Designing Around a Family

Today, everyone is stuck at home. Even without quarantine in place, sharing a home with a large family can be a struggle. Whether you're hosting parents, growing out of your current place, or working from home for the foreseeable future, we recognize your struggle. Here at A. Clore Interiors, it is our goal to elevate your home by working with what you have. And luckily, our two designers, Amber and Ariel, are Aging-in-Place specialists, meaning you can trust our designs to accommodate you for years to come.

When your living situation grows beyond what it was originally intended for, it can make one feel overwhelmed and trapped. This blog will help you accommodate those not-so-ideal situations within your four walls.

Adapting design for all ages

Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) is a program by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) that teaches the essential skills to complete home modifications in residential remodels. This includes meeting the needs of older citizens and finding solutions to common barriers. You may need this assistance if older family members reside at your home; problems can arise around their accessibility. Some common issues are a raised shower tub, a 2nd-floor bedroom, or using the toilet. A couch may even be too squishy for your grandmom to easily stand up from.

If this is your situation, contact us about how we can help resolve this trouble. For now, here are some simple solutions. A minor bathroom remodel may be required to keep grandmom happy. Walk-in showers are safer and placing a chair or bench within these make it even more comfortable and lessen the risk of tripping. Handrails placed next to the toilet are an easy safety installation. If there are no designated bedrooms located on the bottom floor, it may be worth it to switch an office or bonus room on the first floor for the room the grandparents sleep in now to ensure their safety over an extended period of time, too.

  

Designating spaces

More often than not, the reason one gets frustrated by their current living situation is that it is not meeting its full potential. A common problem: Where should I work? Is your dining room table always covered in homework or are you trying to get work done in the living room with rowdy kids? If this is the case, find a quiet corner in the house to place a desk. We recommend against this being in your bedroom, though, for working where you sleep can often be unsettling. To set up an effective small work area, all you need is a lamp for decent lighting, clear organizers to avoid messiness, and a table near an outlet preferably. It is important to set up ground rules with your family, like established work times and no-play zones (where kids can't keep their messy toys), so you can avoid stepping on each other's feet too much.

 

Accommodating a crowd

The best way to adapt to an overgrown space is to think outside the box. Innovative storage solutions are a good start. If your house lacks organization, look into multi-functional furniture pieces that cover less space. If the walls seem to be closing in, remember to design up! This means tall dressers, not low wide ones.; think wall bins and hanging storage on the backs of doors to keep items off the ground. This can come in handy for the pantry, closets, and entryways with little kids. Stackable bins and sliding wire baskets come in affordable kits you can find off Amazon then label to work best for you. Sometimes the problem is too overwhelming for one to handle, that's where we can step in with expert design insight, too.

 

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