For safety, use:
- Hard-wired smoke alarms with battery back up.
- Grounded outlets near water ie kitchen, bath and exterior.
- Anti-scald valves (pressure balance).
- Tempered glass for windows near stairs, doors and in baths.
- Handrails on all stairs.
Ageing-In-Place
Let’s hear it for Traditional!!
Are you a hold out for a more traditional interior even though all we’ve seen and heard for years “now” is contemporary?
Current TV programming such as Bridgerton and Outlander make all of your favorite treasures come to life again! Check the shows for inspiration and dare to incorporate your own spin on integrating your favorite pieces.
After years in design working on so many second homes, I admit it is fun to see these interiors with the continuity you just can’t get from an eclectic look. The brand new pieces fit the spaces exactly and the finishes and fabrics blend from room to room.
However, nothing says home like your favorite furnishings surrounding you! So don’t hold yourself back! If you love the traditional style with an eclectic mix of colors, woods and finishes, make it your own and enjoy!
A Perspective on the Real Estate Market
With a white-hot real estate market, the time to transition to different digs is here! Sell high, buy high. More options should become available as boomers sell the family home or first empty nest home. Where should we go? Adult community with activities and others to socialize with? Near family? Your favorite locale? Certainly, with the changes we have made in the past year we have reflected on what is truly important to us. My clients have decided on comfortable chairs and ergonomic workspaces no matter what age! Swivel rockers and reclining chairs from contemporary to traditional are in demand! AND if you want it all perfect you may be building a new home in your old age! Why compromise in the years when you will be at home the most and may have special needs? Find a good team and create the best age-in-place environment for healthier living.
Combining Luxury with Ageing In Place
Luxury homes and aging in place are very compatible from a design standpoint! We all want our kitchens to be welcoming gathering spots in our homes.
- First address lighting – Use under-cabinet and in-cabinet to highlight details then recessed ceiling cans and pendants over the island to create layered looks that can be individually switched on.
- Drawers in cabinets or banks of drawers make access and visibility easier. I have three banks of drawers and pull out drawers behind doors, including the recycling drawer, 3 office drawers (It would be better if one of these was a file drawer for kitchen related appliances and recipe info.), spices, baking, pots and pans.
- A lazy susan in the corner is another convenience.
- Set 48” paths in kitchen walkways wherever possible. If there isn’t enough space for 48” on all sides then it is fine to use 36” in combination. They don’t all have to be the same, ask a designer to help with the balance.
- Lever handles are easier than knobs. Now the touch-activated faucets offer another easy option.
- Grab bars can double as towel bars. There are pretty options!
- Areas lowered to chair height also work for wheelchairs.
Visit my Ageing In Place board at Pinterest!
Designers Can Assist With Ageing-In-Place
Eleven years ago during my year as president of the ASID Arizona North chapter, one of the national meetings included a presentation on aging-in-place based on research indicating seniors want to remain in their homes. With aging parents at the time, it was a particular interest. And it is coming to pass! Time Magazine recently had an article about some (of course) San Francisco area startups that are assisting with this. Lively’s smart watch is an alternative to emergency buttons. The device also has pill reminders. Lively is a monitoring system that tracks normal activity and alerts family members if the monitors are not activated or there is abnormal activity. Most boomers are probably going into retirement with some Internet knowledge and the more social ones are on some type of social media, enabling them to connect with others. Checkbook alerts through banks will also assist with irregularities concerning money.
Aging-in-place is a goal for almost everyone. LuxeSpecs.com features products that are innovative for this purpose without the obvious appearance of the first grab bars and other residential changes that were so noticeable.
A professional designer can insure proper space planning for accessibility, use the latest innovations and create a space that will enable comfortable living in your residence of choice.
Sunbrella fabrics are versatile for both indoor and outdoor use and are more widely used by the aging population, those with pets and small children. The fabrics are indistinguishable from other interior fabrics and allow for clean ups without dry cleaning. Chairs with arms allow for grasping the arms and pushing up. Varied heights of countertops in both kitchen and baths allow flexibility. Walk in showers essential with all areas spacious enough for mobility.
Design experts are crucial in assuring that the golden years are as rich in every way as possible!
