How did it happen so fast? Where did the time go? You’ve raised your family and now they all have homes of their own. You’ve thought about downsizing. But, the thought of leaving behind all of those cherished memories is tearing at your heartstrings. So, you’ve decided to keep your home and age in place. After all, you’re still young enough to enjoy it, and old enough to know what you really want.
You might even be thinking about updating your home by making some design changes to better accommodate your current lifestyle. Now that you have all of that extra space, you could incorporate some home improvements that might also be helpful in the future making your life a little easier. Don’t be afraid to think about mobility issues when planning for your projects. After all, you plan on living in your home well into your golden years. Here are some ideas for different areas that you could think about.
Kitchen
There are several things that you could think about in your kitchen for both updating and making the space more usable.
- Open it up: Big, open kitchens are popping up more often for good reasons. They make great gathering spaces for visitors, making it easier to manage. You could even have a nice eating area in your new space since you won’t need to use your dining room as much. Keeping the activity in your kitchen will also make the cleaning easier for you.
- Accessibility: If you’re moving cabinets or making some other major changes, think about the overall flow of the finished project. You don’t want to create a beautiful new space that has you bouncing back forth to get the things that you need. Islands are a great way to make a kitchen conducive to productivity, and they can also be used for a casual eating area. Just make sure that you always have a comfortable three feet of clearance between the cabinets and island.
- Open cabinets: Transforming your upper cabinets into open shelves is another trendy, functional design trend. Not only does it create an awesome open feel, but it makes a lot of sense to not have doors on these cabinets. And, it’s one less thing to clean.
Bathroom
When it comes to your bathroom, you can think about a few things to both update the space and make it a little more functional to use for many years.
- Walls: Ceramic tile or marble are great surfaces to think about for easy cleaning and maintenance. And, they look timelessly amazing.
- Sink vanities: Open, stylish pedestal sinks are both trendy and functional, adding a little leg-room underneath if needed.
- Adding a bathtub: If you don’t have a separate bathtub, you should really consider adding one along with a transfer bench. Non only are they great for a relaxing bubble-bath, they will also come in handy many years from now when it’s more convenient to take a bath than a shower, especially with .
- Toilets: If you’re replacing your current one, go for a high-efficiency toilet to save water. You could also think about getting one a little taller.
Exterior
While future mobility issues aren’t something we want to think about, it might be worth a thought when you are planning for aging in your home. At some point, you may have to use a wheelchair or walker, even if only for a brief time. A little planning now and some strategically placed ramps or access points would both come in handy for other uses now and be in place if and when needed.
These are only some things that you can think about to make your home more conducive to your golden years. The idea is to transform your home into a space where you can live easily and comfortably while still having plenty of room for your family and friends when they visit. With a little planning, you can create a new, updated environment where you can continue to make those beautiful memories for many years to come.
