Living room of a well decorated senior apartment in Houston, Texas

Houston Senior Apartment Decorating Ideas

Moving to a senior living community is a significant lifestyle change. For many older adults, it means transitioning from a house to an apartment or townhome. While it may seem daunting at first, the right approach to right-sized living can make for an extremely positive, liberating experience.

If you or someone you love are gearing up for a shift to a Houston senior living apartment, check out this handy advice on interior décor. From flexible storage to a little clever self-trickery, there are a lot of ways to make a smaller space feel larger than life.

Eight Tips for Adapting to a Smaller Space

What image does the phrase ‘small space living’ conjure in your mind? If you’re like a lot of people, you probably think of college kids in dorm rooms eating instant ramen and sleeping on bunk beds. While that cliché exists for a reason, modern home decorators and trendsetters around the world are recognizing the perks of paring things down.

There are plenty of ways to make your new apartment feel a whole lot more spacious, warm and welcoming. Try these small apartment decorating ideas on for size:

1.​ Start with a plan. ​Go through your current home and make a checklist of which items you value most – then take a close look at the floor plans you’re considering.​ ​Whether you want a smaller apartment to serve as a home base for travel, or one that has room for you, the dog, visiting grandkids and get-togethers with the neighbors, there’s a living option that suits your lifestyle.

2.​ ​No ‘uni-taskers’. ​Ideally, the furniture in your new place should serve multiple functions –like a couch or ottoman that doubles as a nifty chest for storage, or a coffee table with ample low-profile drawers. For the socialite, an affordable bar cart can double as an extra table when you aren’t entertaining guests. Smooth, sleek and functional are the three words to keep in mind.

Well decorated senior apartment in Houston, Texas

3.​ ​Express yourself.​ Small spaces are the perfect place for statement pieces and clean, contemporary furniture. Building the style and color palette of each room around a unique piece (like a large bookshelf or a bright-colored rug) works wonders to make everything feel more cohesive.

4.​ ​Pare it down. ​Be realistic about what furniture you really need, and make sure it has a practical role in your home’s overall décor. Your large dining room table might have been just right for your current home, but it may dominate the entirety of your new place. Conversely, a large piece of furniture like a corner-filling sectional couch can make a room feel cozy and inviting.

5.​ ​Emphasize natural light. ​Avoid heavy curtains and blackout blinds – while they make it easier to sleep in, they can restrict the inflow of sunlight that makes a space feel light, airy and open. Additionally, try to orient your furniture such that the inside and outside form a semi-contiguous space separated only by a pane of glass.

Couch with two end tables and a plant in a senior apartment in Houston

6.​ ​Have a green thumb. ​In addition to adding a little bit of a breezy, natural feel to your new home, keeping a houseplant (or two, or three – we don’t judge!) has documented benefits for your health. Plus, it’s also an incredibly rewarding, low-cost hobby.

7.​ ​Optical illusions. ​Trick your brain by putting a mirror over your mantel, in the entryway or at the end of a hallway. This simple tip can work wonders to make even the smallest space feel way bigger.

8.​ ​Clear the floor. ​When decorating for a senior apartment, try to get common household objects off the floor and onto shelves and other storage options. This is a great way to add usable space to your apartment and make it feel less cramped. Consider hiring a professional or enlisting a loved one to install a wall mount for your television as well.

Two movers hanging a television on a wall in a Houston senior apartment

See Houston’s Top Senior Apartments

If you’re in the market for a senior apartment in Houston, look no further than The Buckingham. Here, a ‘small space’ is still a whole lot larger than your average senior living apartment. With our broad variety of spacious one- and two-bedroom options, you’ll be free to live as large as you’d like. And thanks to our generous move-in assistance, customizing your new place couldn’t be simpler – we’ll even help you wall mount your TV. You can make these apartments feel like home unlike traditional nursing homes.

Interested? Take a closer look at our incredible​ ​independent living​ and arrange your senior apartment in advance using our fun and flexible interactive floor plans.