What you want in a home can change over time, so you need a space that adapts to you. Things like a growing family, changing work situations, new pets or lifestyle changes can mean that what was once a functional space, is now not working.
Designing a home that adapts to your needs can help you adjust to these changes easily whenever they arise. It can also help you save time and money on future renovations.
Let’s take a look at some clever ways you can create a flexible home that adapts to your life’s changes. From future-proofing your home’s floors to choosing versatile decorations, let’s take a closer look.
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Designing for Accessibility and Future-proofing
Accessible home design is becoming the standard for future-proofing any home, and for good reason. Whether you’re building a new home or renovating your existing one, considering how someone with different needs can navigate the space will save unnecessary headaches later on.
Whether that’s adding accessible features for those with mobility challenges, considering people of different heights (adults and children alike), or making things easier for elderly family members, there’s lots you can do when it comes to making forward-thinking design choices.
Choose surfaces that are easy to maintain. For flooring, hybrid and luxury vinyl styles are ideal as they’re durable and low maintenance. This means they’ll stand the test of time whatever comes your way, whether that’s children or pets. For walls, choose easy clean materials like satin or semi-gloss or vinyl wallpaper, that can easily be wiped down.
Simple things like lever-style door handles and taps can minimise stress on wrists for elderly family members, while ample lighting will enhance visibility. And adding in adjustable shelves and pull out cabinets will make things easier to reach for everyone.
Adapting Decor and Colour Schemes for Longevity
While painting your living room green or selecting an orange couch may sound like a good idea now, it’s also wise to think about how your future self may feel about those decisions.
Choosing stylish colours and decor that are more adaptable will help you change your home design easily in the future, including for seasonal holidays or evolving trends.
While neutral wall and floor colour schemes give you a blank canvas, also consider your larger investment pieces, like lounges, light fixtures and even door handles. This will allow you to change your soft furnishings, like curtains and cushions, or add ambient lighting, such as lamps, to easily change the mood of a room.
Choosing Versa Tile Flooring and Wall Tones
As the canvas for your home, the colour and finishes of your flooring and walls is very important. Neutral walls and flooring doesn’t have to mean boring either. Muted shades, like white, grey, brown, black, beige and taupe allow you to add a little personality to your walls without taking over a space. It means you can easily change the function or style of a room without having to repaint every time.
As for floors, timeless and neutral flooring, like hybrid planks and luxury vinyl planks and tiles can give you both style and function. They come in a wide range of colours, taking inspiration from natural woods and stone to give you a stylish and evergreen base for your home.
Incorporating Smart Storage Solutions
Many people don’t think about storage until they realise they don’t have enough of it, but when it comes to future-proofing your home, having enough storage space is essential.
When mapping out your new home build or renovation, consider the items to be stored in each room, and what storage solutions can be added. Things like built-in shelves, hidden compartments or adjustable cabinetry can be a game-changer when it comes to adaptability.
Even if a major renovation isn’t on the horizon, there are numerous ways you can optimise your existing storage. Rotating cubbies, pull-out shelves and drawers, utilising under stair spaces, and making use of vertical space are great ways to get the most out of every room.
Choosing Versatile Furniture for Long-term Use
Functional, versatile furniture is the key to an ever-changing home. If you like to entertain or plan on growing your family, pieces like extendable dining tables, convertible sofas and modular units can help you make room for everyone, but also allow you to minimise space used when it’s not needed.
When buying bigger pieces of furniture like dining tables, lounges, and storage, think about how your life may change in the next 5 to 10 years. This will help you choose pieces that don’t just suit your life now, but can be adapted to change in the future, too.
Embracing Flexibility for a Lasting Home
Designing a home that adapts to your changing needs is an easy way to create a comfortable haven for all, with smart planning and flexible design choices ensuring a functional and stylish home well into the future. Make sure to experiment to find what works best for you and your family and you’ll have a space that you can enjoy for years to come.
Read Next: How to Make Smart Renovations to Raise the Value of Your Home