Decorating Tips for Assisted Living Apartments

Decorating Tips for Assisted Living Apartments

Your home is arguably the most important space in your life. It’s not just where you sleep; it’s the place you go for comfort, to build relationships, to rest and recharge, to heal and to experience some of life’s most precious moments. Although your home may change over the years – from an apartment to a home, and perhaps even back to an apartment again – the way it feels doesn’t have to change.

The way you decorate your home has a direct impact on the way it makes you feel. By choosing warm and inviting colors, capitalizing on natural light and following the rest of these design tips you can make your assisted living apartment the perfect space for rest, relaxation and recharging.

Choose colors that make you feel good

When choosing colors, it’s important to consider the feelings those colors invoke. Blues, for example, are great for lounging as they promote feelings of serenity and are known for contributing to calm and relaxing spaces. Yellow might a great option for your kitchen or powder room – it symbolizes energy and can help boost your mood and get you charged and excited for the day. Red, on the other hand, can actually promote negative feelings – like hostility and anger – and shouldn’t be used in spaces meant for relaxing. This guide provides much more information to help you make color choices in your space.

Considering the intensity of colors is also important; dark colors can “bring the walls in,” making too-large rooms feel a little cozier or making small rooms feel claustrophobic. Light, airy colors can make the room feel bigger, brighter and more open – often a good option for smaller rooms.

Capitalize on natural light

The benefits of having ample natural light at home are many:

• Make you feel happier and be more productive
• Reduce your energy costs by decreasing the need for artificial lighting and heat
• Reduces eye strain and subsequently headaches related to eye strain
• Gives you Vitamin D, an important vitamin in your diet
• Prevents depression and improves seasonal depression
• Prevents the growth of mold and mildew

While many people choose light-blocking, thermal window dressings to create a more formal feeling in their homes, choosing materials that capitalize on natural light can help you reap the benefits of sunshine in your assisted living apartment. Choose window dressings that let some light through and keep them open as often as possible, don’t block light from windows with furniture and choose light bulbs that mimic daylight.

Bring a few of your favorite things

By bringing a few of your favorite decor items from home – especially functional ones like throws and rugs – you can feel right at home in your assisted living apartment. You’ll want to take time to measure and evaluate your furniture for the space before bringing it all along in case some pieces won’t fit, but wall decor, bedding, pillows, throws and dishes are items that fit anywhere and that are touched and used nearly every single day. This means the impact is great – you get to experience the familiarity and comfort those items bring every day.

Scale furniture to the size of the room

If you’re going from a large family home to an assisted living apartment, it might take some adjusting to fit the things you want to keep. It’s important to review your floor plan and scale your furniture to the size of rooms to ensure you have plenty of room to move about safely to prevent crowding and to keep your apartment inviting and visually appealing. Here are some tips:

• Measure the space ahead of time, ensuring you know the size of the living room, dining room and bedrooms at a minimum
• Map out the placement of structures that can’t be moved, like fireplaces, windows, doorways and heat registers, as these might impact furniture size and placement
• Measure your current furniture (specifically the pieces you’re hoping to keep) and consider how it can be placed in the apartment and which restrictions might limit you
• Determine which pieces to keep and which pieces won’t work

If you find that you need to shop for new furniture, make sure you take time to consider what you love and dislike about the furniture you have now so you accommodate those preferences in your new purchase.

Choose different textures to add depth and interest

Your walls are the palette for an interesting and engaging home. Every piece you add beyond your walls adds depth and interest and elicits feelings from you and your guests. Consider all the ways to add depth:

• Ensure your wall decor varies in material: metal, wood, textiles, glass or canvas
• Choose furniture that either takes advantage of more than one medium or varies from piece to piece so there are both soft and hard surfaces
• Accent hardwood floors with area rugs that bring both rich color and texture to the room
• Make your bed with the basics and then add layers – a throw and some decorative pillows

Opt for functional storage in small spaces

Moving to an assisted living community can be an exciting time, but there’s much to consider when it comes to your belongings. How will you find space for the things you use the most? Which things do you use the most? Once you know what needs to come with you, start building creative ways to store and easily access those items:

• Consider multifunctional furniture that includes lots of storage space, like storage ottomans and benches, a medicine cabinet behind the bathroom mirror and under-bed storage solutions
• Store items you use most often at waist/shoulder level in closets and cupboards, place items you access monthly just above or at shoulder level and store items you access seasonally (like holiday decor) on the floor or highest shelves
• Consider getting rid of items you have multiples of. Don’t hang on to three crock pots if you find yourself reaching for the same one whenever its needed.

It’s also important to consider the amenities offered by the community. Many assisted living communities offer such a broad range of services and amenities that you may not need nearly as many supplies as you needed at home. You may be able to dine out for most, or all, of your meals, utilize a laundry service or receive housekeeping services often enough to forego your housekeeping supplies. Additionally, you might find that there are so many fun and engaging events to occupy your free time (like sitting poolside or playing trivia) that you don’t need to bring much in the way of entertainment.

Consider the space itself

The greatest mistake people make when decorating a new home or apartment is making design decisions based more on their preferences than on the character of the space itself. This can create a feeling of conflict between the style of the inhabitant and the style of the home. Instead, ask yourself, “What is this space saying to me?” and then answer that question with the decor and furniture placement, so that you and your apartment are both sharing the very same message, cohesively and harmoniously.

If your apartment features breathtaking views of the water or scenery nearby, avoid obstructing the view to ensure it can be see from as many vantage points as possible throughout the apartment. If, on the contrary, it features a beautiful fireplace or feature wall, set your furniture up so that the feature becomes a focal point instead of fading into the background. Arrange furniture around the existing features of the home instead of trying to cover them for a harmonious, cohesive feeling throughout your apartment.

Don’t forget function

Now that you know how to make your assisted living apartment beautiful, let’s talk about how to make it functional.

One thing to consider is how your health may change over time, and how those changes may impact your needs at home in the future. Moving furniture is a lot of work, so planning ahead important. This might impact the bed you choose (choose one that’s adjustable, has handrails for positioning and isn’t too high off the floor). You may also choose to avoid rugs that tend to roll at the corners, as these can cause hazards if you ever need to use adaptive equipment to get around the apartment.

Other functional considerations include storage, which we discussed earlier, accessibility of items you use most and room for visitors.

Making your senior apartment beautiful is easy when you choose a beautiful senior living community with so much to offer. To start exploring state-of-the-art amenities, a beautiful new apartment, breathtaking views and unprecedented outdoor gardens, schedule your visit at Tessera of Brandon today. Our friendly team would love to show you around our vibrant assisted living community in Tampa.