One of studioSIX5's predictions for 2018: luxe environments.

Austin, TX-based senior living interior design firm studioSIX5 has identified the following 10 trends for 2018:

  1. Communities will look for ways to cater to employee needs in ways that will increase efficiency and job satisfaction, ensuring employee comfort on the job as well as feelings of value as team members providing care and services to residents.
  2. The new year will bring a heavier focus on building scalable technologic capabilities into community infrastructures.
  3. 2017’s urban building boom will create a push to integrate senior living communities into master-planned communities where amenities such as salons, dining areas and fitness centers are public-facing to encourage increased socialization with the community at large.
  4. Designers will encourage providers to include accent pieces and décor with local flavor to foster a sense of history and pride of place within a space.
  5. Consumer demand will bring about more aesthetically pleasing, functional products and furnishings for senior living from manufacturers.
  6. The use of less restrictive cooking technologies such as hoodless cooking, sous vide and induction ranges will expand farm-to-table offerings and menu offerings to higher levels of care.
  7. Spaces with multiple uses and flexibility are still popular, but instead of having an area deemed as a “multipurpose room,” operators will look at amenities that they can combine to serve a variety of purposes. For example, instead of having both a library and a coffee shop, they will combine the two.
  8. LED lighting will be incorporated not just to save energy but to promote healthy sleep patterns and reduce anxiety by aligning lamp color temperature with residents’ circadian rhythms.
  9. Luxe environments will move beyond an understated elegance toward designs featuring jewel tones, mixed metals and lush fabrics, allowing designers to create opulent custom pieces tailored to meet the needs of seniors.
  10. The three zones of socialization will be used to create spaces that promote integration for each resident’s choice of socialization. Communities will create opportunities for purposeful engagement through programming and operations — such as meal prep, laundry or gardening — rather than simply providing activities.