In the world of later living, there’s a lot of talk about ‘downsizing.’ But what if this is actually the best time to consider ‘upscaling?’
Interior designer Theresa Martorana of TIM Interiors advises that this is the perfect season of life to let go of trends and invest in a high-quality home that embodies your personal story.
“We spend 98% of our day in the built environment,” Theresa says. “[Our surroundings] shape how we feel and move and use the space. So it’s not at the forefront of most people’s minds, but it is a huge factor in how we feel every day.
“To have a space that is edited and tailored to you where you can put your head down at night is an amazing gift everyone should have.”
Achieving such a space might mean adapting your current home to add more functional luxury, taking into account changes needed to age in place. Or, it might mean building something completely new and ‘you.’
Building their dream home
Before busy family life set in, Andy and Laurie Weeks used to go on little dates where they would walk through neighborhoods and houses that were being built, looking at floor plans.
“We’ve always had in the back of our minds that we’d love to build,” Laurie says.
While raising their two daughters, the couple lived in a series of older homes that they would gradually renovate, settling longest in a cozy 1970s two-story in Douglass Hills. But after their girls married and started families, things started feeling cramped.
“Everybody didn’t have a place to sit around the Christmas tree,” Laurie says. “And all four bedrooms were upstairs; our laundry room was in the basement. I’d been trudging laundry down to the basement and up to the second floor for many years.
“Our thoughts were, well, we could find another old house and renovate it to what we want, or we could maybe build something like we had always thought about.”
It was challenging to find a place to build that didn’t require a long commute to necessities like the grocery store, but when the opportunity to purchase a lot near Beckley Creek arose, Andy and Laurie knew they’d found the spot for their future home. They built during COVID – navigating all the chaos of that time – and moved in in 2022.
“My number one favorite thing is the view out the back,” Laurie says. “In our previous house, the view out the back was the back of somebody’s garage. We built this big, screened-in porch. When it’s nice weather, that’s our favorite spot. And for this house, we put in a large mudroom/laundry room, and it’s right off our walk-in closet in our bedroom. So all I have to do is go a couple of steps.”
The Weeks’ home offers plenty of intentional space for their family, including a nursery with a crib, a walk-out basement where the grandkids can spread out their toys, and a guest suite where their daughters’ families can have privacy – which may also in the future be a safe and comfortable place for Laurie’s aging parents. They’ve also been able to host traveling friends and members of their church family who have needed temporary housing.
“The way God has worked all that out for us is humbling,” Laurie says.
A tailored and edited space
For those who enjoy their current home but want to make some upgrades, Theresa advocates for a process of editing and tailoring: A Marie Kondo-style decluttering where you clear out the things that don’t bring you joy, and then bringing that top-10% of your special possessions into the spotlight. Hang up that artwork you bought on that trip. Bring your family heirlooms into everyday use. It’s a slow process that requires a long-term outlook — and no shortcuts.
“That is how you make your home ‘you,’” Theresa says. “I can make a house pretty for resale in one afternoon. But there is no way to cultivate a home to have that authentic, intimate, tailored-to-you feel in an afternoon.”
Theresa also advises putting your money toward investment pieces and quality materials rather than cheaper, trendier options. You might have to do it slowly over time, but to make a home feel luxurious, there’s no substitute for real woods, soapstones, limestones, leather, and wool. “The real materials make it look so much richer,” Theresa says.
If you’re waiting for a sign to invest in your space, making it a place of peace and personality, consider this to be it.
“If they haven’t yet, it is the time to invest in themselves and their home to bite the bullet and do what they want to do,” Theresa says.
By Jessica Alyea | Photos by Emily McCanless unless otherwise noted.
P.S. Looking to travel outside your tailored home? You may be interested in Traveling With High-End Touches
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