Families come in all shapes and sizes. In fact, many American homes are populated with multiple generations all residing under the same roof. Perhaps in your home, there’s a baby in a bassinet along with a few older kids. Add in parents with busy careers as well as a grandparent or two and it’s easy to see that there’s a lot of life being lived by a wide range of individuals and experiences. How wonderful!
Having family members young and old interacting on a daily basis in the same house can provide an array of benefits, including passing on family traditions and creating unforgettable memories. On the other hand, having multiple generations living in one home creates the need to decorate your living spaces in a way that ensures that everyone feels at home. From newborn babies to Boomers and everyone in between, it’s important to put together rooms that are accommodating and functional while still being stylish and inviting. Sounds impossible? It’s not! Here are the 5 key decorating tips from the experienced designers at Star Furniture that can help you along the way.
Start with a Neutral Palette
With so many different personalities living under one roof, you can expect everyone to have their own preferences in terms of what colors and styles they’d like to see used in your home decor. Do yourself a favor and avoid the hassle of trying to appease everyone by dressing your shared living spaces in a neutral color palette. Starting with a blank slate, so to speak, can offer a variety of advantages, especially in a multigenerational home. Some of these include:
- Creating an aesthetic that is stylish yet timeless
- Can easily be mixed up with seasonal decorations or pops of color to highlight individual tastes
- Appealing to people of all ages
The versatility that comes with using a neutral color scheme can also make decorating easier. Start by choosing a paint color for your walls that can be incorporated throughout your home. Consider choosing a light neutral color, such as cream or gray, to help every room feel bright while creating a cohesive look from one room to the next. Then, choose furniture and upholstery that complement the wall color while still sticking to a neutral palette. A good way to accomplish this is by using different shades of the same color, which can create depth without overwhelming the space.
Once the many factors of the room have been chosen, you can spice things up with accessories. If you’d like to stick with an understated color scheme, bringing in patterns and textures through pieces, such as pillows, area rugs, and blankets, can enhance the visual intrigue of each room. On the other hand, these same pieces can be used to add more noticeable shades of color if you want to make a brighter statement.
Star Furniture’s pro tip: When you need inspiration on what colors to use within a space, choose a piece of art to act as your guide. Pick two or three colors from the piece to use as the foundation of the room, a supporting color, and finally an accent color. This will help you stay focused when shopping for pieces that work together and will create a result that every generation is sure to love.
All Together Now
Having the opportunity for multiple generations to interact and make memories together is one of the biggest benefits of families living in one home. For this reason, it’s important to cultivate and decorate spaces where it’s easy and comfortable for people of all ages to spend time together. Fortunately, the open floor plans that are found in many modern homes are perfect for multigenerational living. With living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens connected, it’s easy for grandparents, parents, and children to cook, chat, and play together on any given day.
While we love open floor plans for their spacious, open, and inviting atmosphere, there’s no denying that they can sometimes be a challenge to decorate. The good news is that the trusted designers at Star Furniture are here to help. Check out these multifunctional furnishings that can help your family make the most of your open-concept living spaces:
- Furniture with hidden storage is any multigenerational family’s best friend, such as this lovely storage bench. Along with providing a comfy place to sit down in your entryway or living room, you can easily keep everyday household items accessible yet neatly tucked away.
- When rooms seamlessly flow into each other, it’s nice to have furniture that brings the two areas together. In this case, swivel chairs are particularly handy. For instance, adding swivel stools to the counter or bar in your kitchen is a wonderful way to make it more convenient for family members to hang out while the cook is preparing a meal. Likewise, swivel armchairs and recliners, such as this handsome one, can encourage conversations from one room to the next between kids and adults alike.
- Need an additional bed for overnight guests or a child who has moved out but visits on occasion? Adding a hidden bed or sleeper sofa to your home office or family room can provide a comfortable spot for visitors to sleep without infringing on anyone else’s personal space.
Go to Your Room
No matter how much your family enjoys spending time together, every person should have their own personal space to call their own. Spending time together as a family is great, but private downtime is important, too. Your bedroom should be a space where you feel comfortable, are able to relax, and that highlights your unique taste. It’s the one area of the home where you don’t have to compromise on the features that are meaningful to you. Likewise, your children’s and parents’ bedrooms should be focused on their needs and preferences.
With this in mind, it’s worth taking the time to create bedrooms that are relaxing, comfortable, and personalized to the individual. Here are some helpful tips from the Star Furniture experts that will make every person in your house look forward to going to their room, regardless if they’re nine or ninety.
- Invest in a comfortable mattress. What one person prefers, another person may find to be uncomfortable. Because of this, it’s a good idea to let the individual who will be using the mattress try it out first. When it comes to choosing a mattress that will stay in tip-top shape for the long haul, cheaper is rarely better. Be prepared to spend a bit more money in order to get a mattress that will hold up well over time and give your family members the restful night’s sleep they deserve, including your little ones.
- Let the individual have the decorating reigns. While you may not prefer lilac paint on the walls or sheets with yellow polka dots, it’s important to remember that each person’s bedroom is their own personal oasis. The way that they choose to decorate it may not be your cup of tea, and that’s okay.
- Choose furnishings that can transition from one stage of life to the next. It’s normal for kids to like something one day and hate it the next, but you don’t want to have to replace everything in their room whenever their favorite color or TV show changes. To avoid this unnecessary inconvenience, decorate their bedroom with pieces that are neutral and versatile, including their wall color and bedding. Then pair these neutral furnishings with personalized accessories that can be easily swapped out as they like.
Choose Inclusive Design
Your home should be comfortable and accessible for every individual who lives in it, regardless of what their age or physical ability may be. Designing your living spaces with inclusivity and accessibility in mind means being empathetic to your other family members and anyone who has the pleasure of visiting your home. If you think that you have to compromise style in the name of curating more accessible rooms, think again. Contemporary home design has a lot to offer in terms of embracing modern style while simultaneously meeting the functional needs of a wide range of people. Check out these decorating ideas that are as aesthetically appealing as they are functional:
- Replace furniture with sharp edges, such as your coffee table or dining room table, with soft-edge furniture designs to prevent injuries when little ones bump into them.
- Arrange living room furniture in a way that is easy to maneuver around for people with walkers or wheelchairs.
- Add a bench to your dining room set to allow children of all ages to sit comfortably during mealtimes.
- Incorporate pieces that are easy to maintain, such as a leather sectional or metal kitchen bar stools, so that your home will always look its best, even if the occasional mess is made.
- Make sure everyone can see and read with ease by providing a variety of light sources, such as table lamps, floor lamps, wall sconces, and overhead light fixtures.
Stow It Away
Let’s face it. It’s easy for clutter to build up in any home, but especially in multigenerational homes where people of all ages are continuously on the move. With so many different needs, preferences, and lifestyles, you can bet that things will begin to accumulate quickly causing your house to feel messy and crowded if you’re not careful.
So what’s the secret to maintaining living spaces that are beautiful, comfortable, and functional without hounding your family members who bring home a new shopping bag or inevitably leave their belongings strewn about? Providing ample storage solutions, of course! When everything in your house has a “home,” it’s easy for folks to know exactly where to find it when they need it and, most importantly, where to return it when they’re through. With this in mind, the more storage space you provide in your multigenerational home, the better. Check out these storage tips from the design experts at Star Furniture:
- Bookcases make a lovely addition to living rooms, offices, and bedrooms alike to store everything from books and school supplies to baskets full of toys and knick-knacks.
- Upgrade existing furniture with new designs featuring built-in storage functionality. A coffee table with drawers and a storage ottoman are great examples.
- Don’t waste an inch of space. If you find an area of your home with “wasted space,” consider how you can repurpose it to increase your storage capabilities, such as storing holiday decorations under the bed or board games on a console table under your television.
- Store “like” items together in bins or boxes that are clearly labeled, such as art supplies or pet care needs. This will make finding items, putting them away, and staying organized day after day simple for kids and adults alike.
Maximize Your Multigenerational Home with Star Furniture
At the end of the day, your home should be a place that honors and serves the needs of your family. That’s why the design team at Star Furniture is committed to helping every family create living spaces that meet their unique style, comfort, and functional needs. As a furniture company that’s over a century old, we can appreciate decorating with furniture that accommodates people from every generation. Our extensive expertise in serving people of all ages, interests, and backgrounds is ingrained in Star Furniture’s DNA.
If you’re interested in revamping your living spaces to maximize the comfort of everyone who lives in your home, the trusted Star Furniture design team is here to help. We can help you make smart decorating decisions that will create harmony at home for everyone. To start your multigenerational home decor journey with quality bedroom furniture and more, visit us online or stop by our showroom today. Together, we can celebrate everything life has to offer in living spaces that are designed with everyone in mind!
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