As members of the large Baby Boomer population in the United States have all now reached senior citizen status (if you consider age 55 to be a senior citizen), the country is seeing an increased need for senior housing. While some seniors still prefer to live in traditional senior living facilities or in 55+ communities, others are choosing to live with family members in multi-generational living situations.
Mark Grisafe, owner and architect at Grisafe Architecture in Long Beach, California, is seeing more and more homeowners who are interested in either building homes with areas designated for aging family members or adding Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) to their Long Beach properties. An ADU is an independent residence located on the same property as a single-family home. Currently, the state of California is actively encouraging homeowners to build ADUs on their properties in order to increase the supply of affordable housing in the state.
Recently, Grisafe’s architecture firm completed the design of a new home in the Rossmoor community, which borders Long Beach. One of the goals for the homeowners was to provide a dedicated space for an elderly family member. Grisafe designed a “grandfather suite” on the first floor of the home with a separate entrance that would allow the occupant to maintain a level of independence, while still being near the rest of the family for support.
The custom two-story Rossmoor home features an expansive front elevation designed in a modern farmhouse style. In addition to the grandfather unit, the first floor has a large home office, as well as a spacious kitchen with custom cabinetry and a walk-in pantry and a butler’s pantry. A living room with a two-sided fireplace, a game and media room, a formal dining room, and a guest bathroom round out the lower level.
The second story houses the rest of the bedrooms, all of which open up to a casual family loft space, and a large laundry room. The master suite has a spacious walk-in closet and a luxurious en suite bathroom, complete with a soaking tub.
Grisafe explains,
One of the challenges for our architecture team was addressing the need for personal space among family members, while still maintaining an open, airy, and inviting feeling. We found that the modern farmhouse style—with light colors, ample natural light, and loose compartmentalization between spaces—ideally met all of the qualities we were looking for in this successful design.”
This Rossmoor home is a great example of a well-thought-out residence that makes sense for the three generations of family members living in it. Not only that—it’s a beautiful and warm home that will serve the family well for many years to come.
To learn more about Grisafe Architecture and their commercial and residential architectural design services for Long Beach and the surrounding communities, visit their website: https://grisafearchitecture.com/
