How to Make a One-Bedroom Work for a Couple
Think about all the times you and your spouse have moved in your life and the reasons behind each one. Sometimes it may have been for your career, to accommodate a growing family, or maybe you wanted to live in a specific school district or neighborhood. After each move, you hopefully found a balance between getting what you needed and what you wanted.
Considering a move to a senior living community offers yet another opportunity to find an option that fits your lifestyle today while establishing goals for the future. While a one-bedroom senior apartment might not be your first choice, especially is it requires downsizing, many older adult couples are finding they offer just the right balance of space, freedom and opportunity. Plus, they’re able to immediately start enjoying the cost savings of their one-bedroom apartment, knowing they’ll be able to continue to take advantage of those savings in the future.
Why Community Matters More Than the Number of Bedrooms
The concept of retirement continues to evolve and change. What was once thought of as a time to relax by your parent’s generation is now seen as a time to reengage. After all, it’s called senior living, not senior resting. Because most of your living will be done outside your senior apartment’s four walls, choosing an independent living community — like Cypress Village — with plenty of available services, amenities and activities can make any size residence feel huge.
Maximizing Your Space
Make a furniture plan: One of the most obvious challenges of moving to a smaller space is knowing what to keep. That’s why downsizing is an important part of any move. If you don’t have the right piece of furniture for the right place, consider selling it or purchasing a more compact or compatible piece that better fits your new space.
Define space with furniture. Arrange the furniture in the living space in such a way that it creates separate living areas. For example, set up your living room with a couch, accent chair, floor lamp, and side tables arranged as one room and use TV as the divider.
Use space maximizing tricks. There are design ideas you can use to visually expand a space to make it feel larger. Consider light colors, keep curtains open to let in as much natural light as possible and strategically place mirrors to reflect more light.
Have visual barriers. While you might not have a lot of walls to separate different parts of your senior living residence, using items like big plants, hanging fabric panels and curtains can help create an illusion of privacy, which could make sharing a small space feel easier.
Keep your everyday stuff organized. Even small amounts of clutter in a small space can have a big impact. Pay extra attention to the area right next to your door where it’s easy for things to collect. Something like a good set of wall hooks can help keep a small space organized.
Create a happy place. Ultimately, it’s not the size of your space that matters but how you feel when you and your spouse are in it. Add colors, furniture, art and other items that bring both of you joy.
One Bedroom. Many Possibilities.
To get a better feel for all the floor plan possibilities our community offers, explore them here. When you find a floor plan you want to see in person, contact us here or use our Community Assistant chat feature to schedule a personal visit.
