How to decorate your senior apartment
Ageing in place has been embraced by many older adults. Living comfortably in your own home or a separate apartment is a much-preferred option than living in a care facility. And if you have chosen an apartment clustered with tenants of the same age as you, it’ll be a fun experience for sure. You'll be able to connect with people of the same wavelength and who will probably be empathetic towards your concerns.
Living in your senior apartment is an exciting idea. It’ll be much more exciting if you take extra steps to decorate it with comfort, mobility and your personality in mind.
Here are some ways that you can decorate your senior apartment:
1. Add a few sentimental items
Adding a few sentimental items will not only make you remember happy times, but it’ll also jog your memories of the past and help exercise your neurons. Processing positive information is necessary for the successful formation of memories and is a helpful activity to prevent the early onset of dementia.
Adding a few essential items from your past trips out of the country, like maybe a painting, a souvenir or an ornament, could help liven up your space and, at the same time, make you travel back down memory lane.
2. Display art on your wall
Adorning your walls with beautiful art pieces will make the space youthful, modern and lively. The visual and sensory feelings that art evokes may also lower stress, combat depression and connect with memories. You may hang wall decor in your apartment that brings back good memories to liven up the place.
There are customisable wall decors available, and your options are unlimited. You can turn your posters, tapestries, metal prints, framed prints and even your photos into paintings.
Wall art can refresh and enliven your walls and make excellent conversation pieces when you have guests over.
3. Downsize significantly
When transferring to your senior apartment, you don't have to take all your stuff with you. A lot of it might not fit in a smaller space anyway, so you better choose items that bring you joy. Even if you want to bring something with sentimental value, you must always think about ease and functionality first. Choose to downsize for your new home in order to gain a new perspective.
Large furniture, like heavy antique sofas, may not be ideal in an apartment. You may opt for sofas with firm cushions because super soft and bouncy couches may be challenging to get in and out of. You don't want to find yourself stuck on it with no one to ask for help from.
Choose simple and functional pieces of furniture that’ll make your space comfortable and practical.
4. Embrace colours and patterns
It has been scientifically proven that bright colours can improve one's mood. And the colours people surround themselves with have a significant impact on their emotional wellbeing. Painting walls amber may give a sense of comfort and security, and the golden shade may create a joyful living environment, inspire creativity and raise alertness. Putting yellow accents like throw pillows gives the space a cosy ambience.
Choosing blue, meanwhile, gives a feeling of comfort. Blue is a calming colour, and a pastel blue shade on the walls can create a soothing atmosphere and help you relieve stress and tension. You may also choose blue accents. An arctic blue sofa gives a feeling of relaxation and allows you to unwind and loosen up.
Selecting green shades is said to promote healing, security and balance. Opting for light green shades, like mint green, creates a feeling of peace and tranquillity.
Whichever colour you prefer for your space, you need to liven it up with patterns that suit your taste. You can choose geometric, striped, floral, or paisley patterns for your throw blankets, rugs and table runners.
5. Choose proper lighting
We need brighter lights in our homes as we age as our eyes don't absorb as much light; as opposed to younger people, seniors need 75% more light.
When decorating your apartment, you may want to consider choosing bright lights for your dining room drop lights, your ceiling moldings, and especially your bathroom.
6. Add green with plants
Being around plants is said to increase the feeling of calmness and relaxation. Likewise, it also decreases anxiety, increases concentration, attentiveness, and improves memory. Having plants around will also improve the air quality of a room.
You may add small pots of succulents for accents or even place medium-sized vines in corners or strategic locations. One gorgeous and popular climbing evergreen perennial is Monstera Deliciosa, more commonly known as the 'Swiss cheese' plant because of its leaves.
You may also add small pots of herbs like basil, thyme and oregano in colourful pots on your kitchen window sills that would work as decor and an ingredient for your home cooking too.
7. Use carpet on your floor
Carpets are a great addition to your apartment because of their functionality. Carpets increase the safety of your home, as a cushioned floor is a far better place to handle any stumbles or falls.
Carpets will also make the room pop by making it look more significant, and increasing the room's insulation. The choice of colour for your carpet must complement your walls and your decorative accents. Carpets in neutral colours will make your room look bigger. You may also choose patterns that add a youthful vibe or lend elegance to a room.
Conclusion
As we age, making our homes into an exciting place to live can only increase our quality of life. Having a place to enjoy retirement is something you have to give yourself. And it’s alright to splurge a little. You’ve worked hard all your life, and this is the best time to enjoy the fruits of your labour.
This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with Fine Art America.
Images: Supplied