american society of interior designers
fessional responsibility to help create a safe environment.
A designer helps a homeowner understand what makes and
keeps a property safe, how the changes in design will affect
the safety of the home, how to find other professionals who
can assist in making and keeping the home safe and to learn
how to maintain the safety features of their home.
The book is structured to help designers think about
safety issues with their clients as they plan and design.
Beginning with the very first contact a designer has
with a client, they establish a comprehensive list of
the safety elements that should be incorporated into
the design of their unique environment. Do they have
allergies or chronic illnesses? Are pets living with them
or visiting on a regular basis? What is the range of ages
Humans have homes because they want to be safe. Since of the family members and in which part of the house
prehistoric men took to their caves, humans have created do they live? Every detail of living in a home translates
homes that have given them refuge and protection. Over the to a design element that may or may not be incorporated
years, new threats to a family’s safety have been met with into the plan.
new technologies to add protection. Stockades were built to It is attention to detail and the ability to incorporate
keep out wild animals, lightning rods were used to prevent the physical, mental and emotional needs of each client
fire and Colonial settlers used window shutters to deflect into the design of the client’s home that result in the best
arrows. Now we use alarm systems and smoke detectors. interiors. The success of each project is measured not
The effort to make homes safe is ongoing. Modern only in aesthetics but also in design solutions that create
housing is far more convenient and comfortable than the safe living environments. Delivering on this promise,
homes of our ancestors, but many of the new technologies within a carefully managed, smoothly scheduled and
that have made our homes better have also created new well-implemented process, is the primary goal of “The
threats to our well-being — electric wiring can cause fires Safe Home.” The book provides safety solutions in three
and insulation can leak toxic fumes. In response, building categories: health, injury and security, complete with a
codes have been put in place and industry standards set case study that features a room-by-room safety checklist
for product safety so that when we buy a new home or a and photographs.
house that has been renovated, we can feel confident that Residential interior designers collaborate at many levels
it meets minimal standards of safety. Individuals, as well as they program, design, schedule, implement and evaluate
as government agencies and industries, continue to work the lasting success of each of their projects. It is the holistic
to make their homes safer. For example, new parents put design approach that wins the trust of clients and brings
latches on kitchen cabinets to keep toddlers out of the them back when it is time for their next experience with
cleaning supplies and vacuum cleaners are available with home improvement.
air filters to reduce the spread of allergens. Lisa Bonneville, FASID, is the principal of Bonneville
The need for safety is not going to go away. In fact, some Design in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts. After
analysts speculate that with the aging of the baby boomers, receiving a BFA in graphic design from Michigan State
the call for safe design will increase as they opt to live University, she completed interior design studies at the
independently in their houses longer than their parents or Harvard Graduate School of Design and the New England
grandparents. In addition, people are using their homes for School of Art and Design, and studied architectural
more activities such as exercising and working from home. drafting at the Boston Architectural College. Her design
As the use of our homes evolves, we will need to respond firm, established in 1981 serves residential, business,
to new safety issues. health care and retail clientele.
Together with the American Society of Interior Design-
ers I have published a book entitled “The Safe Home.” The
purpose of this book is to help interior designers work with
clients to make their homes safe. Ultimately, the safety of
a home is the responsibility of the owner, but part of that
responsibility is hiring professionals whose expertise in-
creases the safety features of the home. Just as an electrician Lisa Bonneville
checks the wiring to meet code, a designer also has a pro- Principal, Bonneville Design
ASID revise.indd 1 6/29/09 1:05 PM Form 4.indd 125 7/6/09 10:57 AM
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