The American household is evolving. Traditional family households with parents and children up to 18 have transformed into a mix of various generations.
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the growth of multigenerational households, including adults with boomerang children living at home after college or aging parents living with them rather than at assisted living facilities.
As the pandemic has shifted the way a home functions in multiple ways, more people are putting time into home-improvement projects that help a home function well for everyone who lives there. This is particularly important for people transitioning to multigenerational households. Consider three steps to help improve multigenerational living:
Step 3: Add and enhance entryways
With more people coming and going, entryways can become chaotic places in a home. If possible, consider refining the entry points to accommodate increased traffic and contain clutter. You may want to add benches and cubbies for each person’s personal items to help contain messes and prevent tripping hazards. Proper lighting, stable hooks and grab bars are also useful additions to accommodate multigenerational living.
Although you have a main entryway, you might also have other points of entry such as from the garage, the side or back of the home. Consider refreshing different entryways for different residents. For example, young adults just starting their careers may be coming and going a lot, so the door from the garage should be their main point of entrance. For aging parents with stability issues, the front entryway might be a good option, because it has railings and bright lighting. You can even change stairways into ramps if necessary.