29 September 2025 – Homelift specialists Uplifts today announced an exciting partnership with acclaimed interior designer Ayisha Onuorah, aimed at revolutionising how we think about accessibility in the home. This new collaboration challenges the perception that mobility aids must compromise on style, proving that functional design can be both beautiful and dignified.
Uplifts and Ayisha Onuorah together focus on a shared mission of empowering people to stay in their homes longer without sacrificing aesthetics or independence. This collaboration reinforces that mobility aids are evolving beyond clinical-looking equipment to become stylish, integrated home solutions.
The partnership will make its public debut at Grand Designs Live, where Ayisha has designed exclusive fabric for the Uplifts homelift. This bespoke design showcases how homelifts can be transformed from purely functional equipment into statement pieces that enhance rather than detract from interior spaces.
"We're challenging the outdated notion that accessibility means compromise," said Kate Sheehan, Occupational Therapist at Uplifts. "This partnership with Ayisha proves that mobility aids are changing – they can be both functional and beautiful, fitting seamlessly into any home's aesthetic."
Ayisha Onuorah added: "Design should never be about choosing between form and function, it should be about creating spaces that are both beautiful and work for real life. This collaboration with Uplifts allows us to reimagine what accessibility looks like in the home. When we design mobility aids that people actually want to showcase rather than hide, we're not just changing interiors, we're changing lives and empowering people to age gracefully in the homes they love."
Supporting the partnership launch, Uplifts commissioned research by One Poll surveying 2,000 people, revealing significant insights about public attitudes toward home mobility aids:
71% say appearance is important when deciding to install home aids (28% say it's "very important")
38% would be more likely to invest in aids that don't make homes look "disabled"
40% want products designed to look like everyday furniture for visible areas of the house
30% would be more likely to invest in home aids if they look good and match their home décor
The research also highlighted cost misconceptions, with 38% not knowing how much a homelift costs to install and revealed that 31% believe sleeping downstairs is more cost-effective than installing proper mobility solutions.
Visitors to Grand Designs Live can hear from both Kate and Ayisha across multiple speaking sessions:
Saturday 4th:
1:00 PM - Sustainability Stage: "Design with Dignity" - exploring how to design adaptive homes for growing families and future accessibility needs
2:00 PM - Home and Garden Stage: “Interior Design for Multi-use Spaces” - explores how thoughtful design fosters comfort, efficiency, and wellbeing, helping homes adapt to changing needs and generations
4:00 PM - Renovation and Build Stage: "Bold Design with Purpose" - Ayisha shares her approach to creating impactful, functional interiors
Sunday 5th:
11:00 AM - Sustainability Stage: "Designing for Multi-Generational Living" - addressing flexible spaces for all ages and stages
4:00 PM - Home and Garden Stage: "Designing for Independence and Sustainability" - exploring energy-independent and accessible living solutions
Attendees of the sessions can learn from both experts, along with other guests such as Kevin McCloud and Kate Sandhu about creating homes that adapt with you and maintaining independence and dignity for years to come. They will also have the chance to meet Kate and Ayisha in person and discover how the collaboration is reshaping the landscape of accessible home design.
For more information about Uplifts, please visit www.uplifts.com.
For more information about Ayisha Onurah, please visit https://www.ayishaonuorah.com/.
ENDS
About Uplifts
Uplifts is a pioneering homelift brand founded by Sam Stannah, building on over 150 years of lift industry expertise. Dedicated to enhancing home mobility, Uplifts combines innovative engineering with modern design to create residential lift solutions that improve accessibility and quality of life for homeowners worldwide.
The Uplifts range of homelifts will be available through Stannah's global distribution network and direct to customers via www.uplifts.com.
About Ayisha Onurah
Ayisha Onuorah is the founder of Ayisha Onuorah Design, a bold and expressive interior design practice based in Brighton. Her journey into design has been shaped by resilience, reinvention, and an innate creative instinct spanning fashion, styling, and interiors.
Her aesthetic, ‘Bold Romanticism’, blends sculptural forms, rich materials, and fearless colour. Her studio offers full interior design and architectural services, creating spaces that feel personal, purposeful, and full of character.
Recently seen on BBC One’s Interior Design Masters, Ayisha is designing the main entry hall of the Grand House of Ideas at Grand Designs Live (NEC Birmingham, 3–5 October 2025), where she will combine sustainability with her signature bold, textural approach, as well as hosting seven talks across the event.