Up on the blog this week, we have a guest blogger here to talk about Interior Design Ideas for Aging in Place. Matt Lee is a writer and the founder of the site called Innovative Building Materials. Aging In Place is living in the home and community of your choice as you age. Aging in place is strongly linked to greater health and happiness outcomes for seniors, particularly when social isolation concerns are addressed.
"The stairs are getting so hard to climb."
"Since my wife died, I just open a can of soup for dinner."
"I've lived here 40 years. No other place will seem like home."
These are common issues for older people. You may share the often-heard wish—"I want to stay in my own home!" The good news is that with the right help, you, your parents or grandparents might be able to do just that. Keep reading for Matt's interior design tips.
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Many home renovations are looked at as an investment, an opportunity to spend some cash now on improvements that will increase the property’s value when it comes time to sell. However, many people eventually find their dream homes and have no intentions to sell, so when you find that house you want to take with you into your golden years, there are a number of innovative interior design ideas that can make the aging in place process safer, more accessible, and, ultimately, more enjoyable in the home of your dreams.
Design the Bathroom to Minimize Slipping
Even for the non-elderly, the majority of at-home accidents occur in the bathroom, as water splashing on tile floors and soapy shower surfaces create an environment ripe for slipping to occur. As health and dexterity gradually decline with age, the need for slip-preventing measures in the bathroom become more pronounced.
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Along with slip-resistant treatments to the floor and non-slip coatings to the shower, a very prudent design measure is to install a home handrail at convenient points in the bathroom. These can be customized to match your bathroom decor and are an excellent choice to add to the shower to provide something to hold onto in the event of a slip. They can also be tactfully applied near the toilet for those who may have trouble with standing and sitting.
Some other bathroom design ideas for aging in place include:
- Walk-in tubs to eliminate to step over a high edge
- Shower seats and removable shower heads for those who have limited mobility and difficulty standing for extended periods
- Seat extenders for the toilet to make the height adjustable
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Increase Window Size for More Natural Light
Big windows that allow for natural light flow are a popular choice for contemporary interior designers, as light flowing more freely into living spaces not only helps reduce electric costs, but it creates for a more pleasant home environment.
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However, large windows are a particularly adroit renovation for those looking to age in place, as it may become more difficult, in your later years, to make frequent trips to the light switch and/or turn on lamps to illuminate dark corners of rooms.
When adding large windows to your living spaces, there are several other design ideas to consider simultaneously:
- Drapes and/or blinds can not only help in controlling temperature and light flow during the day but can make older people feel safe at night by closing the house to the gaze passersby
- Like those frequent trips to the light switch, unwanted visits to the thermostat can become particularly irksome, so weatherproofing windows and doors can help the homeowner maintain a more stable interior temperature
- Plants can further increase the pleasant vibes created by the flow of natural light as well as absorb toxins and improve indoor air quality
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Shrink the Kitchen
While big kitchens are a must for younger people with families still at home, empty nesters and anyone else with an eye toward aging in place will actually want to consider shrinking their kitchen’s dimensions.
Without kids at home and a decreasing likelihood of hosting large parties or other vibrant get-togethers as you age, the need for abundant kitchen space only creates more work without providing the benefits of yesteryear.
Some of the measures you can take to shrink your kitchen include:
- Lowering the cabinets to limit overhead reaching
- Make the sinks more shallow, as fewer dishes eliminates the benefits of a deep sink
- Move the sink closer to the stove to minimize the amount you have to lift heavier pots and pans
In addition, if you choose to eliminate an island you no longer use or reduce the amount of counter space, you may want to look into the cost of quartz countertops, as their durable, nonporous design makes for easy cleaning and greatly reduces the likelihood you will need to make further renovations or repairs to the surface.
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Flooring
Opt for soft and smooth surfaces, like cork, rubber, and linoleum. These softer surfaces will be kinder to joints but won’t pose a trip hazard, like high-pile or excessively padded carpets can.
Keep flooring smooth and level, to the extent you can. Where level changes are unavoidable, signal them with a change in material, texture, or color, but avoid strong patterns or shiny surfaces that may interfere with depth perception.
“Just be a little bit conscious of how level changes will impact someone with impaired vision who is more susceptible to tripping,” Wright suggests. “If you have a threshold in your house, you know what’s a really quick and cheap fix? Grab a can of paint and paint it in a different color.”
Even if you, your parents or grandparents are in superlative health, Matt advises homeowners in their 50s and 60s to consider aging-in-place principles when renovating. Nobody likes to think about it, but subtle design choices can have a profound impact on how long you can comfortably live in your own home, without compromising your aesthetic aims.
We hope you enjoyed these interior design tips for aging in place. Matt Lee is the owner of the Innovative Building Materials blog and a content writer for the building materials industry. He is focused on helping fellow homeowners, contractors, and architects discover materials and methods of construction that save money, improve energy efficiency, and increase property value.
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In addition to being a Philadelphia Residential Interior Designer, I also design boutique hotels, fitness centers, office spaces, multi family development projects, other commercial spaces such as office and retail spaces, and the senior living community throughout the tri state area. We work here in Philadelphia, the main line, and even Nationally!
About the Interior Designer
Tina Delia, a native of Ocean County, NJ, current resident of Philadelphia, is the Founder and Principal Interior Designer of Delia Designs. For the past nine years, Tina has been steadfast in her vision and continues to develop herself personally and professionally. She is dedicated to excellence and insistence on forward thinking design. At the forefront of her designs is the idea that our spaces have the ability to transform our lives. She is looking to move us, inspire us to see, think and create freely. After all, it's not only about creating beautiful spaces.
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