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There are a few things that popular retirement destinations have in common: beautiful weather, easy access to medical facilities, a lower cost of living, and relative proximity to metropolitan areas. Realtor.com’s recent dig into the most popular cities where people are settling into retirement also sheds light on another fact—the town names often sound downright delightful. The proof is in the top 10 list.
- Sun City, Florida
- Green Valley, Arizona
- King City, Oregon
- The Villages, Florida
- Manchester, New Jersey
- Monroe, New Jersey
- Seal Beach, California
- Sun City, California
- Laguna Woods, California
- Whiting, New Jersey
Sun! Seals! Green valleys! No matter how far you are from the idea of retirement, it’s never too early to start thinking of a life where your professional life isn’t the headline. (On that note, know someone who’s retiring soon? Here are the retirement gifts to zero in on.) And in a world where owning a home is becoming more expensive by the day, the idea of settling into a space that you’ll enjoy for many decades ahead is enticing. Enter: aging in place. This theory is exactly what it sounds like—preparing for a life where you continue to live (and get older) at home. Ahead, read up on some tips for designing an abode intended for doing just this.
Splurge on Timeless Elements
It’s entirely possible to make a stunning bathroom hyper-functional, we promise. In fact, that’s exactly what the checkered bathroom in this Long Beach home accomplishes. Designed for a live-in mother/grandmother, the custom Fireclay tile adds some real pizzazz, while the easy step-in shower and handheld spray add accessibility. This space was designed to serve multiple generations—it will eventually become a bathroom for the family’s daughter.
Create Storage Out of Thin Air
The Austin home of 85-year-old painter Cecile Gil Martin is a masterpiece of hidden storage and space-opening tricks. Located in a senior living community, the 600-square-foot one-bedroom became a project between Martin and her son, architect Tom Hurt. Their goal was to create a home that could accommodate different levels of accessibility. The result is a network of Baltic birch and Douglas fir millwork winding throughout the space to offer shelving, drawers, and organization where there was once empty space.
The Chair-and-a-Half Fan Club Is for All Ages
When Domino chief creative officer Kate Berry’s mother had a stroke, she made it her goal to create a cozy living space that would encourage healing. Among the lush greenery, actually chic ADA-compliant furniture from West Elm, and an especially helpful faucet attachment hides a little secret: a sleeper sofa disguised as a chair-and-a-half. This hardworking piece of furniture means that Berry and her daughter or Berry’s sister can spend the night—or settle in for an impromptu movie night—without completely derailing the space.