Tag Archives: #livinginplace

Is it time for your Forever Home?

                                    YOUR  FOREVER HOME INTERIOR DESIGN

            AND RENOVATION SERVICE

Six years ago, I met my biggest challenge in my 30 years as an Interior Designer – the need to renovate house into a comfortable, safe and accessible home that met the long term needs of my multi-generational family. Easier said than done! At that time it was not “fashionable” to create a home that was comfortable-safe-healthy as well as beautiful. I relied on my own experiments, research, input from our son with (ALS) disabilities and trusted tradespeople to guide me.

About a year after moving into our renovated home, I learned of a new “design movement” called Living In Place. Their goal is  that all homes be comfortable, healthy and safe for all people who live or visit there no matter their age or circumstance!

I became one of the first graduates of their program in 2015 and am now one of 35 international ambassadors dedicated to promoting this design philosophy to the public, medical and building communities.

Change is life’s only certainty. Everyone deserves a comfortable-healthy-safe home that can Consequently, my perspective on design has evolved. I have always prided myself on my ability to meet the needs of my clients. Now, my personal experiences and new found knowledge allow me to provide so much more.  I can help  their home support them through an unexpected injury, a debilitating diagnosis or the inevitable challenges that come with age. With the help of the Living in Place Institute the stigma of “Aging in Place” design is being replaced with a more proactive “Living in Place” mindset. Through its intensive certification program designers are taught the importance of incorporating long-term adaptive features discreetly into everyday décor; preparing the home for both the unexpected and the inevitable changes in life.

Jim and I want this to be our “forever” home and because of pre-planning and a few simple adaptations, that is now possible. I want to be able to provide the same for you – to create a proactive plan for your home to work for you as long as you want it to.

In the spring of 2020, I joined forces with my good friend  CKD, ASID, kitchen and bath designer, Wendy Mayes in an office space at 3211 East Douglas Avenue so that we could collaborate together to make more homes comfortable safe and healthy for everyone. there.https://studiodesignsforlife.com/about/

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The First Obstical

Five things had to happen before the family could move into our Plum Tree house

  • The Elevator had to be installed.
  • Bryan’s bath had to be revamped for a roll- in shower
  • Dot’s bath needed tub replaced with a walk in shower
  • The master bath needed a lot of love and the shower enlarged.
  •  And of course, we had to find a way to get Bryan and Dot comfortably and safely into the house in the first place.

The front steps were fairly steep and there was no handrail. The back entrance involved about 20 steps with no adequate handrail to grasp and the garage steps were not easily  accessible  for any of us. A fabulous handyman, Mark Lawrence, who was very familiar with accessibility issues came to my rescue and installed  new garage steps with handrails and grab bars.



Accessibility issues were not uncommon when we were searching for homes. It is one of the things that buyers don’t think much about unless faced with an injury or worn out joints. Safety features are not that expensive when you think of the cost of a fall. I hope that builders and remodelers will join the movement to keep our homes safe, comfortable, and accessible for everyone.