A Home to Redesign, Renovate, Refurbish
Interior Designers and design companies mostly focus on doing up new homes, only a few get into refurbish and renovations. At The Studio we have always treated Interior Design and turnkey execution as a partnership for creating homes that promote, propagate & nurture a way of life and, and not limit it to minimum scopes or a type of scope. This philosophy got a strong endorsement last month when we were approached by an elderly family. They own an independent home in a fairly posh locality in Bangalore. Their kids have grown and are working abroad and they now wanted to design and refurb their home to cater to this new stage of their life. We are now working with them to create spaces that will help them live better.
As I travel around Bangalore and see homes in poshest of colonies now lying in disrepair after the young ones have left for better pastures, I cannot help but think of the vast positive impact that re-design and refurbish can have on the quality of lives of folks dwelling there.
Life stage based interior design is a concept that I have discussed on this blog multiple times but it will be good to give it a little more perspective and make it specific to each life-stage when a design intervention may be necessary…hence this blog post today. I trust you will find the thoughts relevant if you are planning to refurbish your home in line with your own life stage, so here goes.
Renovating a home is an excellent way to make your living space more comfortable and functional. However, when it comes to home renovation, it’s important to keep in mind your life stage. Your living requirements may change as you age, and your home should be able to adapt to your evolving needs. Here are some tips on renovating a home to suit your life stage.
Young Families: If you have young children, you need to ensure that your home is safe and child-friendly. This means that you need to make sure that your home has enough space to accommodate your growing family, and that the layout of your home is suitable for children. You may want to consider open-plan living areas that allow you to keep an eye on your children while you’re in the kitchen or living room.
You may also want to create separate play areas for your children, such as a playroom or a designated area in the backyard. When renovating your home, make sure that you choose durable materials and finishes that can both withstand the daily wear and tear of family life and are safe for the young ones and toddlers. As an example – for homes with small kids we usually never recommend Sliding Door Wardrobes as these tend to be unsafe and little fingers often get pinched in between the shutters.
Empty Nesters: As you get older and your children move out of the house, you may find that you no longer need as much space as you did when you had a young family. This is an excellent time to renovate your home and create a living space that is more suitable for your current needs.
You may want to consider creating a bigger & more functional living space. This can involve creating a more open floor plan, removing unnecessary walls, and creating multi-functional spaces that can be used for different purposes such as entertaining guests, reading nooks, indoor greens etc.
Retirees: As you enter retirement, you may find that you have more time to pursue your hobbies and interests. You may want to consider creating a home office or a dedicated space for your hobbies. This can involve converting a spare bedroom or a corner of the living room into a workspace or a hobby room.
You may also want to make your home more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. This can involve adding solar panel, installing energy-efficient lighting. Home automation for security and safety is also an important area to explore. Intelligent lighting, for example, can detect motion and light up dark areas automatically to make to and fro within the home safer at night.
Also think about making the home more accessible and convenient for your aging body. This can include adding grab bars in the bathroom, widening doorways to accommodate a wheelchair, and installing an elevator or stairlift if you have a multi-story home. The height of cots, optimization of storage height are other things to implement to prevent an untoward accident
Net – net: Renovating your home to suit your life stage is a great way to ensure that your living space remains functional and comfortable and it adapts to your new way of life. Whether you have a young family, are an empty nester, or a retiree, there are many ways to renovate your home to meet your needs. So, take the time to plan your home renovation carefully and enjoy the transformation of your life.
If you found this relevant to your needs then you might also find the following blog posts helpful
Home Renovation Best Practices:
Elder Friendly Home Interiors
Interior Designing for Life Events