Designing for Senior Citizens

Clean lines, openness, spaciousness, and maintainable aesthetics define this simple apartment for an elderly couple.

Having lived the larger part of their lives in a bungalow and forced to move to more maintainable quarters that can be easily adapted to their aging bodies, architects Parag Ainchwar and Parag Sen craft a home that imbues the appeal of a spacious abode whilst it reduces the stress of maintenance by employing appropriate materials and finishes.

Making perceptible changes to the layout by removing walls and augmenting storage, the design driver here is space management. The living, dining, and kitchen follow an open plan with a white interior envelope and an all-white kitchen, thus amplifying space. The dining is relegated to a cosy corner as white sofas in an L-shape create custom comfort. A wall unit with custom-designed shelving and wall-mounted television creates ample open space for the homeowners to move around freely without having to worry about abutting corners.

A terrace adjoining the living room is a blessed offering and mitigates the otherwise closed-in feel that an apartment generally exudes.

The bedrooms are treated in quite an opposite palette – both dark and cosy, generating the feeling of security and warmth, with different colour palettes anointing each bedroom.

Veneer, laminate, mirrors, and glass complemented by colour accents create a fairly simple-minded, decluttered, chic ambience, where light fittings double up as artefacts and recessed lighting adds a clean dimension. Floor-to-ceiling wardrobes and wall panelling /cladding in the bedrooms augments verticality and is juxtaposed by partially cantilevered shelves and side tables to create a floating effect – enhancing spaciousness. Strategic use of mirrors completes the understated ambience.

The architects succeed in underscoring restrained elegance befitting the homeowners, catering to an easy, comfortable, and warm liveable space, once again proving that tailored design solutions are key to healthy and happy habitats.

Fact File:
Client: Mr. Vinod Manalwar
Design Firm: Cluster One Creative Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Pune, Maharashtra 
Principal Designer/Architect: Parag Ainchwar and Parag Sen
Built-up Area of project: 965 sq. ft.
Carpet Area of project: 723 sq. ft.
Project Location: Wardha, Maharashtra
Photography credits: Ashish Bhonde