Home design trends

7 top home renovation ideas for retiring Houstonians to 'age in place'

Houston still has a youthful population in 2025, but none of us are getting younger. Older Houstonians who are nearing their retirement years may be contemplating making changes to help ease into the next phase of life. And Houston homeowners who are concerned about getting older in their current homes – but don't want to get caught up in the city's fluctuating real estate market – are finding solutions through home renovations that specifically accommodate for the future.

Interior design experts Houzz revealed that more than half of all homeowners undertook some type of home renovation in 2024, and the most sought-after upgrades centered around "aging in place," meaning renovations that addressed the future needs of owners as they live in their homes for as long as possible. Renovating could even serve as a financially preferable option for homeowners rather than downsizing or relocating to a retirement community.

For Houston homeowners who need inspiration to help plan their own home upgrades, Houzz has seven ideas for the best aging in place strategies.

Widening walkways and doorways
Having the necessary space to move around comfortably should be a top priority as a person ages. Open concept layouts have spacious features already incorporated into the home's design, but those who have differing home layouts will have a unique challenge to face.

Houzz recommends spacing out all furniture and fixtures to have wide clearances around them, and suggests widening all walkways and doorways in the house.

"Pros on Houzz recommend 36-inch doorway openings to provide easier access for mobility aids like walkers and wheelchairs," said senior editor Mitchell Parker. "In the kitchen, designers recommend at least 48 inches of clearance between countertops and an island to ensure a safe and accessible work zone."

Installing continuous and nonslip flooring
Tripping hazards are a major concern no matter how old someone is, and having a consistent flooring throughout the home drastically reduces any risk to both homeowners and visitors.

Installing non-slip flooring is crucial for bathrooms and kitchens where there is a heightened likelihood for slipping on wet surfaces. Choosing a classic pebble tile or a matte finish mosaic tile with multiple grout lines are key options for homeowners to improve bathroom floor traction, Houzz says.

For homes with steps leading up to the entrances, Houzz recommends installing a gently sloped ramp that allows for a smooth transition from outdoors to indoors.

Having the primary suite on the ground floor
Single-story homeowners need not fret about this tip, but Houstonians who own two-story houses should consider relocating the primary suite to be on the ground floor for ease of accessibility.

"It’s important to allow ample room to move comfortably around the bed and furnishings — and to accommodate medical equipment if needed," Parker said. "Pros on Houzz suggest thinking about how to provide fantastic views should one become bedridden, the ability for individuals to move themselves and the ability for others to be able to move them."

Installing curbless showers
Curbless showers are a great solution to avoid trip hazards, and it adds to the previous tip about continuous flooring. Those with limited mobility benefit significantly from having a "barrier-free" entry into the shower area, Houzz says.

Additionally, Houzz's 2024 bathroom trends report found that nearly 40 percent of all renovated bathrooms featured curbless showers, proving that it's a popular upgrade among homeowners.

Houzz aging in place report, bathroom Curbless showers and shower tile with multiple grout lines improve safety in the bathroom.Photo courtesy of Architecture By George/Avery Nicole Photography

Various bathroom upgrades
Houzz recommends several upgrades for improving safety in the bathroom, but specifically highlights installing grab bars, benches, and handheld sprayers in the shower area.

"Paired with a nearby handheld sprayer, [a bench] allows users to shower while seated with ease and independence," the report said. "It also provides greater functionality for caregivers assisting with bathing. For added convenience and safety, choose models mounted on a slide bar that doubles as a grab bar."

Grab bars would also be useful near the toilet, but the report warns that making these upgrades will require thorough planning to avoid any possible issues such as the bar ripping off the wall.

"Structural backing must be installed behind the wall to ensure the bar can safely support weight and pressure during use," the report said.

Having well-lit spaces and multiple lighting options
According to the report, having poor lighting in the house combined with diminished eyesight can increase the risk of accidents. Homeowners can help reduce their risk with solutions such as installing recessed ceiling lighting and pendant fixtures, as well as adding under-cabinet lights.

"Low-level lighting, such as LED strips installed in toekicks, is also a great addition — it softly lights pathways and helps prevent trips and falls during the night," Parker said.

Photo courtesy of Susan Clouse Interior Solutions/Michael Vaca, The3DPros

Having abundant lighting in the kitchen can prevent accidents, the report said.

Installing easy-grip levers and handles
As one ages, dexterity and grip strength may weaken, so Houzz suggests exchanging the small cabinet knobs commonly found in kitchens and bathrooms for something sturdier like cabinet pulls. Likewise, traditional faucet knobs should be replaced with faucets with lever handles.

home design houzz home design trends

gold pony club

Inside the creation of the rodeo cook-off’s most over-the-top tent

Courtesy of Cotton Holdings

The Gold Pony is the ultra-private VIP lounge behind the stage.

The Cotton Q Club is arguably the glitziest and most exclusive tent at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s annual World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest. Hosting nearly 800 invited guests-per-night, the 5,000-square-foot space includes a 50-foot bar, a new pop-up martini bar by Sophie Cocktail & Terrace Bar called “The Stirrup,” the ultra-exclusive “Gold Pony Club,” and a full stage for private concerts. This season, county music acts include Gabby Barrett, Sammy Kershaw, Josh Turner and Braxton Keith.

Aside from the obvious, what sets the club apart from the rest is the sheer magnitude of its operation. Once inside, guests are encapsulated by velvet-draped ceilings illuminated by crystal chandeliers, three-layer tartan-topped carpeting, richly-colored wooden-paneled walls, plus thousands of red roses swathed acrobatically throughout.

To coincide with the year of the horse, five enormous ponies made entirely of red roses have been suspended from the ceilings. The second additions this year hang on either side of the bar in The Gold Pony, the club’s even more exclusive VIP area. The kinetic artworks were created by Houston artist Sneha Merchant —all for a three day fête. This begs the question: how do they do it?

Cotton Holdings and its subsidiaries are well positioned to carry out the entire project themselves — so they do. Never bothered or besmirched by the possibility of running into issues with rental companies, everything at The Cotton Q Club is procured, purchased, and stored in-house. As one would expect from a company that provides disaster relief around the world.

“There is a lot of love and care put into this because we’re not in a hotel, we’re not in someone’s home,” Cotton Holdings chief marketing officer Zinat Ahmed tells CultureMap. “So for us to be able to create this entire infrastructure under a tent — down to the walls and chandeliers — it is much more than throwing a party. It’s about the details that make people feel that they are at a hotel, they are in an extravagant room, they are at The Polo Bar.”

Ahmed notes that a lot of the company’s culture is mixed into the tent, such as what Cotton does as a disaster relief company (including providing food by Cotton Culinary).

“Cotton Logistics puts up tents during a natural disaster. Seeing the Cotton team, whether it’s cleaning or moving things around, welcoming everyone, that’s part of our Cotton GDS — we restore communities after natural disasters. Our synergies in different parts of our day-to-day are here,” she says.

Ahmed’s team has complete creative control over the interior aesthetics of the club. Always sourcing anything that cannot be made in-house to local vendors is something she feels is important. Nothing is rented, not even the furniture or accessories.

“Every single thing, unless it was done by a local vendor, was done in-house: design, signage, execution — even the embroidery,” she explains

Everything is checked over during the summer months so there won’t be any surprises when the cook-off comes back around. Every item is organized, labeled, and stored either in Cotton’s warehouses, Conex boxes, or in special climate-controlled safes — down to the matchboxes.

“We are always prepared and ready to go,” explains Ahmed. “It’s not chaotic at all because we’re used to it — it’s a normal day at Cotton.”

When asked for her favorite parts of the tent this year, Ahmed readily answered that it has to be the five rose ponies in the main area of the club. Secondly, the two commissioned works by Sneha Merchant. Sprinkled in diamond dust, one is a female mallard wrapped in a boa, champagne flute in hand, while the other is a smartly-suited jackalope complete with cowboy hat and martini.

Both pieces are lit by antique sconces Ahmed sourced from Round Top, while the taxidermy Zebra heads are on loan from the Columbus, Texas ranch of Cotton Holdings’ Chairman Pete Bell.

“Every detail, down to the swatches of velvet has been thought of with a lot of love and care,” says Ahmed. “You use that mindset with something like this. So, if you have a mindset like before you deploy to a hurricane, you can do it for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.”

Courtesy of Cotton Holdings

The Gold Pony is the ultra-private VIP lounge behind the stage.

houston livestock show and rodeo home-design cotton holdings