Aging with personality: Seniors happier in homes that suit traits, study finds
A safety check might be the first thing to come to mind when helping an elderly loved one age in place. But according to new research coming out of The University of Texas at Austin, it pays to think about their home decor, too.
For the first time, researchers looked at the relationship between a person's living space and their personality traits. Studying 286 people over the age of 65, they found that when core elements of room decor — such as colour or clutter — matched personal desires and functional abilities, people reported better well-being.
For example, extroverts are happiest in rooms associated with newness and cheerfulness; conscientious people, who tend to like things neat and orderly, feel better in new, comfortable spaces; and, those with mobility issues who find it more difficult to walk or climb stairs are content to live in clutter because it means items are close at hand.
The researchers hope that applying the findings could help lead to happier and healthier lives, in particular for older adults with frailty or cognitive impairment who transfer from their homes to long-term care facilities.
Canadian designer Jo Alcorn, founder and principal designer of Alcorn Home, says personality is always at play in home decor to some degree.
“A designer is there to make sure you are going to be on trend and up to date for years to come ... but the other thing designers are supposed to do is make a home a place where you're the happiest,” she says.
“It's something we have always practised: artfully putting your favourite things or your personality into your home with style.”
If someone is in love with a specific colour, for example, Alcorn uses it on smaller, accent pieces. If they have a family heirloom they'd like to keep, she works to incorporate it even if it's more traditional and the design is modern.
When working with retirees, Alcorn focuses first on fitting the home for aging, considering features like non-slip flooring, door handle height, light switch placement and curbless showers. Personality comes second, she says.
“Right now, I'm dealing with retirees who love to travel and be by the ocean and the beach, so we're tailoring the design more towards that theme,” she says. “We're not going over the top ... but we definitely want to infuse some of that so they get that relaxing feel and coziness within their home.”
Though she doesn't get called on to design for retirement or longterm care residences, Alcorn has noticed that clients will try to mimic their home decor when they do make the transition. “I don't know if it's necessarily their personality, but it just becomes a habit of living a certain way and having certain things,” she says, adding that they will try to recreate the same look and feel, sometimes even the smell.
“It's really about infusing pieces of your personality in your decor, not necessarily designing around your personality. How long do you see yourself living here? We need to be aware of that and make sure it's going to be comfortable for you for years to come.”