Things to Consider When Remodeling Your Home for Multigenerational Living

In recent years, multigenerational living has been on the rise in popularity. While in some cultural family dynamics this has always been the norm, it’s becoming more and more common across the board, in fact it’s at least quadrupled since the 70s! Some factors in the rise include economic and financial health, the rising costs of childcare, and safer accommodations for elderly family members. If you’ve been considering renovations in order to help care for additional family members and senior loved ones, there are some things you should keep in mind when planning your home’s new upgrades.

On today’s blog, we’ll be discussing some of the ways you can make your home safer and more comfortable for all ages of family members, while still keeping things stylish and personal to your tastes when remodeling your home for multigenerational living .

Sectioning off a portion of your home such as converting a finished basement or a finished garage into a studio or one bedroom apartment setup. Ensuring the apartment or suite has a private walk-out entrance without stairs, that’s ideal for disabled family members!  Installing a small kitchenette with a stove/oven, range hood, fridge, dishwasher, and sink can create a fully functional independent living space.  Ensure the space has ample counters and cabinets for storage, as best can fit into the smaller space.  Having a desk or table that folds into the wall and chairs that can fold and stow are another great option for limited space, as they can be easily stowed hwen not inuse to create more walking room. If you’re able to fit it in the space, stackable laundry facilities can be a great quality to add to the apartment or in-law suite.  For large open spaces, you can easily divide a room with furniture to create multiple smaller “rooms” without the need to install walls. Converting these areas that are mostly used for storage can increase your liveable space as well as your home’s value.

Considering mobility and accessibility for all household members is vital for safety. We want to ensure that those with mobility aids can easily enter and exit the home safely, as well as keeping things secured for the safety of small children, babies, and pets.  Take a look at your home’s entrances and exits, and consider amending large steps and stoops with professionally graded entry ways, smooth pavement, or changing stairs to a ramp-style entrance.

Widening doorways and adding double-door entry and exit can help those with mobility aids and disabilities. Sliding doors and french doors with large or multiple windows panes can also increase light in the home, aiding visual acessibility.

If you’re upgrading bathrooms, ensure that elderly or disabled family members have a barrier-free shower for easy use to reduce fall risk, and install grab-bars in the shower; consider height and depth of things like sinks, counters, and toilets to be accessible to wheelchair users and walker users.

When creating a custom kitchen, opting for modern smart appliances with built-in text alerts for safety, auto-shut off timers, and other updated safety features may prevent injury or property damage.  Some items may also be voice activated or operated remotely, to provide assistive technology to disabled individuals and increasing their accessibility.

Create dynamic, open living spaces that can be shared with all family and household members on the ground floor that everyone can access.  Multi-generational living has its own stressors and caveats, but one of the most wonderful things about it is the family togetherness aspect; everyone under one roof, fostering a sense of community and joint well-being!

Providing a meeting space for family gatherings such as a game room, all-purpose room, den, or informal living room is a wonderful idea.  Even in homes which have a dedicated  in-law suite, having an easily accessible main area for all household members to enjoy a family gathering can provide a big morale booster.

Additionally, rooms that are multi-use and flexible allows your home to continue growing with your family as children grow up, grandparents and other relatives age, and the household dynamics shift. These large open rooms can be repurposed into anything your family needs!

Ensure the home is well-lit and painted in colors that allow for maximum visibility.  If you’re a big fan of dark rooms with shadowy nooks, and cozy corners, we feel you and we love them too, however, they’re not the most accessible. That being said, painting your hallways and stairwells with bright white or lighter colors, selecting a coordinating finish for your stairs in a paint or stain with high contrast can aid in visibility.

Installing easy to use features such as motion-sensor lights near the floor in darker hallways, near stairs, by entrances/exits can improve safety and prevent accidents.  One of the popular options we often see with clients is installing LED strip lighting or motion sensor lights during staircase renovations.

Place multiple light switches in easy to reach places on both ends of a room, allowing someone to turn a light on or off without having to walk too far to do so.  Dimmable lights allow for personal customization by each household member, as well as the option of smart bulbs which can be set to timers or controlled via an app on your phone.

Remember to put safety and function first when selecting floor materials and staircase designs.  Choose floorings and finishes that promote anti-slip grip and can be easily accessed by family members with mobility aids.  Removing carpets and slippery, glossy flooring or things like smooth tile and marble may increase safety and improve grip while walking, especially with mobility aids.

As stair builders and railing installers, we cannot stress enough the importance of ensuring your stairways and handrails are quality and up to code. Upgrading your home’s staircase and railings to something that is built to modern specifications can greatly improve safety for not just elderly family members but pets and children as well.  Select stair nosing such as “pencil round” may help reduce fall risk, ensure balusters are properly spaced to reduce injury, and install banisters and handrails at proper code height for easy grip and increased mobility.  Adding a custom gate to the top of stairs can also prevent accidental falls as well as restrict access to portions of the home that are unsafe for pets, children, or the elderly without a chaperone for safety.

If you’re looking to upgrade your home’s staircase and indoor handrails to meet the needs of your growing family, or to add new access to renovated rooms in your home, we’re here to help! The team here at Pinto Carpentry has more than two decades of industry experience in creating custom indoor handrails and bespoke stair builds to suit any home style.  We’ll do our best to find you the perfect match for your home’s style aesthetics and budgetary requirements.  Our knowledgeable and friendly office admin team will set you up with an appointment to get you a custom quote and top quality materials within your price range.  Give us a call or DM us on social media today!

Please note: At the time of publication, our schedule for incoming new client work is estimated into June 2025 or July 2025 and beyond.  Thank you for your patience.