The Old School Way of Thinking
We can all recall going over to older relatives homes when we were younger and inwardly laughing at the old, rickety furniture or shag carpet that needed replacing eons ago.  Did you wonder at the time what these people were thinking of or not?  Often, it wasn’t due to financial constraints, but more of a sign of people caught in a rut or dare I say a time warp!
Aging in the past never seemed to focus on how redecorating could give a necessary psychological boost, but instead tended to focus on how to make an older persons home safer. For example, putting bars in the bathroom near the shower was a favorite one!  Older people never really considered how a redo of their home decor could actually be good for their health.
Opinions From The Professionals
I recently read an article in the Wall Street Journal that brought to my attention how important it is to keep redecorating throughout ones lifetimes. For starters, we all go through different phases in our lives where geography plays a role or our tastes change.  There are apparently environmental psychologists that maintain that different couches will make us happy at touchpoint of our lives.  Futons were a sign of our burgeoning independence after college, replaced by more adult type sofas that were exchanged for a sofa that may not be as child friendly.  These choices all are a mirror to the lives we are living.
This article also mentioned that as we grow older certain colors may make us happier than ones we liked when we were younger.  A NYC based decorator who is in her 90’s is still helping older clients redecorate. She focuses on staying on a budget and refreshing her clients decor by swapping out an area carpet, and definitely replacing an old sofa!!!
The important take away is that our physical environment is a reflection on our current state of mind — which will be much happier if updates or minor redo’s are a part of the plan!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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