The bedroom is probably the last room in the house that you think about remodeling because you are the only one who sees it. Still, your bedroom is your sanctuary and you probably spend more time there than anywhere else. The bedroom is your own private place where you watch television, relax, sleep, read or meditate. It is your place.
Your bedroom is important. Whether you are updating the furnishings or remodeling the whole room, you want to be sure that the room is accessible and organized. You want adequate lighting, a comfortable place to sit, and the of course the perfect mattress. This is the place where you want to be truly comfortable.
One of the biggest issues at this time in your life is where to locate your bedroom. Is your current bedroom going to work for you when you are 80 or 90 or beyond? Not ready to go there yet? What if an ailing parent is coming to live with you? Is there a bedroom that will be safe and convenient for him/her?
A first floor bedroom and bath gives you the advantage of not having to deal with a flight of stairs. Stairs may not be a problem now, but at some point those stairs are going to be your Waterloo. Rosemary Bakker in her book “Revitalizing Your Home,” recommends enlarging a den, converting a porch, or building an addition in order to set up a first floor suite.
If reconfiguring your first floor is not an option, you need to give some thoughts to how you are going to navigate those stairs. An in-home elevator, a wheel chair lift or stair lift might be the answer. If you are pretty much confined to your bedroom or bedroom suite you may want to explore the world of electronic controls. Explore the various bedside controls available; there are controls for lighting, temperature, window treatments, music, security and safety. If you are really determined to stay in your own home you can also get your bedroom outfitted with various sensors and health products that will allow you to prevent, monitor and treat medical conditions from your own home.
Special considerations: Abundant lighting will keep you functioning at your best. A combination of window treatments and fixtures will give you the best light control. Light switches at the entrance of the room could help prevent a fall as you can turn the light on before going into the room. A good reading lamp and a remote or touch turn-on switch is helpful if you have reduced manual dexterity.
Size matters. House plans over the last few decades have used the number of bedrooms as a selling point. If you bought your house because it had five small bedrooms you probably wish you had two large ones now. If your bed and dresser set takes up 80% of your bedroom you are going to discover that this isn’t going to work for you. Now that you are on your own again, you may want to figure out a way to combine several rooms or expand a room by removing closets in order to create a roomier floor plan. At this stage you need to be focusing on having enough space for you to move around if you need a walker or a wheelchair. This means that you should have a minimum of 3 feet of clear space on both sides of the bed (my small bedroom only has a 12-18 inches. A queen sized bed doesn’t seem like such a good idea now). You should be able walk around in the room without banging into the walls and furniture. The use of sliding doors for entry and closet doors is one way to create a little more space. Whether this is enough or not is debatable but it is a start.
Flooring: Dense, low-pile carpeting or wood floors with matte finishes are the best choices for flooring. Wall to wall carpeting provides warmth, sound absorption and a soft pad to walk on.
Comfortable seating: Saving room for a good comfortable chair and perhaps a small table will give you the option to reading and drinking your morning coffee in bed. If you do like to read in bed, and who does not, and upright bed-reading pillow is a good ergonomic choice, better than stacking a pile of soft pillows.
Mattresses: A good night sleep is especially important in the second half of your life. If your mattress is older than 10-15 years, it is time to replace it. It may be time to downsize from a queen bed to a standard or even twin size in order to maximize your space. Shopping for a mattress is in a category of its own and should not be taken lightly. Research carefully and buy the best mattress that you can afford. If you have a medical condition requiring a lot of down time, a pressure-relieving mattress is a good idea too. However, bed height does need to be addressed. Many of the newer mattresses are quite high. A higher bed can be unsafe, especially if you are short. When testing a new bed remember that your feet should touch the floor when you are sitting on it.
A bedroom is more than just a place to sleep. Factor in low or low threshold entries, adequate room for mobility aids, nonslip flooring, lights within reach, nighttime illumination, doorway light switches and anything else that contributes to support and comfort.
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