Glad You Asked!
These are frequently asked questions that I have been answering indivually but wanted to add value to a greater audience.
I need to downsize my home. Do you have tips for living large in a smaller home?
Senior Move Success and Management of Stress is in the Planning
Downsizing a home can lead to lots of stress and anxiety for anyone who loves their belongings, but if you come up with a plan before you downsize, you can create a comfortable and stylish environment made for daily living.
How does one make a smaller home feel spacious while still including those things that you love? Think about your new home as a whole rather than approaching each room individually, rooms should flow from room to room.
Consider the Whole While Evaluating Scale and Flow
If you plan it correctly you can use larger pieces of furniture. Your planning should include how furniture is to be arranged in the new living space and how many pieces of furniture are in a given room.
Changes in décor from room to room can undermine the perception of space, especially if rooms are visible to one another you want to consider colors and patterns. You want continuity within the space.
The scale of the furniture matters and in some cases, smaller scaled furniture is required. It is important to strive for a variety in scale. Don’t be afraid to use a larger accent piece to make a statement.
Creating a Floor Plan to Inform
Good furniture placement creates visual appeal, but in order to achieve good furniture placement, a plan is needed. Furniture planning is the key to a successful transition into a small living area.
A good floor plan is developed by taking actual measurements of each of the rooms. Make sure to include locations of doors, windows, heaters, outlets, thermostats and other fixtures that will impact placement.
Measure your existing furniture while establish your focal point. For instance, in your living room, the focal point might be a TV or window. Choosing the right furniture will be an important input to your floor plan.
As part of the planning process, you will define the function of rooms. The function of rooms will in large part be determined by your lifestyle needs.When thinking about your furniture, think in terms of quality not quantity and wherever possible, utilize multi purpose pieces of furniture like placing drawers in storage areas.
When developing an interior design, be sure to consider fabrics and materials as these will all work to together to form the decor. Avoid keeping fragile, delicate or rickety items as many times these items have outlived their purpose and are beyond their useful service life. Choosing a statement piece can add personality and ambience to your new space.
Elevations to Compliment the Floor Plan
Elevations are another key component of your move plan. An “elevation” is a drawing that shows the front or side of something. A floor plan, by contrast, shows a space from above with some planning you can take things that you may not think would fit in your new living space.
Planning for Success will Relieve the Stress
In summary, the best tip for a successful downsizing transition is to plan ahead. Keep in mind everything you bring should have a function or purpose and you must really love it and need it.
Consider your lifestyle now, not what is was and what is really important. Creating a comfortable and stylish home to live large in will make you smile.