How to start fresh when downsizing to a retirement home.
You may be thinking…what does Deb know about downsizing to a retirement home. Well, two years ago my parents took that leap to their retirement home…and just as of two weeks ago my mother in law did the same thing. I’ve seen what it takes to declutter and to move to a smaller space and start fresh. My mother in law allowed me to help her with some of the planning that it would take and of course the decorating. We have a long way to go…but we were so fortunate to get her started with Raymour and Flanigan and be able to create a beautiful relaxing and cozy home for her.
This post is a collaborative post with Raymour and Flanigan. Though all opinions are 100% my own.
One of the hardest situations about moving to retirement communities is that some of them can be on the older side…and may not have been updated in years since prior to moving in you had an older couple that may have moved in twenty or thirty years ago. Not speaking for every retirement community, but in this case, it was a home built in the 70’s, wall to wall carpeting (which is staying for now), and as any home, you move into, a bad choice of paint colors.
Our plan for her new downsized retirement home was to make it fresh, cozy, and inviting!
Here’s how the living and dining room started…
Steps to achieving a beautiful retirement home!
- Fresh and Modern Paint Colors
- Beautiful cozy furniture with a mature style
- Updated window treatments
- New light fixtures
- Sophisticated accessories
Step 1 Fresh Paint
Instantly, the room looks better. Even the carpets feel lighter with the new paint color. No offense, but whoever thought yellow paint and brown carpets were going to work…was just way off!
Now for the furniture…
next, the finishing touches
The house is about 900 sq feet, 2 beds, 1 bath, and a shared living-dining room space. Much smaller than a family style suburban home. So new furniture was required. Not to mention that having a fresh start to a new home you may want some updated for modern furniture. Usually, as your family grows, you are using furniture that you have had for years and by this point…the kids are grown and the furniture needs to be tossed. So we started our search at Raymour and Flanigan. We knew we wanted a beautiful sectional so my Mother in Law could have room to host, but also a comfortable vibe since this is her own home and when she is alone we wanted her to feel cozy in this space. We spotted this Madigan chenille sectional, the showroom sofa was in the gray fabric (also very pretty) but we wanted to go with cream for a sophisticated and feminine feel. Not to mention we were working with existing brown carpets so we needed something that coordinated with that as well. We added some beautiful throw pillows, a glass coffee table, and an area rug that would pull this area together. We still are in search of an electric fireplace and some roman shades to finish the look. (I’ll be sharing that here after the Holidays).
Next, the dining room, which is small, but since there really is not an eat-in kitchen we needed a full-size table. When we spotted this gorgeous, Higgins Dining set, we just could not pass it up. We love the modern yet slightly rustic style to it. We knew we were going with a soft cream and gray color palette so the stain and the upholstery color would work beautifully. Once, we got the table in the space our jaws dropped at how perfect it went with her new home. I mean it seriously combined the brown carpets with the light gray walls perfectly. Another space that still needs finishing touches…but remember she is in this home for two weeks and we’ve come so far. The photos don’t do it any justice either!
We were so grateful for Raymour’s conveniently fast delivery that made her move even smoother. We wanted her to feel right at home, right away. It was important since it would be her first time living alone, and she had moved quite a distance from her last house that it would all be a new world for her.
What’s to come
New accessories
Roman Shades (to keep a classy feel, and privacy)
Wall decor
New Light Fixtures
Electric Fireplace/ TV console
Not to mention we have more to do in other rooms in the house including a kitchen DIY makeover.
Source List:
I hope you enjoyed part 1 of this room/home makeover for my Mother in Law. More to come, I just think it’s important no matter what the size of your home or stage in your life…your home should feel like you and be a place you love to open the door to. I know my Mother in Law is already feeling more at home and proud of her new space.
Downsizing to a Retirement Home, PLEASE PIN!
29 Responses
Doesn’t seem healthy to live with that carpet. Paint color and furniture is beautiful.
Hi Claire,
We had the carpets cleaned and from what we can see they weren’t too old. Maybe I didn’t make that point in the post, but they were not the original carpets since the 70’s. I would say 3-4 years old only.
Deb… it looks so cozy and fantastic. The sectional is perfect.
I wish her the very best. Merry Christmas. hugs. Linda of No.Cal.
Thank you, Linda, funny my MIL name is Linda also!
Please put rug gripper under the area rug in the living room under the coffee table! These are “tripping hazards” (rumpled edge of area rug as seen in living room image) for residents of ANY age!
Hi Ruth, you must have read my mind. We actually were just talking about that the other day to get a rug gripper to keep the rug in place more. Great tip for doing carpet over carpet. I thought it would grip more than the wood floors, but it still needs that rubber grip.
What is the paint color you used on the walls? We are going to paint our yellow kitchen walls lol
Lol, that is too funny…we used Benjamin Moore Pale Oak.
Love that paint color!
Thank you Mary! it’s a great soothing color.
The living room looks very lovely! Amazing what the change in colour of paint does to enhance the room!
Righ? I say paint changes everything!!!
As a 67 y.o. Widow I find this Ah mazingly timely! I am looking to downsize from 2,400 sq ft. To maybe a ranch home..I need a yard,garden to care for..I ‘ll be watching ! Thanks!
This makes me so happy! Thank you so much…that’s what I was trying to achieve when I did this partnership. I told Raymour that I have a mature audience here and when I knew my MIL was downsizing to her 55+ it would be something that a lot of my readers could relate to. Let me know how everything goes with your move. Wishing you the very best! Oh, and stick around I will be sharing more of her home as we progress.
Love the coffee table.
Do you know the brand or line?
Hi Cathy, thank you so much! Yes, we fell in love with this coffee table. Here’s the link: https://www.ashleyfurniturehomestore.com/p/fraloni-coffee-table/t086-0/
I think it looks great ! Can’t wait to see more !
Thank you so much Marijean!
Great job! Excited to see the finishing touches! And Congrats to Aunt Linny on her cozy new home! Xo
Thank you, Diana! We are so very excited for her!
That sectional looks so comfy! Curious, what is the fabric? It looks almost velvet-like.
It’s not velvet…but it has this gorgeous subtle pattern to it. It’s gorgeous!
It looks awesome Deb! The paint color is perfect and that sectional is BEAUTIFUL ❤️
Thank you so much, Ashley!
Thank you so much Ashley!
Wow what a difference the wall color makes! It instantly made the room look cleaner. Not a fan of gold paint – our house was yellow too when we bought it years ago. I painted it as soon as I could! The furniture is a perfect fit for the space too. I bet your MIL is loving it!
Thank you so much Cecilia! I am such a believer that paint can change anything.
What a great transformation! I am downsizing, but not retiring yet for 10 years. I am in my 50’s and since the kids are gone, we thought we go to something smaller. I am actually building a smaller home. So it should be interesting to see how I declutter all my kids stuff. The sectional is actually something I am looking to add.
They are lucky to have you helping them.
Maria
Awww that’s wonderful Maria, even tough your home is so gorgeous! yes the sectional is perfection!