As parents age, eventually you may have to help them re-design their lives. Health issues can make it hard for a parent to continue to live independently, but personality, emotional and financial factors may eliminate the possibility of assisted living or other institutional options.

If you’re considering bringing one or both parents into your home, making a few plans first can help this transition work well for everyone involved.

To start, make sure your family member or members have a realistic understanding of the situation. If possible show them the space they would have, and get measurements to keep their furniture expectations realistic. Let them redecorate the space to make it their own.

Be sure to do a safety check on your home before your parent or parents move in. Look for tripping hazards such as rugs without non-slip pads. If possible, carpet their space. Carpeting is the safest flooring for the elderly because it cushions falls. You may also want to add safety bars to showers or bathtubs.

If you can, provide a bedroom, a bathroom and a sitting room to ensure enough privacy. It’s generally a good idea to include a television in their personal space so that there will be no program debates among the generations.

Plan to provide additional storage space for valued possessions. Remember that something that may not seem valuable to you may hold special memories for a parent. If you need to, rent storage space to hold their things until they’re ready to let them go.

Above all, work to keep the lines of communication open. There will be challenges, but with effort you will all find the time together to be rewarding.

When decorating a room, it’s important to connect the design choices to the architecture of the space. When you don’t, you have a room like this one, where the style choices eliminate the charm and power of the space rather than support it.

What doesn’t work, and what needs to happen to make this room live up to its potential? Start with the easiest and most appalling decision – the valance. The bit of fabric cuts at a point that emphasizes the unfortunate delineation between the lower and upper windows, damaging the drama of the line and adding absolutely nothing to the potential charm of the room.

The black sofa has the power to live up to the space, but sitting alone in the middle of the room, it seems as if the movers set it down and no one has touched it since. It’s too far away from the other chairs to create a conversation center or support the fireplace as a focal point. It also needs some companion upholstered pieces to save it from looking bulky and overbearing compared to the other furniture in the room.

The other pieces of furniture seem to have been set to make it easy to vacuum. The plants feel like space fillers rather than an integral part of the design. The light walls and carpet increase the weakness of the look.

Let’s make some changes. Place a rich gold carpet in a slightly darker tone than the ceiling. Move the sofa within shouting distance of the fireplace, and add a couple of upholstered chairs to make a conversation space around the fire. Take the rockers and move them to the front of the room where their light weight will keep your eyes moving to the back of the space where the action is.

Finally, tear down that valance and consider replacing the ceiling fan with a darker and more significant light fixture. The addition of a rug or two would also anchor the space effectively. Suddenly you have a space that invites you in and makes you feel comfortable.

When decorating a room, it’s important to connect the design choices to the architecture of the space. When you don’t, you have a room like this one, where the style choices eliminate the charm and power of the space rather than support it.

What doesn’t work, and what needs to happen to make this room live up to its potential? Start with the easiest and most appalling decision – the valance. The bit of fabric cuts at a point that emphasizes the unfortunate delineation between the lower and upper windows, damaging the drama of the line and adding absolutely nothing to the potential charm of the room.

The black sofa has the power to live up to the space, but sitting alone in the middle of the room, it seems as if the movers set it down and no one has touched it since. It’s too far away from the other chairs to create a conversation center or support the fireplace as a focal point. It also needs some companion upholstered pieces to save it from looking bulky and overbearing compared to the other furniture in the room.

The other pieces of furniture seem to have been set to make it easy to vacuum. The plants feel like space fillers rather than an integral part of the design. The light walls and carpet increase the weakness of the look.

Let’s make some changes. Place a rich gold carpet in a slightly darker tone than the ceiling. Move the sofa within shouting distance of the fireplace, and add a couple of upholstered chairs to make a conversation space around the fire. Take the rockers and move them to the front of the room where their light weight will keep your eyes moving to the back of the space where the action is.

Finally, tear down that valance and consider replacing the ceiling fan with a darker and more significant light fixture. The addition of a rug or two would also anchor the space effectively. Suddenly you have a space that invites you in and makes you feel comfortable.

Do you wish you could redecorate your home but don’t want to go through all the hassle? A fresh coat of paint can make an enormous difference in a space. Painting is the simplest, most effective home improvement out there.

The most difficult part of painting is not the actual labor of painting; it’s selecting an appropriate color for the space. When trying to decide on a color, keep in mind what color fabrics are in the room.

Before purchasing enough paint to coat the entire space; buy a small pint of the color you are considering. Paint a large enough area, so you can get a feel for what it will look like on all the walls. This will allow you to see what the color looks like with the type of lighting in the space. If you are lucky enough to have natural light in the space, check out how the color looks during different times of the day (morning, mid day, afternoon, dusk and evening). Doing so will prevent making the wrong choice and having to buy more materials and painting over.

There is more to decide than simply what color to paint. Sheen is an important aspect to consider. High gloss sheens tend to highlight imperfections on the walls; but it is easily cleaned with water and a towel. Satin and eggshell sheens go on smoothly and have a nice matte finish. These are the safest choice for paint sheen.

Painting a room or two can be done over one weekend. There are paints available now that have primer built and usually only require one coat. You may need two coats if your color is really bright, intense or dark. This home improvement really is worth considering if you are looking to enhance your space.