INTERIORS
Factoring in the future
Implementing some planning wisdom into your build will help you design a home that meets your needs, as you get older. Yola Mealing of Stiltz explains
T
here is an excitement that comes with planning a new build. Alongside the practical aspects such as plumbing, draining, heating and wiring there are also the more design-led choices like choosing a kitchen or landscaping the garden. There is so much time and emotion invested into a self- build that it becomes an intrinsic part of who we are. When we go to these lengths to achieve the house of our dreams, it makes absolute sense to incorporate future needs into the planning.
AGEING IN PLACE The term ‘ageing in place’ is a buzz phrase that’s made its way across the Atlantic and is now gaining traction in the UK. It means smart builders and renovators are looking to the future and pre-empting the decisions that we all need to make someday. For example; What will happen when the children have flown the nest and we are coming close
nov/dec 2021
to retirement? Are we going to have to downsize and move to a single-storey property in advance of growing older? Or do we future-proof the home we lovingly built and which has memories within its walls so that we can continue to live there? In addition to being our largest financial outlay, our home is one of our most emotional investments too. Those who self-build or who carry out substantial renovations to their homes in order to personalise them to their own high specifications are especially resistant to having to relocate simply because of the practicalities relating to growing older.
So, what do we need to think about in
order to future proof ourselves against making this move? Despite what retirement apartment developers tell us, there really is no need to move house at the first sign of stiff joints or aching limbs. There are solutions available now which can be factored in at the planning and
building stage which will make sure that difficult ‘what now’ conversation never needs to happen. Today’s products designed for accessibility have changed beyond recognition. Attractive modern design is built into the functionality. From smaller, non-fixed items, such as kitchen aids and therapeutic beds to more permanent fixtures like walk-in showers, wet rooms or home lifts, there are many stylish products available that mean all areas of your home will remain accessible to everyone. Even if it’s something we don’t need right away, locking longevity into our homes makes perfect sense – even if these features are only currently used when older relatives come to visit!
ONE STEP AT A TIME The staircase we choose is often designed to be the centrepiece of a home. Not only is it a focal design point but it also links the communal rooms
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