I've been talking with Interior Architect, Lucy Junus, about tips for designing your forever home. (See tips for Kitchen Design and home design for Seniors.) Today, we're focusing on comfort and functionality -- in addition to aesthetics -- for the bedroom.
When you're designing the home you hope to live in forever, plan for safety for your future self even if that is not your current concern. Lucy says, "Getting up in a dark bedroom can be tricky and dangerous. To avoid injury from a fall choose an upholstered bed frame and headboard. An upholstered armchair with a lumbar pillow adds comfort and safety as well."
You will want good lighting, and we like strips of motion-sensor LED lights that can be put under the edge of a bed or dresser to illuminate an entire pathway, not just one part of a room.
It is also inexpensive to add lights that are activated when closet or cabinet drawers are opened.
And, while we're talking about cabinets, you can add pull-out shelves to bedroom or hall closets and cabinets, just as we recommended for kitchen cabinets.
More Solutions for Closets
For bedroom or laundry room closets, consider an easy to use pull-down closet rod to make use of closet space without ever getting up on a step stool or chair.
Closet wardrobe lifts come in both manual and motorized versions, and they are not very expensive, so they can create accessibly for many people.
Making use of all of your potential storage space is important if you are downsizing due to being an empty-nester or are just choosing a smaller property to take care of. For more tips on designing for smaller spaces, Lucy shared another project.
Lucy said that for this room, she designed a custom cabinet that can function as a desk or vanity in addition to substituting serving as the dresser. She also added a large mirror to give an illusion of the room being a larger space.