After a round or two of downsizing, you may feel like all you’ve been doing is giving things away. Now comes the fun part: decorating your senior living home! Time to turn your attention to creating a new space that reflects who you are and what you want your days to feel like.
Decorating senior living residences: Best tips for creating a great space
• Review the floor plan. Having the dimensions and layout of your new space can really be helpful. Do some sketching of how you see your rooms flowing. Talk with the move-in coordinator at the community and see what assistance or advice is available for decorating senior living. Take a peek at some existing apartments for some inspiration. You never know where a great idea can come from!
• Think ease of movement and flow. As you consider your new space, resist the temptation to fill every inch. Instead, keep the goal of decorating your senior living home in mind: smaller, lighter, dual-purpose. A love seat instead of a sofa. A small cabinet that doubles as both an end table and space for extra storage. Lighter just feels better, is easier to keep clean, and keeps walkways clear and safer to navigate.
• Decide which style and colors speak to you. What draws your eye? Walk through some design and furnishing stores to get some ideas. Pay attention to lobbies of buildings that feel restful. Neutral and lighter colors can really open up a space, and you can always easily add a pop of fun color with bright pillows or a vase.
• Treat yourself. Always wanted a purple throw pillow? Have you spotted a painting you can’t get out of your mind? Give yourself a present: something that makes you smile and makes your new place feel even more special. That’s what decorating senior living homes is all about!
• Bring your favorites. New things are wonderful, but don’t deny yourself a favorite item or two from your home. Decorating senior living means creating a space that wraps its arms around you. A cozy rocker, cherished cabinet, handmade quilt—if something has always brought you a sense of homey comfort, it should come with you.
• Remember the walls. Think about what you’d like to see on your walls as you go through your day: special photos of family? Fun posters from places you’ve visited? A favorite painting or drawing from a grandchild? Your new home provides the perfect “gallery” space to keep special memories alive.
• A little reflection never hurt. One of the great secrets of decorating senior living: a well-placed mirror can make a room feel bigger. If placed opposite a window, it can brighten a room by reflecting sunlight.
• Bring some green. Adding some plants and fresh flowers to your new home can add a touch of wellness. That’s because being around plants makes you feel peaceful and relaxed. Your air quality improves, as plants release oxygen. They can make you feel more energetic, especially lavender or mint. Just the act of caring for a plant and watching it grow can give you confidence and restore a sense of control.
• Make it yours. Decorating senior living spaces can be a lot of fun, especially when you consider what kind of environment makes you feel relaxed, happy and at home. This is your opportunity to design your world, so be fearless.
At St. Mark Village, we’re here to help you.
In our community, we offer wide variety of floor plans, including a smartly designed one-bedroom apartment that might be just right for a single senior. And you can customize details in your residence to your taste. A perfect place to welcome each new day!
Whether it’s decorating senior living or just learning more about our warm and welcoming community, we’d love to hear from you.
Find the living option that fits you. Download our free guide, Successful Transitions to Senior Living, or contact us. We’d love to hear from you!
