Renovating Calgary homes is easy, right? Just do all the standard upgrades like trading the linoleum countertops for granite, swapping the engineered hardwood for the real thing, and putting some cool tile in the bathroom shower? Actually, no. A proper renovation in Calgary starts with a consultation so we can understand what the client needs and how their home should function for maximum efficiency. It’s important for us to differentiate between renovating for millennials and renovating for empty nesters. Then – and only then – can we talk about which components are best suited for your renovation.
Common Millennial Needs
Millennials are a very ambitious bunch. They are mastering the tricky balance of work and family life by eschewing the traditional 9-5 and embracing the gig economy. They are progressive with tech, very entrepreneurial and more inclined to spend money on travel and experiences than housing.
Many of our millennial clients enjoy renovations that make the best use of a smaller home, and blends living with working space. For example, a large kitchen can be renovated to include a workspace in lieu of a home office. Since few millennials have need for a massive china hutch or storage space for a 12-piece flatware and dining set, that space in the kitchen can be transformed into a handy office nook. This frees up bedroom space for kids or a home gym.
Finishing the basement is another home renovation in Calgary that appeals to millennials. The basement often functions as the startup space, the warehouse, the production studio, the art studio, or the entertaining space for friends (hello gaming room or home pub)!
We also love how creative millennials can be. We often get the chance to push the envelope and re-imagine common components. A backsplash could be a digital display that makes the kitchen truly unique. A feature wall could be a bold and unusual colour, or a unique wallpaper, like “newsprint” or a something sculpted or scenic.
A sculpted feature wall: CREDIT Field Studio & Arch 20
Common Empty Nester Needs
Empty nesters don’t necessarily want to downsize. When it comes time to relax a bit after the children are grown and gone, they often want to retain space for family gatherings and grandchild sleepovers.
It’s not uncommon for us to do a renovation in Calgary for empty nesters that sees one bedroom transformed into a hobby space for art, sewing, or crafts, and the other set up as a guest room (complete with a little coffee bar or electronics station).
With a little more time and money on their hands, some empty nesters do their lifelong dream of upgrading the kitchen. The kids and their friends are no longer hanging out in the kitchen, cooking up snacks and covering the fridge with treasures (and fingerprints) so it’s time to make that space really shine for big Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.
We also see more empty nesters putting in basement suites to accommodate aging parents or university-aged children that wish to pay rent (or not…!)
Our Calgary renovations for empty nesters sometimes include transforming the house for persons with compromised mobility. It’s harder to do stairs or reach up high as one ages, and if elderly parents are moving in, things like a stair lift or accessible tub are important for aging-in-place.
Your Renovation Depends on You and Your Stage of Life
The latest and greatest renovation trends are cool, but that’s what they are – just trends. Bell bottoms were once a trend too and that certainly wasn’t for everyone! When it comes to Calgary renovations, we start with who you are and what you need. Next comes the fun part – making your house truly your own.
Contact Home Fix, the Calgary renovation experts, for a home that meets your ages and stages of life.