Designing an Apartment for Your Next Chapter After 60
Updated: 4 days ago
A home for your next chapter should be bright, easy to move through and full of storage, with a kitchen that suits how you host, showers instead of bathtubs, doors that open wide, and a flexible guest room for children and grandchildren. Plan it for the life you live now and for the years ahead.
By Maya Sheinberger | 24.06.25
Many of my clients in their 60s and 70s are moving closer to their children, or leaving a large family home for a smaller one. It's an emotional move, and a great chance to design a home that fits exactly. Three apartments, in Hod Hasharon and Tel Aviv, show what matters most.
Key takeaways
Choose furniture in proportions that fit a smaller home, not the old one.
Plan generous storage, so a smaller home doesn't feel crowded.
Prefer walk-in showers (H added a built-in bench), and doors that open fully.
Make the kitchen the center if you cook and host.
Design a guest room that works for grandchildren, with a sofa bed.
What matters most when downsizing?
Space, light and storage. In the S apartment in Hod Hasharon, the owner, a woman in her 70s, moved from a five-room apartment in Ramat Gan to a three-room, 82 sqm apartment to be close to her family. It was very important to her that the home feel spacious, even if smaller. She didn't want a big sofa or heavy furniture, because she understood she didn't need them, so we chose pieces in smaller proportions that suit the space.
We replaced the corridor wall with a smoked oak cabinet that holds the air conditioning, the TV and storage, which opened the apartment and added storage at the same time. One palette runs through the whole home, so it reads as one calm space. I wrote more about this kind of planning in smart design solutions for a beautiful, practical home.
How do you plan bathrooms for the years ahead?
With showers, benches and doors that don't get in the way. In S, both bathrooms have only showers, because the owner had no need for a bathtub. The master bathroom got a pocket sliding door, so it can open fully and allow maximum access if it's ever needed in the future. The laundry got a custom folding door that opens all the way.
In the H apartment in Hod Hasharon, designed for a couple in their early 70s, the master bathroom has a large 1.2 by 2.4 meter shower with a custom Corian bench for sitting and for placing things. In the guest bathroom, a corner shower with a folding door keeps the room open and comfortable most of the day.
Need | Solution | Project |
Easy access to the bathroom | A pocket sliding door | S apartment |
Safe, comfortable showering | A large shower with a built-in bench | H apartment |
A bathroom that stays open | A corner shower with a folding door | H apartment |
Room for grandchildren | A guest room with a sofa bed | H and C apartments |
A home that feels larger | One palette and lots of storage | S apartment |
Should the kitchen be the center of the home?
If you cook and host, yes. The H couple left Ramat Gan to be close to family, and they host their children and grandchildren often. They bought the apartment for its large windows facing the park and its spacious master suite, although the kitchen was small, closed and uninviting. We moved the kitchen to create an open plan for cooking and hosting.
In the C apartment in Tel Aviv, a couple in their 60s whose children have left home cook, bake and host their children and grandchildren. The kitchen became the center of the home in every sense, with a 3.8-meter stainless steel island opposite a floor-to-ceiling appliance wall. You can read the full plan in my post on how to customize a new-build apartment, and compare kitchen types in my kitchen layout guide.
How do you design a guest room for grandchildren?
Make it a room that works every day, not only on visits. In H, the guest room is for the children and grandchildren who come often. It has a blue sofa bed, a desk with a reading lamp by the Israeli designer Alon Dodo, a black leather chair, a patchwork leather rug and a grayish Roman blind.
In C, the room at the end of the hallway was designed for the grandchildren, with a gray sofa bed, a soft pink armchair, a large wardrobe and geometric shelving in blackened oak. In S, the guest room is also a study, with an oak desk and a pull-out sofa.
Who manages the renovation?
If you can't manage the project yourself, have someone you trust do it. In S, the owner's brother-in-law managed the renovation on her behalf and coordinated everyone involved, which let her stay calm throughout. A building supervisor or a close family member who understands the field can play that role. For more on getting through the process, read fearless renovation: turning challenges into design opportunities.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a smaller apartment feel spacious after downsizing?
Use furniture in smaller proportions, one consistent palette, generous built-in storage and as few walls as possible, as in the S apartment.
Should I remove the bathtub?
If you don't use it, a walk-in shower is usually more comfortable and safer. Add a built-in bench and a wide, easy door.
What should a guest room for grandchildren include?
A sofa bed, a small desk or table, storage and soft light, so the room also works as a study or reading room between visits.
How do I plan for accessibility without a clinical look?
Choose pocket sliding doors, folding doors, wide showers and benches in warm materials. They look like design choices, not medical equipment.
Planning a home for your next chapter in Tel Aviv or central Israel? I'd love to hear about your project.
Maya Sheinberger is an interior designer with more than 17 years of experience. After five years at a leading architecture firm, she founded her independent studio in 2012. She holds a B.Des with honors from the College of Management. Her work has appeared in more than 150 publications in Israel and abroad, including eight Archilovers Best Project awards, and one of her apartments features in the book The New Minimalist Style.
Photography @itaybenitphotographer · Styling @maya_livnat_harush
