Senior Living Made Stylish: Decorating Ideas for a Cozy and Safe Space

  Decorating a room for a senior means marrying interior design with functionality. Retirement house design requires some additional elements like safety installations, specific lighting, and senior-friendly room layout. Nevertheless, it is possible to create a stylish yet appropriate room for a senior. Keep reading to learn more!

Senior friendly furniture

When it comes to furniture, seniors have some specific needs. Those needs are easily met with items you can find in every store, you just need to pick out the right ones.

Comfortable and Supportive Seating

Older people have trouble of making deep squats and getting up from very low seating areas. So, when choosing furniture for a retirement house, make sure it has a nice high rise. Avoid low lounge chairs, rather look for options with armrests and supportive seating. It also applies to bed. Make sure it is at a good height for a senior to sit on it and lie down.

Accessible Storage Solutions

When choosing furniture for seniors, think about solutions that don’t require bending down or reaching up. At least for the most used items. So, all the items a person needs should be within reach when standing up. A dresser is a good solution as well as drawers in the closet. In the lower drawers or upper shelves, you can store some things of memory or out-of-season items because these places will be accessed only with the help of others.

Furniture Layout for Easy Movement

When placing furniture in the room, make sure there is enough space to move around. Consider the use of a wheelchair or other mobility aid in the future. Will it be able to move around the room?

Choosing the wall coverings

Even though a retirement house design has to be functional it doesn’t mean it also cannot be cute and stylish. And one place where you can explore creative endeavors is wall coverings.

Tips for choosing wallpaper for a senior's room

For a senior, you want to choose something they will enjoy. It means skipping abstract and crazy color combinations that make your head spin. Rather look for calming and simple patterns that make a room feel cozy and gentle. If you choose a bold pattern, consider it making a feature wall, leaving the other three walls quite blank. And remember, you can always include in the process the person for whom you are decorating! Ask for color or pattern preferences or learn more about their favorite place they have lived in and try to recreate something of it.

Wallpaper ideas for retirement house design

Here are some great wallpaper ideas for rooms designed for seniors!

• Sage Acorn X William Morris – Add a splash of color with this sage foliage print. It has some pattern going on but it is not too busy, perfect for a calming mood.
• Ripples of Color – This mural wallpaper gives a very modern twist to a room. Choose this for a senior who enjoys some modern trends and cute color effects!
• Summer Cherry – Nice cherry wallpaper that reminds of summer and days in the garden. Perfect for a senior who loves to do some gardening and harvest homegrown goodies!
• Old Sport – Simple white and gold circle pattern that has a vintage look. A good option for seniors who don’t want anything specific but would enjoy some pattern in the room.
• Birds and The Trees – Amazing print for those who love to be in nature. Little birds on the branches make the atmosphere of the room light with a touch of romance.
• Green Foliage – Green is a very fresh color that oftentimes makes us feel happy. Especially when it is a part of such a beautiful print as this one.
• Spring Tulips – Oversized tulips leave a bold and beautiful statement. This print will put a smile on a senior’s face every morning they open their eyes.
• Magnolias in The Sun – Choose this dark yellow wallpaper with a white magnolia print for a slightly more colorful and fun option.
  

Personal touches

Personalization makes a room feel special and just right for the person. When decorating for a senior, definitely pay attention to some personal touches!

Displaying Family Photos and Mementos

Everyone loves to remember good life moments but elderly people are especially keen on going down memory lane. They also love their family and hold them dear, so lots of family pictures are definitely a must. You can put up photos on the wall or place them on shelves and dressers. You can also use photo albums as display items so they can easily access them.

Showcasing Hobbies and Interests

It is good to encourage senior citizens to have a hobby – a way to spend their time aside from watching TV. It can be a group activity or something they can do alone (like knitting). Either way, make sure they have a dedicated corner for this activity in their room as well. It can be an armchair for knitting or a basket full of workout gear for a senior’s dance class. You can also make a display of their hobby – pictures mixed with other items will create a great reminder of the things they love in life.

Practical Decor Elements

And then some decor elements need to be not only fun but also practical. Let’s see what they are!

Clocks with Large Numbers

Most elderly have some trouble with vision, so clocks that have large numbers are a must. Also, think of contrast. Preferably you want black numbers on a white background. Make it plain and simple. Avoid color combinations that are hard to read or have lots of ornaments that mask the numbers.

Easy-to-Read Calendars

The same goes for calendars! Seniors need a good calendar to keep track of time (so they know when the grandkids are coming to visit!). Make sure the calendar has large letters and is easy to read even from afar. Bonus points for having a calendar with a cute picture for every month.

Organizing Essentials for Daily Use

If necessary make notes and labels for everyday items a senior will have to use. Label the cosmetic bottles with big letters, and add notes to the medicine they need to take. If necessary make labels for what’s in drawers and shelves. Definitely write down instructions on how to use their phone.

Blankets

Blankets are cute decorative elements that for elderly people are very practical. Seniors often get cold (even in summer) so make sure the blankets they use are not only functional but also cute and stylish. Throw some blankets on the armchair, have a blanket lying on the bed, and add one to the basket near the coffee table.

Optimizing Lighting

Lighting is very important for seeing well. For seniors, good lighting is especially important to feel comfortable and see everything they need to see in the room. To achieve that, use a lot of layered lighting and lampshades that let through a lot of light. Have a ceiling lamp, nightstand lamp, floor lamp, and maybe some ambient lighting for the night that highlights features in the room, for example, a path to the bathroom. Also, a practical feature to add is the possibility to switch off all lights from the bed for extra comfort. And definitely make sure there are no cords on the floor that can interfere with smooth walking.

Safety Considerations

Safety is a very important element in a retirement house design. These features are non-negotiable and we just need to figure out how to make them look cute.

Non-slip rugs and mats

When choosing floor decor for a senior’s room, make sure the rugs and mats have non-slip properties. Also, look for rugs that won’t easily roll and make a tripping hazard. A good option could be a full-room rug. It’s non-slippery and makes a fall softer if it happens. However, it needs to be vacuumed regularly to keep it nice and clean.

Grab bars and Handrails

Install these handy dandy features in the bathroom and near the toilet. They can also be useful near a bed or a chair. Make sure everywhere a senior needs to sit down, there is some kind of support for getting up.

Emergency Contact Information Display

If something happens, the elderly person needs to know how to contact the responsible person and get help. Write down in several places in the room emergy contact information and make it easily readable even without glasses.

Wide doorways

If a person needs a mobility aid, wide doorways are a must. It refers to the main door as well as the bathroom doors. If the senior is not using a mobility aid at this time, it is wise to think ahead and calculate this possibility for the future.

Enhancing the Space with Accessories

And last but not least, everyone loves to live in a well-decorated place. Even with all the functionality a retirement house design needs to have, there is space for fun and beautiful decor.

Incorporating Greenery and Plants

Plants and greenery revive any room. As a bonus plants pump extra oxygen in the room which is always a pleasant addition. Find nice plants and spread them throughout the room! From simple cacti to fancy fiddle leaf fig. Just make sure the plants are stable and don’t hold the danger of falling on their own.

Using Art to Add Personality

Art is a very personal and lovely way how to decorate a room. Maybe the senior already has some favorite art pieces, maybe you can find some good options together. Either way, don’t be shy to decorate the walls with some beautiful art!

In conclusion

The room of a senior always has a lot of character. After all, its owner has lots of stories to tell about the life they have lived (and are still living)! When decorating a retirement house pay attention to these personal details, add a touch of modern elements, and definitely take into account safety aspects.