by Roy Barker, Director – Special Projects
Last summer I read an article in USA Today and it suggested that to help reduce the cost of living in New York City, city planners are proposing that developers test apartments in the 300 sq. ft. range. This is due to the rising cost of rent in true dollars and as a percent of available income. This is somewhat parallel to the seniors housing market in that senior living and housing communities must balance size of living units against the affordability for seniors. Therefore, like the above scenario, senior living units can be very compact. One dilemma that results is “how do I go from a house with all of this space and all of this ‘stuff’ to a much smaller apartment and not lose my quality of life.”
Well the old saying has never been truer, “necessity is the mother of invention”. It’s very coincidental that shortly after reading that article I ran across a video on Wimp.com of different innovative home furnishings designed for space saving and functionality. While all these inventions presented in the video may not be for the senior housing industry, some form of adaptation could help with current space issues. I am confident there is a creative innovator out there who will see one of these ideas and be able to adapt it to the senior housing needs. Cost is always a consideration when building and furnishing units, but with these smaller units gaining a wider market appeal and the potential to save on monthly service fees, the initial cost of these multi-functional, space saving pieces could just be worth it.
Read the article and view the video and let us know what you think. What are some of your space saving ideas? Which product in the video was your personal favorite?
NYC asking developers to test 300-square-foot apartments, USA Today
Modern Furniture that maximizes the use of space without sacrificing style on Wimp.com