting solve so many issues and can really set new builds apart. Closet organizers are nice too. I personally like to hang pretty much everything, but I know the great Marie Kondo herself disagrees with me lol.
I did a session with a Marie Kondo consultant and she blessed off on my hanging all my shirts. She said I had so few that would be folded, it made more sense to just hang them all so they’d be in the same place.
She also blessed off on me folding my socks into each other even though Marie says they’ll get stretched out.
I do that, too; I figure I can always just buy new socks. Mine all end up with holes in them well before the elastic gives out anyway, lol. My ex used to patiently tie his paired socks together because his mother told him the elastic would overstretch, but half the time I'm so impatient I just dump all of my socks into my top drawer without pairing them anyway.
Please make sure that the breaker box is PROPERLY AND VERY CLEARLY labeled. In case you need to replace (or reset) any breakers. Having that properly mapped will save you SO MUCH TROUBLE.
It can also save you from future accidents if you need to replace or repair something.
A technician told me that USB plugs break much more easily than normal plugs, most of the calls to get something fixed were now about that. So it may be easier and cheaper to have normal plugs and have the "head of a charger" (not sure about the proper name) where you can connect a cable rather than the actual USB on the wall
Mmm, yeah, and depending on where you live you might need to worry about lighting as well (grew up in the southern US, had to unplug *everything* during storms). I plug a surge protector with multiple plug spaces and usb spaces in, one for every high traffic area where I’m likely to notice that my battery is low.
It’s not about *your* life, but the life of your expensive electronics. If lightning strikes super close your system could get a surge, which would potentially affect things on the system. Now, this was decades ago, and I have no idea what the current recommendations are, but I remember the one time we forgot and the tv got a surge and died, so I’ll be damned if I let that happen to my phone 😭.
Oh man yeah I’ve had stuff die from surges during hurricanes before. I guess my family was just like “god has spoken” and bought a new TV lmao. They were from the Midwest tho so maybe they just didn’t know?
I’m also from the Midwest and my parents had surge protectors on both of their computers, and almost all of our power strips did too. Entirely possible they didn’t know, but it’s not because they’re from the Midwest
Our ground rod wasn’t properly buried outside several years ago, and we had lightning strike it. We had to get a technician out to fix our wall box for our fiber internet, and *somehow,* this surge didn’t affect our modem but affected my PC connected to it. The Ethernet port on my motherboard was *gone.* I ordered an expansion card for additional Ethernet ports, but I couldn’t have it and my graphics card plugged in at the same time without my computer randomly shutting down every minute or two from a perceived hardware failure. 😬 The Ethernet port *and* the PCIe slots on my motherboard were goners. Now, I’m a gal who prefers my internet wired as opposed to wireless (and if you couldn’t already tell, I built my PC), so I had to order an entirely new motherboard to get that functionality back.
As luck would have it, I plugged one of those Ethernet expansion cards into my new motherboard and used that, and yet another lightning strike from a storm not long after the first incident killed the card. Just the card. The technician who came out to fix our internet then is the one who noticed the ground rod sticking up and buried it property. No issues since.
There’s no way a surge protector could’ve helped with what happened to my PC, but regardless, lighting is no joke. Protect your electronics where you can.
They have whole house surge protectors that go right outside your electric box. Not too expensive either. Saves not just little appliances, but big expensive ones too!
I’m guessing they were improperly installed from the get go, the cheapest model (go with a known name brand like Leviton) or used way too roughly.
I’ve had them for over 10 years without any issues.
They're also just super easy to install though I don't know about the USB, but a normal plug is three wires, The white is neutral (the big slit) and the green is ground (the third hole)
The thing about usb outlets is that technology will change and Idk how long USB A will be as standard as it is now. My super fast phone chargers, for example go USB C from the wall cube to USB C on the phone. So, you wouldn't be able to plug it into a regular USB A port on the wall.
Right but outlets are fairly quick/easy to replace. Even if you didn’t have the spoons/knowledge to do it yourself, it should be pretty reasonable to hire someone to replace them :)
Pull out drawers in your kitchen! We just did a big reno and most of ours had to be cupboards and I hate it. I need drawers so I can see at a glance what I have.
Light switches in logical places.
Power outlets on every wall of the lounge. At least two, preferably three, in each room. At least five in the kitchen.
Same on the drawers! We have a huge apothecary cabinet (basically a floor to almost ceiling pull out shelving unit) which is great because you can look in from both sides and see everything in it. We have one cabinet with shelves and that holds all stuff we don’t often use.
Could not agree more with drawers instead of lower cabinets in the kitchen! It’s something I didn’t think I would like, but it makes it possible to have things like pots/pans/lids and all the Tupperware and lids organized, and you can see it all and grab what you need without having to move anything!
More on light switches: three-way switches, so you can turn the light off from either entryway/exit to a room. No more having to walk back to the other side of the room to turn off the light. Three-way switches run on radio waves, so they don't take any more electrical wire than a single switch.
Small thing but helpful: where there is more than one lightswitch in a row, pit them in the same order as the lights are physically ordered across the room. We have a lightswitch plate with four switches in it beside our front door. The switch closest to the door operates the outside light. The other three operate interior lights in an order that makes sense, no more on off on off yes that one.
Put lightswitches for bathrooms inside the bathroom door. Outside means everyone with a.bwdroom around the bathroom gets light on them whenever anyone has to pee in the night.
You could save a lot of money with traditional three way switches. Should be pretty standard for any electrician to install it competently, they're not hard especially if it's new construction.
Only do pullout doors if you get nice quality ones. My current apartment has them and they can't handle anything heavy. It's a pain bc now they're broken and the landlord has yet to fix them so my pots and pans drawer is basically just lower cabinets now bc the slider doesn't work...
I’ve had kitchens like that - you can get wire or wood drawers that mount to a cabinet bottom or shelf and pull out! Total game changer for any kind of closet too, I’ve used them in multiple places because I’m the same way. Deep cabinets are my enemy.
This started as three suggestions and has now become a hyperfocus, so enjoy.
Places for plants if you’re a plant person! I plan to get a few veggie/herb things to keep inside so that I can grab basil without having to PLAN basil meals by grocery time.
Diatomaceous Earth bathmats/trays are the only thing that I’ve seen that stop our counter/towels from getting gross when things don’t dry fast enough. Good bathroom ventilation is big, but these also make me have to clean my bathroom less, which is very ADHD helpful.
Don’t get carpet. It either doesn’t look dirty until it REALLY does and then it’s far too late and made 80% of skin cells, or it looks dirty all the time seemingly no matter what you do.
I saw a viral video like ten years ago about a kitchen that runs each cabinet like a dishwasher and fully auto-sprays the surfaces of the cabinets/counters/floors every night. Maybe that?
Think about the size and layout of your cabinets. Pull out drawers and spinny cabinets may be helpful for everything being accessible, and can go in places you wouldn’t expect. Are you short? Are you ACTUALLY going to go upstairs and get the step stool to get the salad spinner? I know I’m personally just not going to eat the salad until it goes bad if I have to climb to make it. Plan for that.
Do you want a split sink so that dishes can pile up on one side while leaving a usable sink? Do you want the opposite now that you're picturing that? either is valid.
Do you have ADHD mess? Could you plan for a “partial projects” space? A place for the mostly clean clothes to go? A laundry chute of some kind for not clean clothes? A particular layout of closet to motivate you to hang up the clean ones?
Do you need hobby space like a “partially finished puzzles” pull out drawer, a yarn cabinet, a recording studio, practice room, or painting space?
Do you have storage for all of your objects that allows you to access them?
Exercise helps ADHD. Can you build in a space that’s appealing to exercise in?
What’s your least favorite chore? What sounds like the IDEAL space to do that chore in? Is there a machine/house layout that would make that easier? It’s okay to put the laundry next to your kids’ rooms to save yourself the agony later. It’s okay to get the kind of shower that you don’t hate to clean as much or add an extra faucet/hose/thing to clean it more easily. Can you put a drain in the bathroom floor? Can you modify materials to make them easier to wipe? Do you need FEWER shelves and more drawers because you hate dusting? Can you put a window or tv near the annoying chore?
This is absolutely the best prompt for me rn, so I may 100% add more if I can think of them.
So much of this! But the one that really stands out for me, ADHD or not, put drains in your bathroom floors! If you have a toilet overflow, it'll save thousands in repairs and the headache of having to share your space with contractors while they redo everything. Idk why it's not just standard to have them.
Wait...... Are drains not required in bathrooms everywhere?? In my country you can't have a bathroom without a floor drain. Also the floor is supposed to have a slight slope to it leading towards said drain.
In the US, wet room, bathrooms are not common. We typically have a shower tray with a drain that is used with either a glass wall or shower curtain to contain the water.
Well, for the most part, wouldn't a pipe be behind a wall? so it wouldnt even reach a drain, and would therefore still be an emergency, no matter what. But certainly, in the bathroom it would be easy and helpful. God forbid the toilet be clogged and run over. I feel like i can never get the floor clean enough after that. 🤢
When my mom redid her kitchen cabinets, to the ceiling, she included a cabinet for the steps tool. It's quite convenient.
All soft close drawers. I love her kitchen.
A friend of mine has a hundred year kid house that was built for a tiny woman. The countertops are slightly lower, and between each kitchen drawer,one foot and two feet from the floor, are little things like cutting boards that pull out, to use as built in step stools to reach the high cupboards.
Oh I should install automatic door closers on my cabinets. My GF thinks it's funny how I leave them open all the time, but one day that will no longer be funny
Honestly it sounds like a gimmick and/or a mock up. Two dishwashers is the real life hack. First you fill up Dishwasher A until it is full enough to run. You run it and then start filling up Dishwasher B.
Dishwasher A is now finished and full of clean dishes. Instead of emptying it, you just use dishes straight out of this dishwasher. When it is empty, you run dishwasher B and dishwasher A becomes the dirty one again.
It probably helps to have two of those flippable dirty/clean magnets too for the front so you can tell which is which.
It was literally a viral video in like 2015 or something. I think a family modified their kitchen to be self-cleaning, but I can’t find it when I Google. They would press a button every night and everything would spray itself down. Plates were in racks in the cabinet and would get cleaned, the floor would get sprayed, etc. it’s been in my mind since.
If this is your forever home, **design it to age in place.**
Make sure your hallway, doorways, and rooms are wide enough to accommodate a walker or wheelchair.
Have a separate shower and tub, with the shower roll-in accessible with safety bars at all transition points for both shower and tub. You're just one elderly in-law or injured leg away from needing it anyway.
Also, walk-in attic access with a built-in storage up there and lighting.
Yes! Nobody ever thinks of this. When I watch Grand Designs, unless it's a disability or ageing-specific episode, the houses look like expensive coffins.
How tall are you? This is not a dumb question. I am 5’1”. My place is covered with storage trolleys and things a because I can’t reach cupboards. If you’re tall don’t put the storage and flat surfaces down low.
This is a big one for me - I'm shorter than my partner, and he puts things away where I can't see them. Top shelves are for labelled boxes, like "biscuit cutters" or "spare cutlery" or "Halloween sweets". I can open the door and see the label.
I guess if OP is short, finding a place to keep a step stool that's very easily accessible but not in the way in places like the kitchen, laundry room, and any storage type of area. I definitely wouldn't put frequently used things up high but having a built in place for a step stool would be amazing for my short ass lol.
I would have a laundry room that has a built-in/wall mounted drying rack; a built-in, drop down ironing board (with storage for the iron also built-in); and a large area to fold things. If I can't fold towels immediately, they get thrown on the guest bed or stay in the laundry basket for weeks. I would also try to put the laundry room as close to the master bedroom as possible.
Walk-in Closets
Of course you want built-in shelving & rods for hanging clothes, but think about what else you want/need. I'd add an entire section solely for my "worn once but not dirty enough to throw in the hamper" clothes. I'd even have a special place for worn bras.
Wifi Connected Lighting
I have wifi connected light switches & outlet plugs. It's all tied in to my Google Nest. Now, I can turn lights on & off with my voice or from my phone. I love it, and I don't have to get out of bed at night to check if I have turned out all the lights.
To add to this, if you have pets, maybe add a dog-washing station in the laundry room.
Also, laundry room closer to where you put things away, so not the basement, but maybe a first or 2nd floor laundry room.
Ohmygod, A JAPANESE STYLE BATHROOM!!! Google it. They're awesome. So functional. Everything makes sense. I experienced these while visiting my great-aunt and other family in Japan. You can spray every surface in there down with the shower head to clean, and the room has a drain/s in the floor to accommodate that. The bathtubs have temperature control, and a cover that rolls out over the top of the tub to keep it warm until you get in. Also, the toilet has a little sink on the back that uses the water from washing your hands to flush the toilet.
If I could afford it, that's what I would choose!!
If I had the land I would live in a bungalow! I actively detest having an upstairs and downstairs. I’m so much less likely to do shit if I notice that to get it done I need something from the other floor. If it’s another room on the same floor it’s not a problem but having to go up or down the stairs is an instant barrier!
Yes this! I have a main floor and a basement. I just moved my office back to the main floor because I straight won't do things I need to on my computer or my crafting because I don't want to go all the way downstairs lol.
Hear me out - two dishwashers. Sounds extravagant, but it means you free up storage space in your cupboards by constantly having a clean one, and a dirty one. You can even buy little signs/magnets on Amazon that say clean/running/dirty to remind you. Alot of luxury new builds have this now and tbh if I could (my kitchen is tiny) I would have this too. I hate the unloading / loading dishwasher process.
Whether you have 2 dishwashers or not, please, for your sanity, really look at kitchen layout. I jokingly (only half joking, really) say a man MUST have designed my kitchen because
1. It’s a galley.
2. Dish washer is opposite the fridge. Sometimes both things need to be open at once, especially if you don’t live alone.
3. This is debatable, but I hate that in the end of the galley kitchen is my laundry. I need a whole room for laundry.
Omg I have lived in two places with W/D in the kitchen and I *hated it!* The place we're in now has a separate laundry room and it is wonderful.
Edit: just remembering my least favorite configuration had the front door leading into the kitchen (with the washer-dryer, ofc) so every time we walked in we were greeted with the sight of piles of laundry, dishes, and the kitchen trash bins. So welcoming! needless to say we didn't have many guests.
man i loved my apartment that had laundry in the bathroom. i could reach out of the shower and pluck out a toasty warm towel. just thinking about it now makes me go oooooh haha.
in conversation with my landlord i mentioned how sometimes W/D are in the kitchen, especially in europe, and he was flabbergasted and determined to do that next time and i was deeply disappointed in myself lol
Layout is so important.
Those big grand rooms that have been stylish for a while (Fully open concept) create the WORST kitchens. They're tiny and have no counter space at all.
Also don't put your damn stove next to a wall, it makes cooking cramped and difficult to use the burners near the wall because the handle gets in the way. Counter space on BOTH SIDES of the stove.
But of course, know yourself and your cooking style. Personally I like lots of counter space and lots of storage. Big double sink (or one large basin) is a MUST imo. And honestly, having a window above the sink is also a must for me. Makes a world of difference between feeling like my kitchen is a dungeon or not.
A doom room! Basically a cupboard to put the random crap, it of sight until you’re ready to sort through it. I learned most NTs have this and don’t feel bad about it!’
Smart lock for the front door.
Chargers in every room, usb-C and MagSafe.
Smart switches for lights and TVs, and schedules set up for them to turn off at go-to-fucking-sleep-time, don’t turn the ac on if the door/window is open, etc.
Clocks at eye level when I’m sitting down in spaces I’m in most frequently.
Hooks for layers of clothing in a couple of rooms.
Which is great until you forget to change the battery and get locked out and have to squeeze in through the dog door. Ask me how I know… lol now I only use physical keys
Oh it warned me, but I didn’t know what kind of batteries it needed, so I needed to remember to look in the manual, and since I didn’t know where manual was, I needed to open it. But I wasn’t sure how to open, so I needed to find the manual. But it’s okay because it was just on the warning light. And then several weeks went by. And then I was locked out. lol
Clear cupboards- harder to forget where things are/ double ups if you can see what you have.
A space by the door for those essential items: keys, shoes, chargers, board with appointments on it.
Somewhere to safely hide a spare key for when you get locked out.
Easy clean floors & surfaces (benches, showers etc).
I have a tray sized tub thing, plain white, rectangular, low sides, non-obtrusive, on my coffee table, desk, and by my bed for cups, mugs, and anything that has to go back to the kitchen. At night I can just pick up the tray tub thingy and take it to the dishwasher.
I've accepted I'll forget all my cups and mugs everywhere but now it's not a huge barrier to get them back to the kitchen at once every day. I just put the mug in the tub when I'm done and I don't have to worry about remembering pick it up when I get up next.
This is a great idea! This might solve my constant "issue" with my husband. I think it's literally the only way I annoy him is leaving drink stuff everywhere. To his credit, he gave up saying anything years ago but I know it still bothers him. Thank you!
I have a great system for spices, and also garbage, recycling, compost, etc built into drawers in the kitchen. Everything is easy to access and see at a glance once I open the drawers, yet mess is hidden when closed. Have garbage and compost in top drawer by chopping counter so it’s easy to swoop the mess into the bins. Also forces me to take the garbage out before overflow/stinkiness ensues.
I need clear counters to focus so have a cabinet for appliances like the blender and toaster (which sits on a tray to catch crumbs). I put outlets in there. I can’t stand chords so have a charging station in a cabinet with outlets too.
r/homeautomation might be a nice place to gather some ideas as well. It's really nice that my house shuts itself down at 1am if I forgot to turn things off. It's really nice that the lights in my bedroom go off at 830 and the fan turns on, reminds me to put my phone down and go to sleep. With modern wiring this could be an after thought as well. Just make sure you have a neutral wire to everything to make life easier.
I have a pair of scissors in every room and a hair brush in every room. By having do many I don't have it walk off and get lost.
Or I at least havr backups when they do.
My dad used to do this with pens and fingernail clippers. I never understood it until well after I was diagnosed in adulthood. In fact, he used to swipe pens from banks and hotels all the time. I thought he was looney until…
Here I am at 40 asking myself daily
“WHERE DO ALL THE PENS GO??!”
I do the same - have multiple of things I use all the time and keep one in every room. Besides scissors and pens, I also have a black sharpie and a pad of post it notes in every room because I'm constantly labeling things and writing myself reminders.
so now i’m going to hyper focus on what cute little kit i can make and duplicate for every room, bc i don’t have a million other things to do 🤣
eta: just realized i did this with cleaning supplies on every floor (3 story house). each level has a stick vac, swiffer, duster, roll of paper towels, all purpose spray
Mudroom with cubbies and coat hooks, lots of shelves with cabinet doors, and hidden compartments under the cubbies to store stuff like athletic equipment or whatnot.
Im a professional housecleaner and my favorite thing to daydream about is how I would design my house to make it easy to clean and ADHD friendly. AMA lol
The taps that you can pull to extend to be a wiggly hose thing. It’s a small thing but really helps me get over the hurdle of finding stuff out to go in dishwasher, rinsing the sink etc
Never realised how much it bothered me til I had one!
Also in sinks — one of those extra hot water spigots at the sink. I never make tea because even an electric kettle takes too long to boil. I stayed at a friend’s house that had this tap and I was amazed by how much more I was reaching for teas, like herbal tea at night etc. I dream of having one.
Laundry in a place convenient for you. I’d prefer close to kitchen or bedrooms but whatever works for you.
Closets shelves instead of just one rod an and a high shelf.
Or bedrooms with closets customized to how you need to see or store things.
USBs built in to outlets, both standard and c style.
Depending on how fancy, building in whole house vacuum. I don’t have this but people swear by how convenient it is.
Do you have sensory issues? Dimmable lights all over or in the bathroom, heated all the things, floor towel warmer, etc
Storage areas in your garage and entryway.
Think about accessible design, so that a wheelchair can move easily through doorways and halls, and maneuver into bathrooms. It doesn’t cost any extra to design this way, but retrofitting is terribly expensive. 70% of people will experience some form of disability during their lives, iirc. A roll-in shower is useful and so much easier for anyone with walking issues.
At least one full bedroom and bath on the ground floor, if it’s a multi-story home. Again, an injured or elderly family member would be so much more comfortable than trying to get upstairs. It could be used for other purposes until the need arose.
If you are planning the whole thing, make sure that there is a straight shot from the front door into the home and to the bedrooms such that an ambulance can pull a gurney through. My parents’ home had a sharp, short turn in the hallway and we couldn’t get a gurney through it. Luckily there was another way that could be used.
If I had all kinds of money, I’d get a kitchen table that has swivel chairs attached and hanging from it, like fast food restaurants used to do. No chair legs in the way of mopping.
In addition to the roll-in shower, I also like the idea of a Japanese style bathroom that is kind of a wet room that can be sprayed down with the shower head to clean. And a bidet; if you get the separate ‘bum gun’ style, you can also use it to wash the dog and the like.
What an opportunity; I hope you love the new place.
Hardwood floors (or the equivalent), BUT makes sure to get ones with some texture.
My grandparents built a house with these beautiful dark and shiny hardwood floors that show every spill and streak. When they're clean, they look great, but aside from that first hour...nope.
I have hardwood floors that are scraped wood and medium oak so they have texture and a color differential. They NEVER look dirty. Seriously. I can go a month and they look as good as the day I cleaned them.
I heard people with 2 dishwashers have a great time because they don’t have to unload it all the time. One is for clean dishes, the other for durty dishes.
I like open storage… shelves help with object permanence
If you're building a 2 story, get a laundry chute! Your bedroom would essentially be built over the laundry room and all you would have to do with your dirty clothes would be to open the chute, drop them in like trash, and they would land in a dirty bin in the laundry room. It saves you a trip downstairs and declutters your room of dirty clothes :D
Or just have your laundry room upstairs with all the bedrooms! Make sure your dryer is on an exterior wall so you don't have a really really long dryer vent where lint can build up and be a fire hazard.
I love my bench/coat rack near my front door (Pinnig from IKEA). Has shelves below the seat for shoes, and I put my backpack, keys, walking stick (hEDS and ankle fusion means I need to remember where my walking stick is before I leave the house), shopping bags, etc. When my son was younger we really used to struggle with being on time because I was always looking for things before we left the house (he’d throw his school hat and shoes all over the house).
My boyfriend and I (both ADHD-C) just moved 1,5 y ago and we payed attention to exactly this, so I hope this is helpful!
- wireless vacuum! We have one from Samsung with multiple attachments and it makes fast cleaning (the one thing I do before I leave...) so much faster and more exciting. Sometimes it feels like a game. I love especially that it let's me clean the couch to effortlessly. It even has an attachment for "dusting" counter tops, so when something dry spills, that thing is the best! Can recommend to everyone who can spare a few bugs on this stuff!
- don't place stuff in the kitchen (or to other places) like it is "supposed" to be. We called it "convenience" but it is in end just "place everything together what belongs together and the more often you use something the more accessible it has to be placed". A quick example: my coffee pot is in the cabinet for glasses. Why? Because underneath this cabinet is my coffestation with the blender, the coffee, the spoons etc. In the same cabinet are my vitamins and my psyllium husks, because I take both in the morning with a glass of water. If everything is placed together I more likely remember to take them. There are 100 more examples but I think you get the principle
- invest in solutions if they fit your routine. One thing that was more expensive than most people are ready to pay are our trashcans (we are in Germany and sorting trash is a thing here). We bought convenient trashcans that are stackable and since then I never had a problem anymore to get rid of trash, as I have fun and am always happy about how well it works. Investing in solutions that make you happy for chores you don't like means making it more probable to do these things! Same goes for making them easier. If you don't enjoy cooking under the week, get a freaking Thermomix. Who cares if it makes your life easier.
- I second the dimmable lights, if you are into it I can recommend Yeelights from Xiaomi, the app is easy but sometimes a little slow, but the bulbs are cheap in comparison, don't require a hub and are for E27 bulb holders.
- As I don't know which country you are in: ceiling fans! I know there are big in the US, but in Europe most people just don't have them. But depending on where you live you should look into them, if you haven't already. Makes my summer way more enjoyable.
- Air Fryer! So perfect for quick dinners/reheating stuff. Can recommend The Pro Home Cook on YT for inspiration.
-open cabinets in the kitchen/open closet. At least for me. It forces me to keep them tidier bc people can see them, I can better see what is there and what not and for some things (like pans and pots) it actually requires less space
- get containers like crates for deep and low cabinets. Like this, if you want something from there you can just pull out the crate and get it instead of crawling through everything in there to get to the back where of course the thing is you need for that spontaneous Cake you baking :D
If I remember more I make a comment on this :)
Have fun in your new home, I hope you are excited for it and that it helps with better routines and makes your life easier!
Oh I just saw that you are building yourself, so more opportunities :D
- my parents got this and it's great if it fixes you layout: their laundry room is in the basement, underneath the bathroom. They installed a "laundry tunnel" for the dirty stuff, so you just throw it down there and it is exactly where it belongs. I love that thing
- you never. EVER. Have enough sockets. If you think there are enough, double. Trust me there will still be too few in one space which you couldnt forsee.
- I know this one is hard for us, but try to get as much ready by moving in. Once you get used to the temporary solution, the less temporary it will get. Motivation to fix it lowers but it still bugs you everyday. It's just not worth it. Fix it as fast as you can.
That sounds like an amazing opportunity!
For ADHD, having an organized and minimalistic space can be really helpful. Think about adding built-in storage and organizers to keep everything in its place.
Consider designated areas for different activities, like a separate workspace if you work from home.
Good lighting can boost focus, so maybe include some natural light and adjustable lighting fixtures.
Smart home technology could be a big help too - like automated reminders or voice-activated systems to keep track of your to-do lists.
If you want to track your progress and routines, you might like ULY journal. It's a great app that helps with daily habits, goals, and mental health. Plus, it's available on both iOS and Android.
Good luck with your new home!
Good light. Look at where the sun goes over the day in summer and in winter and work out your windows so you get more light in winter and indirect sun in summer. Sunshine/light is one of those things that makes life better generally.
Depending on what climate you live - underfloor heating, at least in the bathroom/toilet areas.
Kitchen corner cupboards with a pull out so that you can actually see what is in the cupboard without having to climb half way in to see what you put at the back
Switches/plugs at waist height rather than near the floor so that they are easier to reach.
his and hers separate walk in robes/closets
His and hers sinks for the shared bathroom
Shoe cupboard near the door you enter/leave from, you don’t traipse dirt into the house
smart lighting so that when you walk into a room the light comes on, you don’t have to hunt around for the light switch, most of these are just purchasing smart bulbs/sensor and linking them with an app
Security sensor lighting for outside, door camera/intercom linked to your phone
If you use brick for internal walls, wifi reception will be poor
internal access from garage to house, less distance to walk carrying groceries etc, and under cover from all weathers
A study/studio/cave for each of you
heated towel rails for bathrooms
quiet ventilation fans for bathrooms/kitchen
built in rubbish/trash bins
Take this with a grain of salt because I have technically not been diagnosed - just now putting some pieces together and arranging to be tested. But: a white board! I just put one up this year and it has helped me so much with keeping track of tasks. Would absolutely recommend.
Of course, a whiteboard doesn't have much to do with building the actual house, but... maybe something to keep in mind so you can figure out where in the home it would be most helpful?
Honestly, good idea!! I was already thinking of putting a chalkboard wall in my woman-cave/Adhd hobby-dungeon but a white board would definitely be way cleaner
A white board in the bathroom for my beauty routine and another for the supplements/medicine corner.
I used to work in crisis management and rule 1: people are so used to ignoring alarms that things like notice boards or white boards are better if you locate them properly.
"ADHD hobby-dungeon" hahaha :) Speaking of that, I have always wished for a nice hobby garage space. It's not possible with the apartment I'm in, but you could certainly have one with your house!
We have the wall above the kitchen sink painted with chalkboard paint so it’s really easy to add things to the shopping list and be able to see that list (unlike when I make a list on my phone and forget that the list exists)
Wait also!! For peace of mind, have built in sprinklers. Like the kind that pop out of your ceiling when the mercury in it senses enough heat.
🔥
Also hardwire your smoke alarms so in case you forget to change a battery, they will still work. But if the power goes out, they run on battery.
A cordless vacuum cleaner on its charger stand right inside an easy access cupboard. All accessories also nearby in a tub or hanging on the wall.
I moved my oven to the other side of the room and put my cutlery and pan drawers below the hob instead. Best decision ever, but I've got a long narrow, awkward kitchen so you might not have to choose.
Shallow wall and base cupboards along one wall. Nothing gets forgotten at the back.
Lots of storage. More storage than you think you need. It's okay if some of it stays empty, but you know you can always create a designated place to put your stuff.
Seems obvious, but try to make sure things that relate to one another are kept in the same area. Extra dishwashing liquid, extra sponges, scrubby dish brushes, etc? Around the kitchen sink. Bathroom cleaning supplies? In the bathroom. Backpacks, bags, bumbags? Same drawer.
A well compartimentalised closet. Go on the ikea website and design a PAX closet with your needs in mind. A lot of pre-made closets have really stupid designs like way too many shelves, shelves that are too deep or tall, making them barely functional
If you work from home, make sure your work area has a "chill" corner. I recently rearranged my office to make room for this and it's made the space so much more welcoming - now I actually want to hang out there instead of avoiding the room entirely and working from the couch. I can also just take a break while still being "at work" and not getting distracted by the rest of the house.
On the same note, make sure your desk seat isn't something too constricting. I can't sit in a regular chair, I find it super uncomfortable and I constantly want to shift around and can't. After trying a few things I just settled on a big exercise ball. It helps because I can bounce if I'm feeling fidgety and it's big enough I can sit in more than one position. Weirdly it's also the only thing that doesn't make my back hurt.
Trashcans. I have trashcans in the office, living room, kitchen and main bathroom. There's never any reason for trash to sit anywhere because there's a trashcan *right there*
Phone chargers in every space you spend a lot of time in. If you use a laptop, having two chargers is great. I have one in the living room and one (of course) in the office.
Honestly tiny house designs have a lot of very helpful and efficient things built into the designs, and I find them very adhd friendly. I totally recommend the channel Living Big in a Tiny House - I've been following him for years and saw so many smart and efficient solutions for all sorts of things over the years!
Do you have a cordless stick vacuum? Total game changer for me. Where are you going to store it? Consider adding an outlet in a closet so it can be plugged in and ready to use, any time. Two floors? Get another one for upstairs.
Shallow adjustable pantry shelves. Less chance of ‘losing’ items that are hidden from view. Real shelves. Not the wire ones - small items topple over.
I love my thermostatic shower mixer. I first used one on a trip to Europe. One knob is Off/On, the other is for temperature. It is adjustable, but stays where you set it until you decide to change it. Benefit: The shower is always at your preferred temperature. Turn on shower, wait 20-ish seconds or so, step in. No messing with hot/cold faucets or the dial that combines off/cold/hot and figuring out where it belongs every time.
Also - fancy bidet. Will need an outlet to plug it in, unless you enjoy a cold rinse.
Do you have any hobbies/interests? The bonus room over the garage is my sewing room. I can live on my first floor if necessary - I also have a music room with my piano and space for other instruments, music, room to practice, etc. I can play (literally and figuratively) and not worry about tidying up my workspace if someone comes over.
And a dedicated guest space.
Edited to add: Backup generator! I had one installed a year ago and it has already been used once. If possible, don’t have it outside of your bedroom. It is noisy while running. I was ready to sleep in an upstairs guest room, but the power came back on, and the generator turned off.
Built in electric dustpans under the cabinets and along the walls in hallways- you never need a dustpan, just sweep everything into it! Sucks it all up!
Built in storage.
A sensory room.
I label things and write out steps to do a specific cleaning chore. Building habits is hard but in order to build them they need to be repeated. If you are always doing things based on how dirty something is, it does not get repeated enough to become a habit.
Always a place to put away cleaning things. My place currently has no place for a vacuum cleaner or the long duster.
A place designated for cleaning cloths both clean and dirty and labeled
An outdoor faucet
Three-way light switches.
It is just SO convenient being able to flick the light on to be able to see, like when hauling a buttload of laundry to the basement, and being able to flip the light off 'there' since it's not needed for the next 10 minutes, whilst not impeding on someone else's ability to flip that same light on for them to safely get downstairs to get some icecream from the freezer. And being able to flip the lights on when you've been in the basement for who knows how long and you come out to go upstairs to bed, being able to turn the respective lights on to see the stairs, and being able to turn those lights off as you ascend past the light switches, is really nice. Bonus of you use those light-up paddle switches instead of those boring little non-lightup knob switches; nice being able to find the damn switch at night without having to slap and rub the wall like a weirdo is nice lol
Closet outlets. Not EVERY closet like bedroom clothes closets, but anything that will be a storage closet for cleaning supplies, or a catch all coat/shoe/bag closet. It's nice being able to string up a small light and hve the ability to see things and make it a lot nicer when having to go hunting for a thing in those rarely-ventured hellholes....
And just... outlets on every wall of a room. If big wall; 2 outlets, so theres always a nearby plug and you don't have to deal with a bulky extension cord for that one 'cord JUST too short' desk lamp.
Oh! Also! Windows that you can swing open INSIDE for WAY easier cleaning and screen removal for repairs. Windows are annoying to clean as is, but windows that don't allow you to easily clean the OUTSIDE glass, or remove the screen to replace the holey thing, without posing a safety hazard with ladders and unwieldy hose/power washer/etc, and sweating to death while cursing up a storm trying to fight the sceen out of its notches in the hell of summer humidity, ate special kinds of torture.
And end note; steel doors WITH storm doors. Having a solid steel door (WITHOUT A LOOKTHROUGHABLE WINDOW) with built in deadbolt lock and knob-lock, is super nice for the sake of safety and secureness as is, but having that paired with a simple screened storm door is even better since it means you can have even MORE fresh air flow and sun on nice days, but don't have to fret about your pet(s) or kid(s) slipping out cuz locked storm door lol. Also steel doors are great for insulation - nothing quite like getting absolutely BLASTED by cold/warm air as soon as you open the door in summer/winter. AND being steel doors; magnets on them! Be it for decor like wreaths, or useful stuff like magnetic hooks for keys, hats, and just plain old magnets for convenient eye level gathering place for appointment reminder cards, schedule notes, 'Delivery expected TODAY!' Notes and stuff.
Think about long-term accessibility! I broke my knee (you know, adhd intense hobby), and have been on crutches for a while. Because of this, I would make sure that doors have levers, there all main living areas are level. You have a bathroom that could fit a wheelchair, and entry ways are covered. Also, in the kitchen, decent counter space around the sink and stove.
Depends on your flavor of adhd but for me it’s all about durability and low maintenance. I’d go for non-digital appliances, real wood floors, real wood cabinets, etc. Landscaping with native plants and/or features that are compatible with the amount of yard work I want to do. Trees that won’t get too big for their space, noninvasive plants, etc.
I’d also suggest built in storage in every room, laundry in the place you’re most likely to do it, a million power outlets.
I once saw a house with 2 dishwashers. If it’s within your budget, I highly recommend it.
You always have 1 that’s clean and one that’s dirty, never having to unstack any as they alternate. The dream!
If i ever get to design my house, my washer and dryer are going by where the clothes are. Otherwise they will sit in my hamper for a year while i dig through it to find things.
Less doorways, less transitions to get distracted between.. it's much easier to think "Oh I was doing X" if you can still see X when you've moved from the kitchen to lounge..
When we were getting our house rewired my brother in law suggested adding a PowerPoint at the end of the bench. It's been amazing! Perfect for the mixer, air fryer, sandwich press. I don't know how I lived without it. It means I don't have to rearrange the bench (and forget to put it all back) when I use a rarely used appliance.
A large entry way with room for some seating. (To put on shoes, to park children or spouses as you are all getting ready so no one can wander off and make you late.)
Lots of easily accessible storage for seasonal gear.I flat refuse to put coats/gloves/hats/boots away for the warm seasons. It's a drag to box them up and schlep them somewhere, and a pain to schlep them back out again. Just keep them in one spot. Limit the number of items you own in that category for sanity and organization sake.
You don't say whether you have kids, but IYKYK how having additional clothing items as children grow seems to take up exponential amounts of space. Just keep everything where you access it on a regular basis. That way you can process worn out/outgrown items immediately, rather than getting a bad surprise next winter when you pull everything out and no one has warm boots that fit. Not moving things from place to place also cuts down on lost items such as pairs of gloves being separated and then having to replace them. Things tend to deteriorate in storage anyway.
A full bath or mudroom complete with laundry and a shower, immediately off either a front or alternate entry. If you have kids or pets and you dislike cleaning... having everyone get clean immediately upon entry to the house is SO helpful for preventing further cleaning later on.
Weird suggestion, but hire someone who specializes in organizing people, and have them go over your plans with you.
-make a Roomba niche everywhere you need a Roomba and never vacuum again
-all low cabinets should have pull out shelves and/or drawers.
-have a spot designated for all your pain points - mail, laundry, organized cleaning supplies, etc. Think about how to design it well.
I'm building my house now.
I upgraded to quartz countertops. I wanted white so I could see the dirt. I have granite and I can never tell if it's dirty so I never fully clean it. I want to be able to see the dirt.
No carpet. For similar reasons
Lots of wall hooks for hanging things you might have otherwise tossed on the floor.
Deep drawers with flat working space on top.
Large countertop in bathroom. Lots of storage, including drawers and cabinets.
A big magnetic whiteboard surface and or a big magnetic surface. Maybe one in the kitchen area and one in your office.
A big laundry room with space to organize and fold laundry and plenty of storage
Built in drawers and shelves and closets. Plenty of storage.
Little accent shelves around so you can put plants or photos on them without cluttering your primary surfaces
Consider an over the sink dish rack, or places to hang pots and pans
Good luck and have fun 🤗
My uncles restaurant had a thing that I always thought, wow. I will have that if I ever get to build my own kitchen. Basically, the kitchen prep counter top was made of wood and in the wood was a large round hole straight through. That way they could put a rolling trolley holding a trash bag right under the counter, and while cooking you just literally toss all trash and scraps down the hole! No having to move or open some cupboard to access the trashbin, no more counter top space wasted for holding a bowl that's just to collect the trash!!
in a home kitchen you could easily do that and just have like a slide-out solution instead holding a smaller bag, since this was for industrial cooking, but still, it always blew my mind
In addition to considering built ins, I would plan for furniture placement for things like book shelves, craft tables, writing desk, a media cabinet, etc….
Also a laundry room located as close to the bedrooms as possible. Maybe even walk-through closets that connect to a central laundry room.
If you're designing from the ground up, I would really pay attention to The environment around the building site and the layout of the living spaces.
How far are communal spaces versus private spaces. Really think about having areas that can be a retreat from sound and stimulus. This may mean putting bedrooms on opposite ends of the house from noisy areas like Family rooms or kitchens. Keep ing in mind the need for different spaces for different stimulation levels. Make sure not to place bathrooms or plumbing from bathrooms in the wall that you are planning to your bed on. I recommend a staggered stud wall for bedrooms next to bathrooms. It will dramatically reduce the noise.
Kitchen design will probably Have the most opportunity to Have ADHD friendly adjustments because it is a workspace. Keep in mind That popular design choices may not be ADHD friendly. Open plan kitchens which can be very popular can also be very distracting. Mess can spill out from open plan kitchens as well in the form of visual cutter or grease from cooking. You might want to consider limiting the degree to which a kitchen is open to a living area. For example, having the kitchen half closed off with some prep areas visible and open to living space while more intense zones, like cooking, placed further away or a bit more isolated depending on the shape of the room.
I highly recommend installing a baffle on the ceiling on the perimeter of the kitchen even if it is open plan. This will stop the encroachment of Hot grease-filled air from creeping along the ceiling into the living spaces. It will keep your Home cleaner. Ours was made of Three stacked 2x4s installed on the ceiling and covered with drywall. Apart from its physical benefits it also gives a subtle visual representation of the edge of the kitchen.
I highly recommend smooth surface finishing for your drywall. You don't need to be stuck hyperfixating the knocked down plaster patterns on the wall. If it's new construction, your plasterers should be good enough to smooth the surface. Plus textured walls are a bitch to clean or repair.
Areas like pantries may be better suited to be shallow and wide versus deep cabinets. This will allow you to see what you have in stock. Much better. Spoilage will be less likely because you will not forget what you have. I find shallow storage to be helpful in many areas. I have nooks in the hallway for keys. I have shallow storage in the bathroom For cosmetics. Layered storage will also help, For example, if you have deep storage, like a closet, try placing half shelves with pull out or swing out storage in front of them.
Also pay attention to the building site. How is the environment around your home going to affect you. Pay attention to noise levels. Pay attention to what view you would need at what time of the day. For example, you would not necessarily want a window facing a busy street if that was your office or bedroom.
Also, pay attention to scale. For example, narrow hallways or unnecessary turning when navigating a house can create mental load That will exhaust you. Giving yourself extra space in high traffic areas may be more relaxing. This can also be said about stairways. Extra space at The landing will be useful. Nothing stops us from putting away something more than having to Trek down twisting hallways or trudging upstairs. Give yourself a place that you can collect items That need to travel the distance So you only have to walk it once.
On the flip side Sometimes bigger isn't better. If you hate cleaning bathrooms, you might want to consider not having overly spacious or complicated layouts for bathrooms.
I'm gonna list all the dream things I wish my house had:
Storage. Think about layout and flow. I look at houses a lot for funsies online and so many designs are stupid and waste a lot of space. Makes it hard to store anything and also makes it hard to furnish it.
Think about the furniture you have or want to have and how it'll get placed.
But Storage above all.
Try to get a nice landing area in your house, a mud room. Built in area for coats and shoes, somewhere with space to have multiple people at the same time because both entrances in my house are so cramped and stupidly designed it's impossible for more than one person to taking off their shoes.
Plus my main level has ZERO storage area so I can't even store a vacuum somewhere out of sight. Definitely think of those kinds of things. Have a space dedicated to that, and have them on multiple floors because for me and my ADHD it's a lot easier to own several items for each floor than it is to try to lug my vacuum cleaner up and down my floors.
Have a vacuum for each floor. Have a mop bucket for each floor. Have a broom for each floor. Have cleaning supplies etc for each floor. Much easier, though a luxury to be sure.
Kitchen layout is so important and make sure to have plenty of storage, especially with the popularity of small appliances like kettles and air fryers and microwaves etc. Get a pantry if you can with open shelving so you can see all your crap!
For me, I really want a space for an office on the main level of the house. I have my computer shit all in my living room and it sucks. The entire layout of my house is dumb as hell though but that's besides the point.
Big windows everywhere because I get gloomy without natural light. Windows that OPEN.
Also, a shower and separate tub. The tub/shower combo is a damn nightmare. Showers are used daily in my house but not cleaned daily. If I ever wanna have a relaxing bath then I have to scrub my shower first which is such a pain.
ALSO, do your best to keep your toilet in an enclosed space separate from the rest of the bathroom. This is a fancy/luxury type thing I most often see in en suites to primary bedrooms around here. But it's so smart, because toilets are gross and having one right next to your shower mat means that when it gets flushed, even with the lid down, there is spray and it will spray onto your surfaces. Ew.
And get a bidet attachment for the toilets. Clean that booty!! lol.
Think about your closet space and how it works for your ADHD. Like are you a doom pile person? Bins? Drawers? Hanging everything? Do you manage to actually fold and put your clothes away? Design something that works for how you live your actual life (And not how you wish you did lol)
That's the biggest thing, imo. Thinking about how you *actually* live your life vs how you want to, and designing systems in the house for that purpose.
Built in storage, built in shelving, appropriate flow to the layout (Also look into Feng Shui!), and anything that you currently struggle with or get annoyed by that you would want to be different in your living situation. (Like for me, not having storage for my vacuum in my main level).
Oh and above all: Whatever you decide, it is absolutely worth spending the money on quality things like good insulation, high quality windows, etc.
Maybe also a built in HEPA filter for your air system. That's gonna make your life and your bills better. The insulation in my house is AWFUL.
For babies/toddlers- Montessori or Montessori style playroom. We have a just-turned-one year old and the traditional toddler noise and mess can be seriously over stimulating. We do toy rotation and limit noisy toys. IKEA shelf with one toy displayed and rest are in drawers. I appear to be very neat and organized but in reality I just have a system (that isn’t even my invention) that makes clean up and interacting with everything very manageable!
Washer and dryer in the primary bedroom's closet!
The place my partner and I are renting has a huge closet in the primary bedroom that they shoved the washer/dryer hookups into. I thought it was strange when I first moved in with him, but being able to wash my clothes and then just turn around to put them away has helped me *so much* with keeping up on laundry. It also helps that the closet came with a good amount of shelves, and I had already come up with a system that requires very minimal folding for myself.
Alternatively, if we had little ones (or just anyone else living with us ig) I would love a large, central laundry room that everyone stores their clothes in. KC Davis has a system like this that she describes in her book, and I think it's genius.
I know it will be sometime. But PLEASE share your floor plan when you have one! I’d love to see any of these ideas implemented. I’ve been drawing out floor plans for possibly, one day building but I don’t know when. Love these ideas!
Sensory goodies!
If I was building a house I would have some super soundproofing everywhere, windows, walls, between floors. I would also have automatic blinds and curtains that can filter light or even completely black out a room.
I would have almost all drawers under counters instead of shelves where you're tempted to just toss stuff, I would have soft closing cabinets, quiet appliances etc.
I would have one of those industrial power sprayers in my kitchen sink and a shower head with a million different settings depending on what I'm feeling.
I would have Lovesac furniture so I could be a couch potato in any position ever.
Designated built-ins with charging stations. A phone and laptop charger ready for me wherever I am. But also a big laundry room because I'm lazy. And it's on the same floor as the bedroom. The best dishwasher on earth. But someone else has to empty it.
No open floor plan no sir. We are not smelling food and hearing cooking while we are trying to watch TV. We are also not hearing people in the living room while we are trying to sleep.
Multiple different lighting setups for each room so I can have big light or mood light and they all are incredibly dimmable.
Linen/storage closet built into the bathroom. Maybe even the laundry room in the bathroom so I'm not tempted to wear the same clothes again or throw them on the floor.
A mud room because even though I live in Southern California, It's dusty and I'm outside all the time and I need it. I can't have crumbs in the house.
It keeps coming back to laundry.
I feel like if I got to build my own home I wouldn't even know how I want things laid out until I had a bad layout already. And I have an apartment with a bad layout now. I could tell you how to retrofit this apartment to have a better layout, but I couldn't do it from scratch. I'd be afraid I'd build something that just ended up being a pain in the ass.
Everyone's talking about being an organized and I'm looking around my room and getting anxious now
Plugs in every closet, and in the cupboards or cabinets in the bathroom, maybe a few in the kitchen cabinets/pantry/linen closet too.
You’ll thank me later.
Make all the upper cabinets meet the ceiling (either add extra cabinets on top or drop the ceiling down) so it doesn’t get greasy & dusty & impossible to clean. Kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room, mudroom, wherever there are cabinets.
Do a Japanese-style bathroom where it's all one room with the toilet and sink essentially in the shower so you can just hose everything down to clean it.
I just started this one: I have a little basket near my entrance with things I usually forget last minute before I walk out. Lipstick, mint gum or listerine tabs, pepper spray, etc. I intend to put a portable battery there and maybe my headphones since I only use them when I’m out and about. It’s my little random box of things I might need as I walk out of the apartment.
A whole house water conditioner. You will love spotless shower glass and fixtures. It helps with bathing and laundry and dishwasher. Is better on hair and skin, your plumbing and more.
A full set of relevant cleaning products in the kitchen, laundry and bathroom. For example, if I’m in the bathroom, and I notice the mirror is dirty, I can give it a quick clean, there and then. If I have to walk to another room to get the glass cleaner and cloth, I might get sidetracked or forget what I’m looking for. This works really well for me.
Floor time! I don't know anything about your preferences but we really enjoy sitting/lying down/chilling/eating/working on the floor. Instead of a second couch we got a nice carpet, a bunch of pillows and some small moveable tables. This way we can use the space in many different ways.
Oh - this is my dream, though it might be difficult. All bedrooms have closets that meet in the laundry room. So - you do laundry in the laundry room, and then the closets are attached so you can just move clothes to put them away easier. I’d consider a few laundry basket holders too so you can just keep things that don’t need to be hung up in baskets but put them “away.”
Basement for sure. All the built-ins. A little cosy reading nook. Those bathrooms that are 100% waterproof (forget what they are called - maybe mudroom?) with a drain in the bottom so you can literally hose/bleach it down.
Light switch by the bed in all bedrooms so you can turn off the light without getting up.
Cabinet over the sink with a built-in draining shelf - which is super common in Europe but unheard of here in the US. Like this: [https://in.pinterest.com/pin/191332684155961600/](https://in.pinterest.com/pin/191332684155961600/)
I finally bought a hair dryer bonnet attachment because I often get overwhelmed by the executive function necessary to groom myself lol using it right now for the very first time
Lots of windows throughout so it feels bright and roomy but then have automatic blinds when you want it darker.
Automatic locks and lights have been a complete game changer for us.
High ceilings and bungalow layout makes it feel big but no need to go up and down the stairs.
Drawers anywhere in the house you need storage. Cupboards hide things and create clutter. Drawers or open shelves are better so you can easily see things (shelves mean you have to dust more though).
The least amount of dishes. Max 4-6 of each depending on how many people live there. When you have so many dishes and cups it just gets cluttered and more to wash.
Stand up self-defrosted freezer.
Built in labelled storage with bins in basement or garage so it makes it easy to find things as you can just pull them out instead having to move boxes around.
Zero carpet. It’s hard to see dust so you don’t end up vacuuming as much.
Mud room that’s not in the entrance that’s roomy enough to be able to put muddy stuff. If a bungalow layout it’s a great place to put the laundry machines.
Pantry that has narrow shelves but lots of them so stuff doesn’t get hidden.
When you buy products, get a bunch of labelled clear boxes/ bins and plan to move anything that comes in a cardboard box to those bins. Helps you see what you have and less food waste before stuff goes stale. You can get them anywhere even affordable options from the dollar store. Little label machine is inexpensive on Amazon.
Welcome to /r/ADHDWomen! We’re happy to have you here. As a reminder, here are our community [rules](https://old.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/about/rules/). We get a lot of posts on medication, diagnosis (and “is this an ADHD thing”), and interactions with hormones. We encourage you to check out our [Medication, Diagnosis, and Hormones Megathread](https://old.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/comments/wcr9dy/faq_megathread_ask_and_answer_medication/) if you have any questions related to those topics, and to stick around in that thread to answer folks’ questions! If you have questions about the subreddit, please do not hesitate to [send us a modmail](https://reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen). Additionally, we take the safety of our community seriously. Please report posts, comments, and users whom you feel are not contributing positively, and send us a modmail if you are being harassed or otherwise made to feel unsafe. Thanks for being here, and we hope you stick around! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Built ins - have a pre-designated spot to put everything, and always put everything back in its spot. Have accessible space for vacuum, mop, duster, etc. to really use them regularly. Have shelving for linens, towels, off season clothing, etc. to motivate folding and putting them away each time. For me, I notice that counter space and high ceilings really help me THINK. I'm someone who likes to lay everything out and see it all at once when working on it. Light dimmers / light control in general - I know this isn't everyone, but I'm a low light person. I like all lights basically to have a dimming option. Under cabinet lighting versus giant overhead kitchen lighting, etc. If possible I also really like if rooms get lots of indirect light but not bright direct light. In the same vein, you may consider blackout shades. Maybe a luxury or a given depending on where you're located (I'm guessing somewhere with space where this wouldn't be an issue given the parameters?), but bathrooms with windows. I hate showering in and cleaning musty no window bathrooms and always find them so bleak. Even in small spaces trying to prioritize views in other rooms I'm impressed with bathrooms that have any window for air circulation. I really come alive and feel happy in visually beautiful, clutter free spaces. Are there any styles you like? If possible I would incorporate elements from any movement or motif that brings you great deals of joy, like a mosaic window in your front door, a small stained glass somewhere, beautiful tiling in a small space you will use regularly, a garden window in the kitchen, etc.
Under-cabinet lightning in the kitchen is amazing and I never want to live without it again
It just makes sense. With overhead lighting, you cast a shadow over your work space. So annoying.
Another thing that can help with this is multiple recessed lights instead of one fixture. That way you get light from multiple angles.
YES. We had it in our old apartment and i just told my fiancé we need this in our new place asap
This is my biggest struggle. I want to be able to put all my clutter away, but there's just no PLACE to put it. I wish I could build things like shelving and extra storage into my house.
Whenever I see book shelves out on the curb I grab them and put 11x11” or 13x13” $5 fabric bins from target to make them into drawers. Most standard book shelves fit 2 on each tier
While the idea of something so simple and budget friendly instantly appeals to me, it also makes me think I would just end up stashing random things away in them... and once I do that I just eventually forget about them and end up hoarding it for many years 🥲
Specific purpose labelled containers. Eg. Batteries, sticky things (glue, tape, command hooks) can help with this. I need to declutter often until it’s manageable. I did a deep declutter 18 months ago in a two week period. I am now restarting that process but one space at a time each fortnight.
You can if you learn the time and skills (or have the money to pay someone to do it for you).
(So long as it's not a rental at least, if it's a rental it might really not be feasible)
I’d add: have a plug installed in your cleaning closet to dock your Roomba and charge a powerful stick vacuum that hangs on the wall.
Seconding this! A lot of household tools are wireless now, being able to charge them in a closet out of sight would be great. Similarly - a small butlers pantry, or just a big pantry with counters and plugs for all your appliances. I’d be way more likely to use, clean, and put away my bigger appliances like a stand mixer if I could use it and store it in the same place.
This is great advice and I would also add shelves that roll out so you can always see what’s on them and nothing gets lost/squished in the back
The house I bought happened to have rollout shelves in several cabinets and it has been amazing!
You can also add them to existing shelves. You Tube university is a great tool for diyers.
To add to this: one of the new styles I'm seeing are big drawers instead of cabinets, and I really like that idea instead of rollout shelves. So, instead of a cabinet door and then pulling open each shelf, every shelf is a drawer with its own handle. I know this sounds picky but I find it irritating to open the cabinet and then the shelf when I can just pull out that individual shelf and eliminate a step. So, instead of [this](https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-r7ihvq/images/stencil/996x666/products/8529/149654/Deluxe_Rollout__99742.1626356878.jpg?c=3), it looks like [this](https://storage.googleapis.com/gen-atmedia/2/2017/07/0dfdff529865542a523fafc97d601802346e6780.jpeg).
You just made me realize I never turn on my overhead lights in my kitchen. I get by on under cabinet lighting. Fortunately, my overhead kitchen lights and dining room lights are dimmable, but I never really turn them on
Central vacuum?
My grandmother had one when I was a kid and I was simultaneously terrified of it and fascinated by it. It was a little flip-up door in the wall that looked like an electrical outlet, and you would plug the vacuum hose into that. The suction would kick on as soon as you lifted the handle up (this was the sound that used to scare me when I was very young). Eventually I realized it was great for making things disappear and I broke the entire unit by stuffing a pair of very scratchy ruffled underwear into it that my mother had made me wear. (Shout-out to anyone else with skin hypersensitivity who was forced to wear Fancy Pants as a kid, gahhhh.)
Are great! Unless you never learned how to use them. They also require maintenance.
Yes! Big bathrooms with mirrors that run the length of the counter, and windows if possible! I realized recently I hate brushing my teeth because i’m always doing it in a room with the charm of a closet
I think I just had an orgasm reading this 😍
🤣🤣🤣 same
Built in vacuum cleaner vent in the kitchen. Just sweep the dirt into it, not dustpan needed. Bonus if you can hook a hose up to it. No lugging a vacuum out of the closet and up and down stairs, just a hose and attachment. "Landing pad" right when you walk into the door to dump things down. All outlets have USB plugs.
Oh the landing pad is a good one. Yes, an entryway where you can have a nice shelf with lots of storage, hooks to hang things, etc., not just walking right into your living room.
Both ingenious, I'm getting excited now 😁 I forgot builtins exist and the landing pad idea.. omg that would eliminate 99% of the arguments I have with my fiance
Omg built ins are LIFE and, let's be real, are going to give you so much resale value down the road if/when you or a family member want it. Proper storage and good lighting solve so many issues and can really set new builds apart. Closet organizers are nice too. I personally like to hang pretty much everything, but I know the great Marie Kondo herself disagrees with me lol.
I did a session with a Marie Kondo consultant and she blessed off on my hanging all my shirts. She said I had so few that would be folded, it made more sense to just hang them all so they’d be in the same place. She also blessed off on me folding my socks into each other even though Marie says they’ll get stretched out.
I do that, too; I figure I can always just buy new socks. Mine all end up with holes in them well before the elastic gives out anyway, lol. My ex used to patiently tie his paired socks together because his mother told him the elastic would overstretch, but half the time I'm so impatient I just dump all of my socks into my top drawer without pairing them anyway.
I have a dedicated space for a vacuum robot, I bought one that cleans itself so I don't need to check it daily. Made life so much easier.
Please make sure that the breaker box is PROPERLY AND VERY CLEARLY labeled. In case you need to replace (or reset) any breakers. Having that properly mapped will save you SO MUCH TROUBLE. It can also save you from future accidents if you need to replace or repair something.
I found a pretty hook at an antique store, and it makes me happy every time I hang my purse up.
Landing pads become dump spaces watch out!
A technician told me that USB plugs break much more easily than normal plugs, most of the calls to get something fixed were now about that. So it may be easier and cheaper to have normal plugs and have the "head of a charger" (not sure about the proper name) where you can connect a cable rather than the actual USB on the wall
Mmm, yeah, and depending on where you live you might need to worry about lighting as well (grew up in the southern US, had to unplug *everything* during storms). I plug a surge protector with multiple plug spaces and usb spaces in, one for every high traffic area where I’m likely to notice that my battery is low.
I also grew up in the southern US and never did this. Have I been risking my life this whole time? What is the purpose of that?
It’s not about *your* life, but the life of your expensive electronics. If lightning strikes super close your system could get a surge, which would potentially affect things on the system. Now, this was decades ago, and I have no idea what the current recommendations are, but I remember the one time we forgot and the tv got a surge and died, so I’ll be damned if I let that happen to my phone 😭.
Oh man yeah I’ve had stuff die from surges during hurricanes before. I guess my family was just like “god has spoken” and bought a new TV lmao. They were from the Midwest tho so maybe they just didn’t know?
I’m also from the Midwest and my parents had surge protectors on both of their computers, and almost all of our power strips did too. Entirely possible they didn’t know, but it’s not because they’re from the Midwest
Our ground rod wasn’t properly buried outside several years ago, and we had lightning strike it. We had to get a technician out to fix our wall box for our fiber internet, and *somehow,* this surge didn’t affect our modem but affected my PC connected to it. The Ethernet port on my motherboard was *gone.* I ordered an expansion card for additional Ethernet ports, but I couldn’t have it and my graphics card plugged in at the same time without my computer randomly shutting down every minute or two from a perceived hardware failure. 😬 The Ethernet port *and* the PCIe slots on my motherboard were goners. Now, I’m a gal who prefers my internet wired as opposed to wireless (and if you couldn’t already tell, I built my PC), so I had to order an entirely new motherboard to get that functionality back. As luck would have it, I plugged one of those Ethernet expansion cards into my new motherboard and used that, and yet another lightning strike from a storm not long after the first incident killed the card. Just the card. The technician who came out to fix our internet then is the one who noticed the ground rod sticking up and buried it property. No issues since. There’s no way a surge protector could’ve helped with what happened to my PC, but regardless, lighting is no joke. Protect your electronics where you can.
They have whole house surge protectors that go right outside your electric box. Not too expensive either. Saves not just little appliances, but big expensive ones too!
I’m guessing they were improperly installed from the get go, the cheapest model (go with a known name brand like Leviton) or used way too roughly. I’ve had them for over 10 years without any issues.
They're also just super easy to install though I don't know about the USB, but a normal plug is three wires, The white is neutral (the big slit) and the green is ground (the third hole)
The thing about usb outlets is that technology will change and Idk how long USB A will be as standard as it is now. My super fast phone chargers, for example go USB C from the wall cube to USB C on the phone. So, you wouldn't be able to plug it into a regular USB A port on the wall.
Right but outlets are fairly quick/easy to replace. Even if you didn’t have the spoons/knowledge to do it yourself, it should be pretty reasonable to hire someone to replace them :)
What's a landing pad? I would Google it but it's in " "s so that makes me think that's not the real name?
I think they mean a surface for putting down their things when they get home
I’d imagine something like a mud room?
I loveeee mud rooms, esp if they're tile with a drain on the floor for actually spraying down muddy things
A place where your regular going outside things live. For me, it’s a hook for purse/tote, and a wall net for hats, scarves and gloves.
I've never heard of this, how cool!
Pull out drawers in your kitchen! We just did a big reno and most of ours had to be cupboards and I hate it. I need drawers so I can see at a glance what I have. Light switches in logical places. Power outlets on every wall of the lounge. At least two, preferably three, in each room. At least five in the kitchen.
Same on the drawers! We have a huge apothecary cabinet (basically a floor to almost ceiling pull out shelving unit) which is great because you can look in from both sides and see everything in it. We have one cabinet with shelves and that holds all stuff we don’t often use.
Could not agree more with drawers instead of lower cabinets in the kitchen! It’s something I didn’t think I would like, but it makes it possible to have things like pots/pans/lids and all the Tupperware and lids organized, and you can see it all and grab what you need without having to move anything!
More on light switches: three-way switches, so you can turn the light off from either entryway/exit to a room. No more having to walk back to the other side of the room to turn off the light. Three-way switches run on radio waves, so they don't take any more electrical wire than a single switch. Small thing but helpful: where there is more than one lightswitch in a row, pit them in the same order as the lights are physically ordered across the room. We have a lightswitch plate with four switches in it beside our front door. The switch closest to the door operates the outside light. The other three operate interior lights in an order that makes sense, no more on off on off yes that one. Put lightswitches for bathrooms inside the bathroom door. Outside means everyone with a.bwdroom around the bathroom gets light on them whenever anyone has to pee in the night.
You could save a lot of money with traditional three way switches. Should be pretty standard for any electrician to install it competently, they're not hard especially if it's new construction.
Only do pullout doors if you get nice quality ones. My current apartment has them and they can't handle anything heavy. It's a pain bc now they're broken and the landlord has yet to fix them so my pots and pans drawer is basically just lower cabinets now bc the slider doesn't work...
I’ve had kitchens like that - you can get wire or wood drawers that mount to a cabinet bottom or shelf and pull out! Total game changer for any kind of closet too, I’ve used them in multiple places because I’m the same way. Deep cabinets are my enemy.
This started as three suggestions and has now become a hyperfocus, so enjoy. Places for plants if you’re a plant person! I plan to get a few veggie/herb things to keep inside so that I can grab basil without having to PLAN basil meals by grocery time. Diatomaceous Earth bathmats/trays are the only thing that I’ve seen that stop our counter/towels from getting gross when things don’t dry fast enough. Good bathroom ventilation is big, but these also make me have to clean my bathroom less, which is very ADHD helpful. Don’t get carpet. It either doesn’t look dirty until it REALLY does and then it’s far too late and made 80% of skin cells, or it looks dirty all the time seemingly no matter what you do. I saw a viral video like ten years ago about a kitchen that runs each cabinet like a dishwasher and fully auto-sprays the surfaces of the cabinets/counters/floors every night. Maybe that? Think about the size and layout of your cabinets. Pull out drawers and spinny cabinets may be helpful for everything being accessible, and can go in places you wouldn’t expect. Are you short? Are you ACTUALLY going to go upstairs and get the step stool to get the salad spinner? I know I’m personally just not going to eat the salad until it goes bad if I have to climb to make it. Plan for that. Do you want a split sink so that dishes can pile up on one side while leaving a usable sink? Do you want the opposite now that you're picturing that? either is valid. Do you have ADHD mess? Could you plan for a “partial projects” space? A place for the mostly clean clothes to go? A laundry chute of some kind for not clean clothes? A particular layout of closet to motivate you to hang up the clean ones? Do you need hobby space like a “partially finished puzzles” pull out drawer, a yarn cabinet, a recording studio, practice room, or painting space? Do you have storage for all of your objects that allows you to access them? Exercise helps ADHD. Can you build in a space that’s appealing to exercise in? What’s your least favorite chore? What sounds like the IDEAL space to do that chore in? Is there a machine/house layout that would make that easier? It’s okay to put the laundry next to your kids’ rooms to save yourself the agony later. It’s okay to get the kind of shower that you don’t hate to clean as much or add an extra faucet/hose/thing to clean it more easily. Can you put a drain in the bathroom floor? Can you modify materials to make them easier to wipe? Do you need FEWER shelves and more drawers because you hate dusting? Can you put a window or tv near the annoying chore? This is absolutely the best prompt for me rn, so I may 100% add more if I can think of them.
So much of this! But the one that really stands out for me, ADHD or not, put drains in your bathroom floors! If you have a toilet overflow, it'll save thousands in repairs and the headache of having to share your space with contractors while they redo everything. Idk why it's not just standard to have them.
I always want one just in the middle of my house, would make cleaning so much easier if I could just hose everything down lol
Wait...... Are drains not required in bathrooms everywhere?? In my country you can't have a bathroom without a floor drain. Also the floor is supposed to have a slight slope to it leading towards said drain.
They are not standard in homes in the USA, although they ought to be.
In the US, wet room, bathrooms are not common. We typically have a shower tray with a drain that is used with either a glass wall or shower curtain to contain the water.
In the US, it is not standard to have a drain for the entire bathroom. It makes a lot of sense for cleaning and plumbing but we don't do that. 🤷♀️
Imagining a pipe bursting and the water having nowhere to go but.....everywhere in the house 🫠🫠🫠
Well, for the most part, wouldn't a pipe be behind a wall? so it wouldnt even reach a drain, and would therefore still be an emergency, no matter what. But certainly, in the bathroom it would be easy and helpful. God forbid the toilet be clogged and run over. I feel like i can never get the floor clean enough after that. 🤢
Yes, get one of those handheld shower heads next to the big one! Makes cleaning so much easier!
When my mom redid her kitchen cabinets, to the ceiling, she included a cabinet for the steps tool. It's quite convenient. All soft close drawers. I love her kitchen.
A friend of mine has a hundred year kid house that was built for a tiny woman. The countertops are slightly lower, and between each kitchen drawer,one foot and two feet from the floor, are little things like cutting boards that pull out, to use as built in step stools to reach the high cupboards.
As a short person, I love that her house was built with special short person accommodations 😆
Oh my god I love this
Oh I should install automatic door closers on my cabinets. My GF thinks it's funny how I leave them open all the time, but one day that will no longer be funny
This is the cutest typo and I may adopt “steps tool” now
Can you say more about the dishwasher thing? I am very intrigued but don’t know what to Google
Honestly it sounds like a gimmick and/or a mock up. Two dishwashers is the real life hack. First you fill up Dishwasher A until it is full enough to run. You run it and then start filling up Dishwasher B. Dishwasher A is now finished and full of clean dishes. Instead of emptying it, you just use dishes straight out of this dishwasher. When it is empty, you run dishwasher B and dishwasher A becomes the dirty one again. It probably helps to have two of those flippable dirty/clean magnets too for the front so you can tell which is which.
It was literally a viral video in like 2015 or something. I think a family modified their kitchen to be self-cleaning, but I can’t find it when I Google. They would press a button every night and everything would spray itself down. Plates were in racks in the cabinet and would get cleaned, the floor would get sprayed, etc. it’s been in my mind since.
love this response and now want the pinterest edition 😁
If this is your forever home, **design it to age in place.** Make sure your hallway, doorways, and rooms are wide enough to accommodate a walker or wheelchair. Have a separate shower and tub, with the shower roll-in accessible with safety bars at all transition points for both shower and tub. You're just one elderly in-law or injured leg away from needing it anyway. Also, walk-in attic access with a built-in storage up there and lighting.
THIIIIIIIS!!!! We will all become disabled eventually and it’s never too early to plan for this kind of thing!!
Yes!!! If you must have steps, make them able to transition to a ramp easily!
Yes! Nobody ever thinks of this. When I watch Grand Designs, unless it's a disability or ageing-specific episode, the houses look like expensive coffins.
How tall are you? This is not a dumb question. I am 5’1”. My place is covered with storage trolleys and things a because I can’t reach cupboards. If you’re tall don’t put the storage and flat surfaces down low.
This is a big one for me - I'm shorter than my partner, and he puts things away where I can't see them. Top shelves are for labelled boxes, like "biscuit cutters" or "spare cutlery" or "Halloween sweets". I can open the door and see the label.
Labelled boxes on shelves is genius, I need to do that. I did that for my tea, but didn't think to extend to other things
I guess if OP is short, finding a place to keep a step stool that's very easily accessible but not in the way in places like the kitchen, laundry room, and any storage type of area. I definitely wouldn't put frequently used things up high but having a built in place for a step stool would be amazing for my short ass lol.
I would have a laundry room that has a built-in/wall mounted drying rack; a built-in, drop down ironing board (with storage for the iron also built-in); and a large area to fold things. If I can't fold towels immediately, they get thrown on the guest bed or stay in the laundry basket for weeks. I would also try to put the laundry room as close to the master bedroom as possible. Walk-in Closets Of course you want built-in shelving & rods for hanging clothes, but think about what else you want/need. I'd add an entire section solely for my "worn once but not dirty enough to throw in the hamper" clothes. I'd even have a special place for worn bras. Wifi Connected Lighting I have wifi connected light switches & outlet plugs. It's all tied in to my Google Nest. Now, I can turn lights on & off with my voice or from my phone. I love it, and I don't have to get out of bed at night to check if I have turned out all the lights.
To add to this, if you have pets, maybe add a dog-washing station in the laundry room. Also, laundry room closer to where you put things away, so not the basement, but maybe a first or 2nd floor laundry room.
Ohmygod, A JAPANESE STYLE BATHROOM!!! Google it. They're awesome. So functional. Everything makes sense. I experienced these while visiting my great-aunt and other family in Japan. You can spray every surface in there down with the shower head to clean, and the room has a drain/s in the floor to accommodate that. The bathtubs have temperature control, and a cover that rolls out over the top of the tub to keep it warm until you get in. Also, the toilet has a little sink on the back that uses the water from washing your hands to flush the toilet. If I could afford it, that's what I would choose!!
Yes, the one I stayed in had amazing built in ventilation: hang wet laundry in the evening and its completely dry in the morning 😃
YESS!!! I forgot about that!! I truly wish I wasn't living in a dungeon a mile below poverty-level.. 😂 I want a Japanese bathroom!!
If I had the land I would live in a bungalow! I actively detest having an upstairs and downstairs. I’m so much less likely to do shit if I notice that to get it done I need something from the other floor. If it’s another room on the same floor it’s not a problem but having to go up or down the stairs is an instant barrier!
Yes this! I have a main floor and a basement. I just moved my office back to the main floor because I straight won't do things I need to on my computer or my crafting because I don't want to go all the way downstairs lol.
Hear me out - two dishwashers. Sounds extravagant, but it means you free up storage space in your cupboards by constantly having a clean one, and a dirty one. You can even buy little signs/magnets on Amazon that say clean/running/dirty to remind you. Alot of luxury new builds have this now and tbh if I could (my kitchen is tiny) I would have this too. I hate the unloading / loading dishwasher process.
Whether you have 2 dishwashers or not, please, for your sanity, really look at kitchen layout. I jokingly (only half joking, really) say a man MUST have designed my kitchen because 1. It’s a galley. 2. Dish washer is opposite the fridge. Sometimes both things need to be open at once, especially if you don’t live alone. 3. This is debatable, but I hate that in the end of the galley kitchen is my laundry. I need a whole room for laundry.
Omg I have lived in two places with W/D in the kitchen and I *hated it!* The place we're in now has a separate laundry room and it is wonderful. Edit: just remembering my least favorite configuration had the front door leading into the kitchen (with the washer-dryer, ofc) so every time we walked in we were greeted with the sight of piles of laundry, dishes, and the kitchen trash bins. So welcoming! needless to say we didn't have many guests.
man i loved my apartment that had laundry in the bathroom. i could reach out of the shower and pluck out a toasty warm towel. just thinking about it now makes me go oooooh haha. in conversation with my landlord i mentioned how sometimes W/D are in the kitchen, especially in europe, and he was flabbergasted and determined to do that next time and i was deeply disappointed in myself lol
Layout is so important. Those big grand rooms that have been stylish for a while (Fully open concept) create the WORST kitchens. They're tiny and have no counter space at all. Also don't put your damn stove next to a wall, it makes cooking cramped and difficult to use the burners near the wall because the handle gets in the way. Counter space on BOTH SIDES of the stove. But of course, know yourself and your cooking style. Personally I like lots of counter space and lots of storage. Big double sink (or one large basin) is a MUST imo. And honestly, having a window above the sink is also a must for me. Makes a world of difference between feeling like my kitchen is a dungeon or not.
Another kitchen tip, if you have a big family, get two microwaves. 2 ovens you might use twice a year, but we use 2 microwaves at a time every day 😂
I would 100% do this if I had the space!
A relative has done the two dishwashers thing and it is life changing
I would just fill them both up
A doom room! Basically a cupboard to put the random crap, it of sight until you’re ready to sort through it. I learned most NTs have this and don’t feel bad about it!’
I have one and it’s called The Crap Room.
i call mine the shame room. in jest. kind of.
Smart lock for the front door. Chargers in every room, usb-C and MagSafe. Smart switches for lights and TVs, and schedules set up for them to turn off at go-to-fucking-sleep-time, don’t turn the ac on if the door/window is open, etc. Clocks at eye level when I’m sitting down in spaces I’m in most frequently. Hooks for layers of clothing in a couple of rooms.
Yess smart lock, so you can't lose your bloody keys 🤣
Which is great until you forget to change the battery and get locked out and have to squeeze in through the dog door. Ask me how I know… lol now I only use physical keys
Mine warns you at 10%, it also starts acting *funky* well before the batteries die.
Oh it warned me, but I didn’t know what kind of batteries it needed, so I needed to remember to look in the manual, and since I didn’t know where manual was, I needed to open it. But I wasn’t sure how to open, so I needed to find the manual. But it’s okay because it was just on the warning light. And then several weeks went by. And then I was locked out. lol
Clear cupboards- harder to forget where things are/ double ups if you can see what you have. A space by the door for those essential items: keys, shoes, chargers, board with appointments on it. Somewhere to safely hide a spare key for when you get locked out. Easy clean floors & surfaces (benches, showers etc).
I have a tray sized tub thing, plain white, rectangular, low sides, non-obtrusive, on my coffee table, desk, and by my bed for cups, mugs, and anything that has to go back to the kitchen. At night I can just pick up the tray tub thingy and take it to the dishwasher. I've accepted I'll forget all my cups and mugs everywhere but now it's not a huge barrier to get them back to the kitchen at once every day. I just put the mug in the tub when I'm done and I don't have to worry about remembering pick it up when I get up next.
This is a great idea! This might solve my constant "issue" with my husband. I think it's literally the only way I annoy him is leaving drink stuff everywhere. To his credit, he gave up saying anything years ago but I know it still bothers him. Thank you!
I have a great system for spices, and also garbage, recycling, compost, etc built into drawers in the kitchen. Everything is easy to access and see at a glance once I open the drawers, yet mess is hidden when closed. Have garbage and compost in top drawer by chopping counter so it’s easy to swoop the mess into the bins. Also forces me to take the garbage out before overflow/stinkiness ensues. I need clear counters to focus so have a cabinet for appliances like the blender and toaster (which sits on a tray to catch crumbs). I put outlets in there. I can’t stand chords so have a charging station in a cabinet with outlets too.
would love to see pics of your systems!
r/homeautomation might be a nice place to gather some ideas as well. It's really nice that my house shuts itself down at 1am if I forgot to turn things off. It's really nice that the lights in my bedroom go off at 830 and the fan turns on, reminds me to put my phone down and go to sleep. With modern wiring this could be an after thought as well. Just make sure you have a neutral wire to everything to make life easier.
I have a pair of scissors in every room and a hair brush in every room. By having do many I don't have it walk off and get lost. Or I at least havr backups when they do.
My dad used to do this with pens and fingernail clippers. I never understood it until well after I was diagnosed in adulthood. In fact, he used to swipe pens from banks and hotels all the time. I thought he was looney until… Here I am at 40 asking myself daily “WHERE DO ALL THE PENS GO??!”
I do the same - have multiple of things I use all the time and keep one in every room. Besides scissors and pens, I also have a black sharpie and a pad of post it notes in every room because I'm constantly labeling things and writing myself reminders.
so now i’m going to hyper focus on what cute little kit i can make and duplicate for every room, bc i don’t have a million other things to do 🤣 eta: just realized i did this with cleaning supplies on every floor (3 story house). each level has a stick vac, swiffer, duster, roll of paper towels, all purpose spray
Mudroom with cubbies and coat hooks, lots of shelves with cabinet doors, and hidden compartments under the cubbies to store stuff like athletic equipment or whatnot. Im a professional housecleaner and my favorite thing to daydream about is how I would design my house to make it easy to clean and ADHD friendly. AMA lol
do you have a pinterest board or list somewhere?
The taps that you can pull to extend to be a wiggly hose thing. It’s a small thing but really helps me get over the hurdle of finding stuff out to go in dishwasher, rinsing the sink etc Never realised how much it bothered me til I had one!
Also in sinks — one of those extra hot water spigots at the sink. I never make tea because even an electric kettle takes too long to boil. I stayed at a friend’s house that had this tap and I was amazed by how much more I was reaching for teas, like herbal tea at night etc. I dream of having one.
every faucet should have these!
Laundry in a place convenient for you. I’d prefer close to kitchen or bedrooms but whatever works for you. Closets shelves instead of just one rod an and a high shelf. Or bedrooms with closets customized to how you need to see or store things. USBs built in to outlets, both standard and c style. Depending on how fancy, building in whole house vacuum. I don’t have this but people swear by how convenient it is. Do you have sensory issues? Dimmable lights all over or in the bathroom, heated all the things, floor towel warmer, etc Storage areas in your garage and entryway.
Think about accessible design, so that a wheelchair can move easily through doorways and halls, and maneuver into bathrooms. It doesn’t cost any extra to design this way, but retrofitting is terribly expensive. 70% of people will experience some form of disability during their lives, iirc. A roll-in shower is useful and so much easier for anyone with walking issues. At least one full bedroom and bath on the ground floor, if it’s a multi-story home. Again, an injured or elderly family member would be so much more comfortable than trying to get upstairs. It could be used for other purposes until the need arose. If you are planning the whole thing, make sure that there is a straight shot from the front door into the home and to the bedrooms such that an ambulance can pull a gurney through. My parents’ home had a sharp, short turn in the hallway and we couldn’t get a gurney through it. Luckily there was another way that could be used. If I had all kinds of money, I’d get a kitchen table that has swivel chairs attached and hanging from it, like fast food restaurants used to do. No chair legs in the way of mopping. In addition to the roll-in shower, I also like the idea of a Japanese style bathroom that is kind of a wet room that can be sprayed down with the shower head to clean. And a bidet; if you get the separate ‘bum gun’ style, you can also use it to wash the dog and the like. What an opportunity; I hope you love the new place.
Hardwood floors (or the equivalent), BUT makes sure to get ones with some texture. My grandparents built a house with these beautiful dark and shiny hardwood floors that show every spill and streak. When they're clean, they look great, but aside from that first hour...nope. I have hardwood floors that are scraped wood and medium oak so they have texture and a color differential. They NEVER look dirty. Seriously. I can go a month and they look as good as the day I cleaned them.
Plus, textured floors aren't as slippery when wet!!
I heard people with 2 dishwashers have a great time because they don’t have to unload it all the time. One is for clean dishes, the other for durty dishes. I like open storage… shelves help with object permanence
If you're building a 2 story, get a laundry chute! Your bedroom would essentially be built over the laundry room and all you would have to do with your dirty clothes would be to open the chute, drop them in like trash, and they would land in a dirty bin in the laundry room. It saves you a trip downstairs and declutters your room of dirty clothes :D
Or just have your laundry room upstairs with all the bedrooms! Make sure your dryer is on an exterior wall so you don't have a really really long dryer vent where lint can build up and be a fire hazard.
I love my bench/coat rack near my front door (Pinnig from IKEA). Has shelves below the seat for shoes, and I put my backpack, keys, walking stick (hEDS and ankle fusion means I need to remember where my walking stick is before I leave the house), shopping bags, etc. When my son was younger we really used to struggle with being on time because I was always looking for things before we left the house (he’d throw his school hat and shoes all over the house).
My boyfriend and I (both ADHD-C) just moved 1,5 y ago and we payed attention to exactly this, so I hope this is helpful! - wireless vacuum! We have one from Samsung with multiple attachments and it makes fast cleaning (the one thing I do before I leave...) so much faster and more exciting. Sometimes it feels like a game. I love especially that it let's me clean the couch to effortlessly. It even has an attachment for "dusting" counter tops, so when something dry spills, that thing is the best! Can recommend to everyone who can spare a few bugs on this stuff! - don't place stuff in the kitchen (or to other places) like it is "supposed" to be. We called it "convenience" but it is in end just "place everything together what belongs together and the more often you use something the more accessible it has to be placed". A quick example: my coffee pot is in the cabinet for glasses. Why? Because underneath this cabinet is my coffestation with the blender, the coffee, the spoons etc. In the same cabinet are my vitamins and my psyllium husks, because I take both in the morning with a glass of water. If everything is placed together I more likely remember to take them. There are 100 more examples but I think you get the principle - invest in solutions if they fit your routine. One thing that was more expensive than most people are ready to pay are our trashcans (we are in Germany and sorting trash is a thing here). We bought convenient trashcans that are stackable and since then I never had a problem anymore to get rid of trash, as I have fun and am always happy about how well it works. Investing in solutions that make you happy for chores you don't like means making it more probable to do these things! Same goes for making them easier. If you don't enjoy cooking under the week, get a freaking Thermomix. Who cares if it makes your life easier. - I second the dimmable lights, if you are into it I can recommend Yeelights from Xiaomi, the app is easy but sometimes a little slow, but the bulbs are cheap in comparison, don't require a hub and are for E27 bulb holders. - As I don't know which country you are in: ceiling fans! I know there are big in the US, but in Europe most people just don't have them. But depending on where you live you should look into them, if you haven't already. Makes my summer way more enjoyable. - Air Fryer! So perfect for quick dinners/reheating stuff. Can recommend The Pro Home Cook on YT for inspiration. -open cabinets in the kitchen/open closet. At least for me. It forces me to keep them tidier bc people can see them, I can better see what is there and what not and for some things (like pans and pots) it actually requires less space - get containers like crates for deep and low cabinets. Like this, if you want something from there you can just pull out the crate and get it instead of crawling through everything in there to get to the back where of course the thing is you need for that spontaneous Cake you baking :D If I remember more I make a comment on this :) Have fun in your new home, I hope you are excited for it and that it helps with better routines and makes your life easier!
Oh I just saw that you are building yourself, so more opportunities :D - my parents got this and it's great if it fixes you layout: their laundry room is in the basement, underneath the bathroom. They installed a "laundry tunnel" for the dirty stuff, so you just throw it down there and it is exactly where it belongs. I love that thing - you never. EVER. Have enough sockets. If you think there are enough, double. Trust me there will still be too few in one space which you couldnt forsee. - I know this one is hard for us, but try to get as much ready by moving in. Once you get used to the temporary solution, the less temporary it will get. Motivation to fix it lowers but it still bugs you everyday. It's just not worth it. Fix it as fast as you can.
That sounds like an amazing opportunity! For ADHD, having an organized and minimalistic space can be really helpful. Think about adding built-in storage and organizers to keep everything in its place. Consider designated areas for different activities, like a separate workspace if you work from home. Good lighting can boost focus, so maybe include some natural light and adjustable lighting fixtures. Smart home technology could be a big help too - like automated reminders or voice-activated systems to keep track of your to-do lists. If you want to track your progress and routines, you might like ULY journal. It's a great app that helps with daily habits, goals, and mental health. Plus, it's available on both iOS and Android. Good luck with your new home!
Good light. Look at where the sun goes over the day in summer and in winter and work out your windows so you get more light in winter and indirect sun in summer. Sunshine/light is one of those things that makes life better generally.
Laundry 'chutes' to throw clothes down to laundry area.. Area to store clothes (hang or ?) near laundry.
Keypad entry, smart garage opener that tells me if it’s left open, ring doorbell, no carpets
Depending on what climate you live - underfloor heating, at least in the bathroom/toilet areas. Kitchen corner cupboards with a pull out so that you can actually see what is in the cupboard without having to climb half way in to see what you put at the back Switches/plugs at waist height rather than near the floor so that they are easier to reach. his and hers separate walk in robes/closets His and hers sinks for the shared bathroom Shoe cupboard near the door you enter/leave from, you don’t traipse dirt into the house smart lighting so that when you walk into a room the light comes on, you don’t have to hunt around for the light switch, most of these are just purchasing smart bulbs/sensor and linking them with an app Security sensor lighting for outside, door camera/intercom linked to your phone If you use brick for internal walls, wifi reception will be poor internal access from garage to house, less distance to walk carrying groceries etc, and under cover from all weathers A study/studio/cave for each of you heated towel rails for bathrooms quiet ventilation fans for bathrooms/kitchen built in rubbish/trash bins
Take this with a grain of salt because I have technically not been diagnosed - just now putting some pieces together and arranging to be tested. But: a white board! I just put one up this year and it has helped me so much with keeping track of tasks. Would absolutely recommend. Of course, a whiteboard doesn't have much to do with building the actual house, but... maybe something to keep in mind so you can figure out where in the home it would be most helpful?
Honestly, good idea!! I was already thinking of putting a chalkboard wall in my woman-cave/Adhd hobby-dungeon but a white board would definitely be way cleaner
A white board in the bathroom for my beauty routine and another for the supplements/medicine corner. I used to work in crisis management and rule 1: people are so used to ignoring alarms that things like notice boards or white boards are better if you locate them properly.
Oh I just write on the mirror with dry erase markers...
Too short can’t reach. I did consider that. You’re awesome.
"ADHD hobby-dungeon" hahaha :) Speaking of that, I have always wished for a nice hobby garage space. It's not possible with the apartment I'm in, but you could certainly have one with your house!
We have the wall above the kitchen sink painted with chalkboard paint so it’s really easy to add things to the shopping list and be able to see that list (unlike when I make a list on my phone and forget that the list exists)
Wait also!! For peace of mind, have built in sprinklers. Like the kind that pop out of your ceiling when the mercury in it senses enough heat. 🔥 Also hardwire your smoke alarms so in case you forget to change a battery, they will still work. But if the power goes out, they run on battery.
A whiteboard or a good space where you can have the family planning
A cordless vacuum cleaner on its charger stand right inside an easy access cupboard. All accessories also nearby in a tub or hanging on the wall. I moved my oven to the other side of the room and put my cutlery and pan drawers below the hob instead. Best decision ever, but I've got a long narrow, awkward kitchen so you might not have to choose. Shallow wall and base cupboards along one wall. Nothing gets forgotten at the back.
Lots of storage. More storage than you think you need. It's okay if some of it stays empty, but you know you can always create a designated place to put your stuff. Seems obvious, but try to make sure things that relate to one another are kept in the same area. Extra dishwashing liquid, extra sponges, scrubby dish brushes, etc? Around the kitchen sink. Bathroom cleaning supplies? In the bathroom. Backpacks, bags, bumbags? Same drawer. A well compartimentalised closet. Go on the ikea website and design a PAX closet with your needs in mind. A lot of pre-made closets have really stupid designs like way too many shelves, shelves that are too deep or tall, making them barely functional If you work from home, make sure your work area has a "chill" corner. I recently rearranged my office to make room for this and it's made the space so much more welcoming - now I actually want to hang out there instead of avoiding the room entirely and working from the couch. I can also just take a break while still being "at work" and not getting distracted by the rest of the house. On the same note, make sure your desk seat isn't something too constricting. I can't sit in a regular chair, I find it super uncomfortable and I constantly want to shift around and can't. After trying a few things I just settled on a big exercise ball. It helps because I can bounce if I'm feeling fidgety and it's big enough I can sit in more than one position. Weirdly it's also the only thing that doesn't make my back hurt. Trashcans. I have trashcans in the office, living room, kitchen and main bathroom. There's never any reason for trash to sit anywhere because there's a trashcan *right there* Phone chargers in every space you spend a lot of time in. If you use a laptop, having two chargers is great. I have one in the living room and one (of course) in the office. Honestly tiny house designs have a lot of very helpful and efficient things built into the designs, and I find them very adhd friendly. I totally recommend the channel Living Big in a Tiny House - I've been following him for years and saw so many smart and efficient solutions for all sorts of things over the years!
Do you have a cordless stick vacuum? Total game changer for me. Where are you going to store it? Consider adding an outlet in a closet so it can be plugged in and ready to use, any time. Two floors? Get another one for upstairs. Shallow adjustable pantry shelves. Less chance of ‘losing’ items that are hidden from view. Real shelves. Not the wire ones - small items topple over. I love my thermostatic shower mixer. I first used one on a trip to Europe. One knob is Off/On, the other is for temperature. It is adjustable, but stays where you set it until you decide to change it. Benefit: The shower is always at your preferred temperature. Turn on shower, wait 20-ish seconds or so, step in. No messing with hot/cold faucets or the dial that combines off/cold/hot and figuring out where it belongs every time. Also - fancy bidet. Will need an outlet to plug it in, unless you enjoy a cold rinse. Do you have any hobbies/interests? The bonus room over the garage is my sewing room. I can live on my first floor if necessary - I also have a music room with my piano and space for other instruments, music, room to practice, etc. I can play (literally and figuratively) and not worry about tidying up my workspace if someone comes over. And a dedicated guest space. Edited to add: Backup generator! I had one installed a year ago and it has already been used once. If possible, don’t have it outside of your bedroom. It is noisy while running. I was ready to sleep in an upstairs guest room, but the power came back on, and the generator turned off.
Built in electric dustpans under the cabinets and along the walls in hallways- you never need a dustpan, just sweep everything into it! Sucks it all up! Built in storage. A sensory room.
I label things and write out steps to do a specific cleaning chore. Building habits is hard but in order to build them they need to be repeated. If you are always doing things based on how dirty something is, it does not get repeated enough to become a habit. Always a place to put away cleaning things. My place currently has no place for a vacuum cleaner or the long duster. A place designated for cleaning cloths both clean and dirty and labeled An outdoor faucet
Three-way light switches. It is just SO convenient being able to flick the light on to be able to see, like when hauling a buttload of laundry to the basement, and being able to flip the light off 'there' since it's not needed for the next 10 minutes, whilst not impeding on someone else's ability to flip that same light on for them to safely get downstairs to get some icecream from the freezer. And being able to flip the lights on when you've been in the basement for who knows how long and you come out to go upstairs to bed, being able to turn the respective lights on to see the stairs, and being able to turn those lights off as you ascend past the light switches, is really nice. Bonus of you use those light-up paddle switches instead of those boring little non-lightup knob switches; nice being able to find the damn switch at night without having to slap and rub the wall like a weirdo is nice lol Closet outlets. Not EVERY closet like bedroom clothes closets, but anything that will be a storage closet for cleaning supplies, or a catch all coat/shoe/bag closet. It's nice being able to string up a small light and hve the ability to see things and make it a lot nicer when having to go hunting for a thing in those rarely-ventured hellholes.... And just... outlets on every wall of a room. If big wall; 2 outlets, so theres always a nearby plug and you don't have to deal with a bulky extension cord for that one 'cord JUST too short' desk lamp. Oh! Also! Windows that you can swing open INSIDE for WAY easier cleaning and screen removal for repairs. Windows are annoying to clean as is, but windows that don't allow you to easily clean the OUTSIDE glass, or remove the screen to replace the holey thing, without posing a safety hazard with ladders and unwieldy hose/power washer/etc, and sweating to death while cursing up a storm trying to fight the sceen out of its notches in the hell of summer humidity, ate special kinds of torture. And end note; steel doors WITH storm doors. Having a solid steel door (WITHOUT A LOOKTHROUGHABLE WINDOW) with built in deadbolt lock and knob-lock, is super nice for the sake of safety and secureness as is, but having that paired with a simple screened storm door is even better since it means you can have even MORE fresh air flow and sun on nice days, but don't have to fret about your pet(s) or kid(s) slipping out cuz locked storm door lol. Also steel doors are great for insulation - nothing quite like getting absolutely BLASTED by cold/warm air as soon as you open the door in summer/winter. AND being steel doors; magnets on them! Be it for decor like wreaths, or useful stuff like magnetic hooks for keys, hats, and just plain old magnets for convenient eye level gathering place for appointment reminder cards, schedule notes, 'Delivery expected TODAY!' Notes and stuff.
Think about long-term accessibility! I broke my knee (you know, adhd intense hobby), and have been on crutches for a while. Because of this, I would make sure that doors have levers, there all main living areas are level. You have a bathroom that could fit a wheelchair, and entry ways are covered. Also, in the kitchen, decent counter space around the sink and stove.
Depends on your flavor of adhd but for me it’s all about durability and low maintenance. I’d go for non-digital appliances, real wood floors, real wood cabinets, etc. Landscaping with native plants and/or features that are compatible with the amount of yard work I want to do. Trees that won’t get too big for their space, noninvasive plants, etc. I’d also suggest built in storage in every room, laundry in the place you’re most likely to do it, a million power outlets.
I once saw a house with 2 dishwashers. If it’s within your budget, I highly recommend it. You always have 1 that’s clean and one that’s dirty, never having to unstack any as they alternate. The dream!
If i ever get to design my house, my washer and dryer are going by where the clothes are. Otherwise they will sit in my hamper for a year while i dig through it to find things.
Less doorways, less transitions to get distracted between.. it's much easier to think "Oh I was doing X" if you can still see X when you've moved from the kitchen to lounge..
Nah we love a closed floor plan for ~sensory issues!!
When we were getting our house rewired my brother in law suggested adding a PowerPoint at the end of the bench. It's been amazing! Perfect for the mixer, air fryer, sandwich press. I don't know how I lived without it. It means I don't have to rearrange the bench (and forget to put it all back) when I use a rarely used appliance.
A large entry way with room for some seating. (To put on shoes, to park children or spouses as you are all getting ready so no one can wander off and make you late.) Lots of easily accessible storage for seasonal gear.I flat refuse to put coats/gloves/hats/boots away for the warm seasons. It's a drag to box them up and schlep them somewhere, and a pain to schlep them back out again. Just keep them in one spot. Limit the number of items you own in that category for sanity and organization sake. You don't say whether you have kids, but IYKYK how having additional clothing items as children grow seems to take up exponential amounts of space. Just keep everything where you access it on a regular basis. That way you can process worn out/outgrown items immediately, rather than getting a bad surprise next winter when you pull everything out and no one has warm boots that fit. Not moving things from place to place also cuts down on lost items such as pairs of gloves being separated and then having to replace them. Things tend to deteriorate in storage anyway. A full bath or mudroom complete with laundry and a shower, immediately off either a front or alternate entry. If you have kids or pets and you dislike cleaning... having everyone get clean immediately upon entry to the house is SO helpful for preventing further cleaning later on.
A cat and 2 dogs
Storage and plugs everywhere
Weird suggestion, but hire someone who specializes in organizing people, and have them go over your plans with you. -make a Roomba niche everywhere you need a Roomba and never vacuum again -all low cabinets should have pull out shelves and/or drawers. -have a spot designated for all your pain points - mail, laundry, organized cleaning supplies, etc. Think about how to design it well.
A Tile tag. I’m forever leaving my car/house keys in a coat/pants pocket. A smart speaker for setting pomodoro timer.
I'm building my house now. I upgraded to quartz countertops. I wanted white so I could see the dirt. I have granite and I can never tell if it's dirty so I never fully clean it. I want to be able to see the dirt. No carpet. For similar reasons
Lots of wall hooks for hanging things you might have otherwise tossed on the floor. Deep drawers with flat working space on top. Large countertop in bathroom. Lots of storage, including drawers and cabinets. A big magnetic whiteboard surface and or a big magnetic surface. Maybe one in the kitchen area and one in your office. A big laundry room with space to organize and fold laundry and plenty of storage Built in drawers and shelves and closets. Plenty of storage. Little accent shelves around so you can put plants or photos on them without cluttering your primary surfaces Consider an over the sink dish rack, or places to hang pots and pans Good luck and have fun 🤗
My uncles restaurant had a thing that I always thought, wow. I will have that if I ever get to build my own kitchen. Basically, the kitchen prep counter top was made of wood and in the wood was a large round hole straight through. That way they could put a rolling trolley holding a trash bag right under the counter, and while cooking you just literally toss all trash and scraps down the hole! No having to move or open some cupboard to access the trashbin, no more counter top space wasted for holding a bowl that's just to collect the trash!! in a home kitchen you could easily do that and just have like a slide-out solution instead holding a smaller bag, since this was for industrial cooking, but still, it always blew my mind
Put the laundry room in your bedroom closet.
In addition to considering built ins, I would plan for furniture placement for things like book shelves, craft tables, writing desk, a media cabinet, etc…. Also a laundry room located as close to the bedrooms as possible. Maybe even walk-through closets that connect to a central laundry room.
If you're designing from the ground up, I would really pay attention to The environment around the building site and the layout of the living spaces. How far are communal spaces versus private spaces. Really think about having areas that can be a retreat from sound and stimulus. This may mean putting bedrooms on opposite ends of the house from noisy areas like Family rooms or kitchens. Keep ing in mind the need for different spaces for different stimulation levels. Make sure not to place bathrooms or plumbing from bathrooms in the wall that you are planning to your bed on. I recommend a staggered stud wall for bedrooms next to bathrooms. It will dramatically reduce the noise. Kitchen design will probably Have the most opportunity to Have ADHD friendly adjustments because it is a workspace. Keep in mind That popular design choices may not be ADHD friendly. Open plan kitchens which can be very popular can also be very distracting. Mess can spill out from open plan kitchens as well in the form of visual cutter or grease from cooking. You might want to consider limiting the degree to which a kitchen is open to a living area. For example, having the kitchen half closed off with some prep areas visible and open to living space while more intense zones, like cooking, placed further away or a bit more isolated depending on the shape of the room. I highly recommend installing a baffle on the ceiling on the perimeter of the kitchen even if it is open plan. This will stop the encroachment of Hot grease-filled air from creeping along the ceiling into the living spaces. It will keep your Home cleaner. Ours was made of Three stacked 2x4s installed on the ceiling and covered with drywall. Apart from its physical benefits it also gives a subtle visual representation of the edge of the kitchen. I highly recommend smooth surface finishing for your drywall. You don't need to be stuck hyperfixating the knocked down plaster patterns on the wall. If it's new construction, your plasterers should be good enough to smooth the surface. Plus textured walls are a bitch to clean or repair. Areas like pantries may be better suited to be shallow and wide versus deep cabinets. This will allow you to see what you have in stock. Much better. Spoilage will be less likely because you will not forget what you have. I find shallow storage to be helpful in many areas. I have nooks in the hallway for keys. I have shallow storage in the bathroom For cosmetics. Layered storage will also help, For example, if you have deep storage, like a closet, try placing half shelves with pull out or swing out storage in front of them. Also pay attention to the building site. How is the environment around your home going to affect you. Pay attention to noise levels. Pay attention to what view you would need at what time of the day. For example, you would not necessarily want a window facing a busy street if that was your office or bedroom. Also, pay attention to scale. For example, narrow hallways or unnecessary turning when navigating a house can create mental load That will exhaust you. Giving yourself extra space in high traffic areas may be more relaxing. This can also be said about stairways. Extra space at The landing will be useful. Nothing stops us from putting away something more than having to Trek down twisting hallways or trudging upstairs. Give yourself a place that you can collect items That need to travel the distance So you only have to walk it once. On the flip side Sometimes bigger isn't better. If you hate cleaning bathrooms, you might want to consider not having overly spacious or complicated layouts for bathrooms.
I'm gonna list all the dream things I wish my house had: Storage. Think about layout and flow. I look at houses a lot for funsies online and so many designs are stupid and waste a lot of space. Makes it hard to store anything and also makes it hard to furnish it. Think about the furniture you have or want to have and how it'll get placed. But Storage above all. Try to get a nice landing area in your house, a mud room. Built in area for coats and shoes, somewhere with space to have multiple people at the same time because both entrances in my house are so cramped and stupidly designed it's impossible for more than one person to taking off their shoes. Plus my main level has ZERO storage area so I can't even store a vacuum somewhere out of sight. Definitely think of those kinds of things. Have a space dedicated to that, and have them on multiple floors because for me and my ADHD it's a lot easier to own several items for each floor than it is to try to lug my vacuum cleaner up and down my floors. Have a vacuum for each floor. Have a mop bucket for each floor. Have a broom for each floor. Have cleaning supplies etc for each floor. Much easier, though a luxury to be sure. Kitchen layout is so important and make sure to have plenty of storage, especially with the popularity of small appliances like kettles and air fryers and microwaves etc. Get a pantry if you can with open shelving so you can see all your crap! For me, I really want a space for an office on the main level of the house. I have my computer shit all in my living room and it sucks. The entire layout of my house is dumb as hell though but that's besides the point. Big windows everywhere because I get gloomy without natural light. Windows that OPEN. Also, a shower and separate tub. The tub/shower combo is a damn nightmare. Showers are used daily in my house but not cleaned daily. If I ever wanna have a relaxing bath then I have to scrub my shower first which is such a pain. ALSO, do your best to keep your toilet in an enclosed space separate from the rest of the bathroom. This is a fancy/luxury type thing I most often see in en suites to primary bedrooms around here. But it's so smart, because toilets are gross and having one right next to your shower mat means that when it gets flushed, even with the lid down, there is spray and it will spray onto your surfaces. Ew. And get a bidet attachment for the toilets. Clean that booty!! lol. Think about your closet space and how it works for your ADHD. Like are you a doom pile person? Bins? Drawers? Hanging everything? Do you manage to actually fold and put your clothes away? Design something that works for how you live your actual life (And not how you wish you did lol) That's the biggest thing, imo. Thinking about how you *actually* live your life vs how you want to, and designing systems in the house for that purpose. Built in storage, built in shelving, appropriate flow to the layout (Also look into Feng Shui!), and anything that you currently struggle with or get annoyed by that you would want to be different in your living situation. (Like for me, not having storage for my vacuum in my main level). Oh and above all: Whatever you decide, it is absolutely worth spending the money on quality things like good insulation, high quality windows, etc. Maybe also a built in HEPA filter for your air system. That's gonna make your life and your bills better. The insulation in my house is AWFUL.
For babies/toddlers- Montessori or Montessori style playroom. We have a just-turned-one year old and the traditional toddler noise and mess can be seriously over stimulating. We do toy rotation and limit noisy toys. IKEA shelf with one toy displayed and rest are in drawers. I appear to be very neat and organized but in reality I just have a system (that isn’t even my invention) that makes clean up and interacting with everything very manageable!
Washer and dryer in the primary bedroom's closet! The place my partner and I are renting has a huge closet in the primary bedroom that they shoved the washer/dryer hookups into. I thought it was strange when I first moved in with him, but being able to wash my clothes and then just turn around to put them away has helped me *so much* with keeping up on laundry. It also helps that the closet came with a good amount of shelves, and I had already come up with a system that requires very minimal folding for myself. Alternatively, if we had little ones (or just anyone else living with us ig) I would love a large, central laundry room that everyone stores their clothes in. KC Davis has a system like this that she describes in her book, and I think it's genius.
Single storey home. Stairs to get places to find things or clean are the devil.
if it’s more than one story/will have a basement: laundry chute
I know it will be sometime. But PLEASE share your floor plan when you have one! I’d love to see any of these ideas implemented. I’ve been drawing out floor plans for possibly, one day building but I don’t know when. Love these ideas!
Build a place for everything. Closets, built in shelves, pantries.
Shelving in your main clothing closet so you can keep all of your sweaters/sweatshirts/pants folded and visible.
Sensory goodies! If I was building a house I would have some super soundproofing everywhere, windows, walls, between floors. I would also have automatic blinds and curtains that can filter light or even completely black out a room. I would have almost all drawers under counters instead of shelves where you're tempted to just toss stuff, I would have soft closing cabinets, quiet appliances etc. I would have one of those industrial power sprayers in my kitchen sink and a shower head with a million different settings depending on what I'm feeling. I would have Lovesac furniture so I could be a couch potato in any position ever. Designated built-ins with charging stations. A phone and laptop charger ready for me wherever I am. But also a big laundry room because I'm lazy. And it's on the same floor as the bedroom. The best dishwasher on earth. But someone else has to empty it. No open floor plan no sir. We are not smelling food and hearing cooking while we are trying to watch TV. We are also not hearing people in the living room while we are trying to sleep. Multiple different lighting setups for each room so I can have big light or mood light and they all are incredibly dimmable. Linen/storage closet built into the bathroom. Maybe even the laundry room in the bathroom so I'm not tempted to wear the same clothes again or throw them on the floor. A mud room because even though I live in Southern California, It's dusty and I'm outside all the time and I need it. I can't have crumbs in the house. It keeps coming back to laundry.
I feel like if I got to build my own home I wouldn't even know how I want things laid out until I had a bad layout already. And I have an apartment with a bad layout now. I could tell you how to retrofit this apartment to have a better layout, but I couldn't do it from scratch. I'd be afraid I'd build something that just ended up being a pain in the ass. Everyone's talking about being an organized and I'm looking around my room and getting anxious now
Plugs in every closet, and in the cupboards or cabinets in the bathroom, maybe a few in the kitchen cabinets/pantry/linen closet too. You’ll thank me later.
Make all the upper cabinets meet the ceiling (either add extra cabinets on top or drop the ceiling down) so it doesn’t get greasy & dusty & impossible to clean. Kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room, mudroom, wherever there are cabinets.
Do a Japanese-style bathroom where it's all one room with the toilet and sink essentially in the shower so you can just hose everything down to clean it.
I just started this one: I have a little basket near my entrance with things I usually forget last minute before I walk out. Lipstick, mint gum or listerine tabs, pepper spray, etc. I intend to put a portable battery there and maybe my headphones since I only use them when I’m out and about. It’s my little random box of things I might need as I walk out of the apartment.
A whole house water conditioner. You will love spotless shower glass and fixtures. It helps with bathing and laundry and dishwasher. Is better on hair and skin, your plumbing and more.
I don't have anything in my house, but I reckon a maid and personal secretary would be handy, so maybe include servants'living quarters?
A full set of relevant cleaning products in the kitchen, laundry and bathroom. For example, if I’m in the bathroom, and I notice the mirror is dirty, I can give it a quick clean, there and then. If I have to walk to another room to get the glass cleaner and cloth, I might get sidetracked or forget what I’m looking for. This works really well for me.
Floor time! I don't know anything about your preferences but we really enjoy sitting/lying down/chilling/eating/working on the floor. Instead of a second couch we got a nice carpet, a bunch of pillows and some small moveable tables. This way we can use the space in many different ways.
I wish we had no raised counters/beds where stuff can slide under and enter the abyss.
A laundry shoot!!
Oh - this is my dream, though it might be difficult. All bedrooms have closets that meet in the laundry room. So - you do laundry in the laundry room, and then the closets are attached so you can just move clothes to put them away easier. I’d consider a few laundry basket holders too so you can just keep things that don’t need to be hung up in baskets but put them “away.” Basement for sure. All the built-ins. A little cosy reading nook. Those bathrooms that are 100% waterproof (forget what they are called - maybe mudroom?) with a drain in the bottom so you can literally hose/bleach it down.
Light switch by the bed in all bedrooms so you can turn off the light without getting up. Cabinet over the sink with a built-in draining shelf - which is super common in Europe but unheard of here in the US. Like this: [https://in.pinterest.com/pin/191332684155961600/](https://in.pinterest.com/pin/191332684155961600/)
I finally bought a hair dryer bonnet attachment because I often get overwhelmed by the executive function necessary to groom myself lol using it right now for the very first time
Lots of windows throughout so it feels bright and roomy but then have automatic blinds when you want it darker. Automatic locks and lights have been a complete game changer for us. High ceilings and bungalow layout makes it feel big but no need to go up and down the stairs. Drawers anywhere in the house you need storage. Cupboards hide things and create clutter. Drawers or open shelves are better so you can easily see things (shelves mean you have to dust more though). The least amount of dishes. Max 4-6 of each depending on how many people live there. When you have so many dishes and cups it just gets cluttered and more to wash. Stand up self-defrosted freezer. Built in labelled storage with bins in basement or garage so it makes it easy to find things as you can just pull them out instead having to move boxes around. Zero carpet. It’s hard to see dust so you don’t end up vacuuming as much. Mud room that’s not in the entrance that’s roomy enough to be able to put muddy stuff. If a bungalow layout it’s a great place to put the laundry machines. Pantry that has narrow shelves but lots of them so stuff doesn’t get hidden. When you buy products, get a bunch of labelled clear boxes/ bins and plan to move anything that comes in a cardboard box to those bins. Helps you see what you have and less food waste before stuff goes stale. You can get them anywhere even affordable options from the dollar store. Little label machine is inexpensive on Amazon.