🗣️60% of people are either neurodivergent or highly sensitive - yet every space is designed for the other 40%.
Stephanie Lee Jackson is a sensory interior designer who creates spaces for people's actual nervous systems. She designs homes where Mom has ADHD, Dad codes from home, one kid is sensory-seeking, and another is neurotypical - all in one house.
Key insights:
🗣️ Fluorescent lights prevent many neurodivergent people from thinking - their brains can't create visual images under that flickering
🗣️Ambient noise makes conversation impossible for people who can't filter background chaos
🗣️Bars turn up music so you drink more (shouting makes you thirsty)
🗣️High-functioning autistic people hitting total meltdown in their 50s because masking energy finally caught up
🗣️Some people are "sensory seeking" - they NEED coffee shop noise or music to focus
Five principles for better spaces:
🗣️Indirect lighting (not recessed lights pointing down)
🗣️Sound baffling in open spaces
🗣️Neutral air quality before adding scents
🗣️Reduce visual overwhelm
🗣️Trust your body's signals
Resources:
Website: PracticalSanctuary.com
Book: "The Eccentric Genius Habitat Intervention" (September 5, 2024)
Free sensory cheat sheet available
Chapters:
[00:01] Introduction & Hosts Preview
[01:22] Meet Stephanie Lee Jackson
[01:29] What Is Sensory Interior Design?
[03:04] Why Designers Don't Think About This
[03:59] Neurodivergent vs Highly Sensitive
[05:23] Retail Store Example: Neurotypical vs Neurodivergent
[07:48] The Sensory Seeking Reality
[08:56] Real Family Design Example
[13:38] Zones for Different Neurotypes
[15:48] How She Got Into This Work
[16:52] Her Book: Eccentric Genius Habitat Intervention
[18:00] Why Febreze Is Evil
[19:33] Visual Overwhelm and Bookshelves
[20:55] Advice for Average Person
[22:25] The Five Key Principles
[24:55] Color and Lighting Advice
[26:06] How to Reach Stephanie
[26:53] Closing
📱 FOLLOW US:
📲 Connect with Our Hosts:
Stacey: https://www.instagram.com/staceymgrant/
Mark: https://www.instagram.com/mark_lubragge_onair/
⭐️ Watch/Subscribe to Gurus and Game Changers on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GurusAndGameChangers
⭐️ Listen on any podcast audio platform
✨ Subscribe for more game-changing conversations
✨ Hit the bell for notifications
✨ Share with someone who needs to hear this
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.