Want to grow old in your home? Renovate accordingly
Planning to stay in your home well into your golden years? Doing some renovations before you retire can help make your house more accessible and safe for your life ahead.
Nearly 90 percent of people over age 65 want to stay in their homes for as long as possible, according to research by the National Conference of State Legislatures with AARP Public Policy Institute. But many wait too long to make renovations that facilitate aging, says Marianne Cusato, an adjunct associate professor at the University of Notre Dame’s School of Architecture. “You don’t wait until you have mobility issues to make changes to your house,” she says.
Some pre-emptive renovations make more sense than others. Installing ramps to accommodate a wheelchair, for example, is an expensive and potentially unnecessary change because “not everyone winds up in a wheelchair,” Cusato says.
Still, some universal design changes and remodeling projects will help you grow older in your home comfortably and safely.
1. A walk-in shower
For older adults with mobility problems, climbing over the edge of a bathtub can be difficult. A walk-in shower can solve this problem and make your bathroom look more modern, says Joanne Theunissen, 2018 chair of the National Association of Home Builders.
Cost: Tearing out an old tub or shower and building a walk-in shower can be expensive. Although some walkin shower kits start as low as $200, you need to be knowledgeable in plumbing and framing to do the work yourself. Having one of these kits professionally installed will add $750 to $2,500, depending on the bathroom layout and plumbing requirements, according to home-improvement resource BobVila. com. For a professionally installed custom shower, expect to pay $6,500 to $15,000 or more, depending on the size of the shower and the materials.
2. Grab bars
Every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall, the National Council on Aging reports. Adding grab bars in select areas can help reduce your risk of falling. But “just having a grab bar in every room of your house for the sake of having one doesn’t make a whole lot of sense,” says Steve Hoffacker, a certified aging-in-place specialist and instructor. “You have to think strategically about where you want to install them.”
Your main shower, even if it’s a walkin, should have one. And a spot that deserves a grab bar yet is often overlooked is the front door. “When you’re trying to balance packages or grocery bags that you’re holding, it’s nice to have something to hold onto other than the door handle,” Hoffacker says.
Cost: Grab bars generally require professional installation. On average, it costs $140 to have three grab bars installed, according to Fixr.com.
3. A first-floor master suite
One of the best ways to age-proof a
A nice feel
“Lush fabrics like velvet and mohair, luxurious armchairs covered in shearling and boucle, and faux fur or cashmere area rugs are some of the trends popping up in design showrooms worldwide,” Dunagan says.
“The aim is to create a curated space with purpose. Interiors are shifting away from stark white, museum-like spaces and incorporating a cozy, sexy feeling. Think herringbone and patchwork, earthy shades and organic shapes.”
Style and pattern
Art deco has gained ground over the past couple of seasons, and we’re seeing pieces across more affordable price ranges. There’s channel upholstery, Chanel-style quilting, curvy profiles, polished metals and color combinations like glossy black with white, rich red or soft makeup-y hues.
New pieces for PB Teen include a channel-tufted daybed and a glam ceiling fixture swathed in fine chain. At CB2, find Champagne-hued velvet barstools, a shapely velvet sofa and faux-shagreen casegoods. West Elm’s got Rosanna Ceravolo’s linear, carved media console, in a crisp citron hue.
There’s a popular transitional look that never gets too far away; call it Manor House, or, as Pottery Barn is terming it this fall, “Chateau.” The retailer’s launching a collection influenced by European architecture and materials. Wrought-iron and wood furniture in tones of charcoal or dove are paired with easy, weathered-look textiles like jacquard pillows and linen upholstery.
Newton Paisley has a wallpaper collection based on the Carolinas, with indigenous birds, butterflies and flora depicted in colorful patterns.
Global maximalism is still riding high, with embroidery, silks, chunky weaves, carved woods and hammered metals from South and Central America, India, Asia and Africa.
And while the midcentury modern wave continues its strong churn, some designers are seeing slight shifts in the current.
“There seems to be a trend away from slavish midcentury modern toward a softer, plusher, more hand-wrought modernist aesthetic,” observes Raun Thorp of Tichenor & Thorp Architects in Los Angeles. It’s a blending of the romantic and the machined that she terms “crafted modern.”
For décor with an industrial yet refined look, see the finely knurled hardware collections from Buster & Punch or Jonathan Browning’s for Restoration Hardware, and Ian K. Fowler’s Utilitaire lighting, also for RH.
The newest minimalist looks with a Japanese or Scandinavian vibe feature lots of texture and pattern. Crate & Barrel’s Nagano and Kiyomi bedding collections incorporate overstitching or waffle weaving. Ikat textiles inspired a line of organic quilted cotton blankets and pillows at West Elm. And there are new handcrafted ceramics at these stores, too.
Abstracts and geometrics, often with a nod to the ’70s, ’80s or ’90s, bring modernity and energy into a space. There’s contemporary art galore now to grace walls, very affordably. But practice restraint: Trendwatchers say the ubiquitous gallery wall may have reached its peak, and simpler displays — open shelving, for example — are poised to trend up.
Wallpaper and tile are a quick, impactful way to bring these patterns home. Consider Colli’s kicky, masculine Mike tile collection. New Ravenna has Cean Imminger’s playful new Subway pattern, with stylized subway cars rendered in ceramic.
Color
Yellows both mellow (like mustard) and bright (like citron) are cropping up all over the fall collections.
Recent design shows in New York also featured a lot of green.
“I find myself building rooms with hunter green as my foundation layer, and working chartreuse, moss, olive and even kelly green into the mix,” says California designer Alison Pickart. “Green can be a foundational neutral. Pair it with anything, you’ll see it works.”
PPG Paints picked Nightwatch, a deep luxurious green, as their 2019 Color of the Year.
At CB2, there’s the new Hoxton leather sofa in olive green and, in collaboration with Brooklyn menswear design shop HillSide, a rug with a deconstructed floral pattern in a forest-y palette.
Nicole Alexander of Chicagobased Siren Betty Design is working with dark blues. “These deep, soothing tones invoke a calm feeling, while still maintaining a presence,” she says. Look for more of those mineral blues, blue-blacks and navy.
Alexander is also into another trending, ’70s-era hue: “organic and warm” terra cotta.
For complementary palettes, check out Dunn-Edwards’ Sojourn collection of dense, spicy hues, and Sherwin-Williams’ Distance, Moth Wing and Dark Clove.