New Home Design and the Baby Boomer

Baby boomers are different from retirees in the past. They are better educated and informed. Style and status is very important to boomers. Another distinctive feature of boomers is that they don't see themselves as aging, but as going through a lifestyle change. Their needs will dictate the direction of many new homes and condos being built in the next 10 to 30 years.

"Aging in place" and "universal design" are two design concepts that will become familiar to the general public in the near future. Builders will also need to watch for these trends in new homes.

Aging in place refers to the desire of baby boomers to grow older within their own homes rather than moving to retirement homes. Universal design refers to design that makes furniture, appliances, homes and technology easy to use and access for individuals of all ages, abilities and dexterity levels. Flexibility, affordability and adaptability are important features of universal design.

Builders and homeowners have to consider the physical changes baby boomers will undergo as they age. Changes in vision will mean that baby boomers will need rooms with more light and furnishings that don't produce glare. Walls, floors and furnishings will need warm, bright, saturated colours. Countertops, indoor and outdoor stairways, as well as floor coverings will need contrasting colours to indicate edges.

Aging means changes in flexibility, mobility and height. Doorways will need to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers. Height and flexibility changes will mean a trend away from traditional appliances to refrigerators, microwaves and dishwaters in drawers set at a lower level. Cabinets and countertops will also have to be lower. "No threshold" showers will become necessary, as will no-step entry doors. Ramps will also become important to baby boomer homeowners.

Garages will also need to change to accommodate baby boomers. Younger baby boomers are buying convertibles and motorcycles in record numbers. Their garages will need to accommodate both. Older baby boomers will need garages with space for their wheelchairs.

Baby boomers are comfortable with technology. They will expect accessibility for computers in various rooms of their home. Many boomers are not retiring, either because they want to stay active or because they need to work. Home offices and technology will be important to them in either case. Social networking sites are becoming increasingly important to individuals over the age of 50. One study found 43 million users, over the age of 50, used the Internet in 2005.

One-third of baby boomers are moving into smaller homes, so the new homes they choose need rooms that are multipurpose. Master suites on ground floors will become popular. The upper floors of homes will be for visiting family. Doorways will need to allow for walkers and wheelchairs. Sloped ramps will also be needed in and around the home. Floors will need to allow wheelchair and walker use. Carpets, for example, don't allow for easy movement in the home. Slippery wood floors are also difficult for older homeowners. Door handles and light switches, for example, will have to be styled to allow for the decreased flexibility of older baby boomers.

Getting older does not mean that baby boomers will want to sacrifice style in their new homes. Accommodating older baby boomers will mean that design should not be obviously made for aging bodies and hands. For example homebuyers will not appreciate ugly handgrips in bathrooms. Baby boomers will not abandon their values as they age. Sustainability and energy conscious living will still be important in their lives.

Two important segments of the baby boomer population are individuals who own second homes and single women living alone. Security is important for both groups. This means they will be looking for houses with good security systems or condos with concierges.

Condos and neighbourhoods that offer access to fitness centres will also be important to baby boomers. According to Dr. David Foot, author of Boom, Bust and Echo, "condos that are situated in the middle of cultural areas will be important to boomers."

Condos that offer a variety of services, like bus tours to various destinations such as garden tours and the theatre, will have an edge over their competition, he adds.

Service, style and independence are important to the baby boomers. These values will affect home and condo design and purchasing over the next 10 to 30 years.

Sources

International Furnishings and Design Association: www.ifda.com

www.helium.com

Kitchen and Bath Design News: Kitchenbathdesign.com