Ceilings, floors and walls

To achieve non-slip, no-glare, low-noise and adequately colour contrasted surfaces, use the following strategies.

Floors

Observe people walking on different surfaces, including patterned ones, to determine if balance or pace changes.
Replace hard-surface floor coverings with high performance carpets and long-lasting flooring to reduce noise and glare.
Choose non-reflective finishes for long-lasting flooring.Do not use floor coverings with large patterns.
Think about the benefits of specialist acoustic solutions to reduce noise levels in dining areas.
Regularly maintain floors, especially in wet areas, to maximise useful characteristics of surfaces.

Clearly define walls against floors, doors in walls, door handles on doors and handrails on walls to minimise confusion and maximise independence.
Furniture and other objects in a room need to be seen easily against wall and floor patterns, textures and colours.
Use wallpaper or a wall finish other than paint in some areas to improve wayfinding, for example in kitchens, dining areas, sun rooms, lounge rooms and around entrances.
Provide appropriate levels of thermal insulation where walls and ceilings separate inside from outside or divide areas with different heating and cooling arrangements.
Avoid protruding corners and sharp edges at wall junctions as they lead to bumps, bruises and problems for wheelchairs.
Think about rounded corners and gently curving walls in the design of new buildings.
Think about long-lasting finishes like sheet vinyl for bathroom walls.

Think about acoustic ceiling tiles that are moisture, mould, mildew and bacteria resistant for bathrooms.
Colour and texture in ceilings can alter the feel of a space.
Slopes, recesses and dropped ceiling sections add interest.
Lower ceilings create intimacy. Higher ceilings create a feeling of light and space.

Reviewed 22 February 2016