Aging Gracefully: Designing a Multifunctional Bedroom Retreat

The modern aging-in-place bedroom serves as a comfortable, flexible living space for reading, relaxing, and everyday routines.
Aging Gracefully: Designing a Multifunctional Bedroom Retreat
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As mobility decreases, the bedroom becomes even more important. More than a sanctuary of sleep, the aging-in-place bedroom can become a multifunctional living space where you can read, relax, surf the internet, and watch favorite TV shows. This is true if staying in your own home, but doubly true if you move in with other family members.

The aging-in-place bedroom is all about maintaining independence, balanced by safety, comfort, and a forward-thinking design that allows for future modifications. Ideally, it should be situated on the first floor and have an en suite bathroom for late-night visits. The alternative is to install a chairlift or elevator. For every problem, there’s a solution.

Visionary Design

When renovating or building a home, keep the future in mind. Make doorways a minimum of 32 inches (36 inches is better) and use lever door handles or knob-to-lever covers. Next, place the furniture so that there’s still plenty of room to move about, ideally 36 inches minimum (60 inches minimum for a standard wheelchair).
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Sandy Lindsey
Sandy Lindsey
Author
Sandy Lindsey is an award-winning writer who covers home, gardening, DIY projects, pets, and boating. She has two books with McGraw-Hill.