Multigenerational homes
Flexible care room Furniture Planning for Multigenerational homes
Specify the occupied size, operating clearance and route into the building before choosing furniture by catalogue dimensions.
Explore the ideas
Compare the options
- Set the brief
- Use templates at the size of the actual furniture. Include seated users, open drawers and reclined positions where relevant.
- Compare
- Decide which items need to move independently and which benefit from built-in anchoring.
- Before buying
- Confirm that the largest pieces can turn at the entrance, lift lobby and corridor, or specify assembly in place.
Worked example
Imagine selecting a bedside chair and cabinet for a person whose transfer method and mobility aid may change over time. Standard furniture footprints omit helper movement.
Ask the care team and user to identify the transfer sequence and equipment envelope. Tape those positions with the furniture footprint, and favor pieces that can be moved independently as needs evolve.
How to test it
Overlay the furniture in its stored and in-use positions, then check both against the measured plan.
Apply it to this space
- Layout
- Keep a clear furniture zone around the bed and provide a direct route to a nearby bathroom.
- Detail
- Choose movable storage, blackout control and adjustable bedside lighting.
- Trade-off
- Keeping the room ready for care can make it feel less personal as a guest room.
- Try furniture in each intended configuration
- Check night access and support-person space
The Elixir portfolio
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