All About Home, Arizona,My Second Home, Decor, Everyday Life, Living The Resort Lifestyle, Remodeling and Renovations

Creating a Home You Love: Decorating Your New Space for Comfort & Joy For Women 50+ Moving to an Active Adult Community

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Moving to an active adult community is an exciting chapter filled with opportunity and renewal. Whether you’ve downsized from a longtime family home or relocated to be closer to friends or sunshine, this is your chance to truly create a home that reflects you. It’s more than just decorating — it’s about crafting a space that supports your lifestyle, comforts your spirit, and sparks daily joy. We made the move to an active adult community a few years ago.

Here are some thoughtful tips to help you turn your new house into a home you love.

1. Start with What Matters Most

Before you dive into shopping for new furniture or painting walls, take time to reflect on how you want your new space to feel. Cozy? Bright and airy? Serene and minimalist? Think about your lifestyle: Do you love to entertain? Read in quiet corners? Craft or garden? Use these answers to guide your decisions. Our new home’s decor was just about perfect for us.

Keep pieces that hold meaning — a favorite armchair, family photos, a cherished quilt — and build your decor around them. These sentimental touches help bring comfort and familiarity to your new surroundings.

Decorating your new space after 50
Use decor that reflects your personal style

2. Make Room for Your Personality

This is your time to design a space that speaks to who you are now. Let go of what “should” stay and instead focus on what makes you feel at peace and inspired. Choose colors you love — soft sage, warm terracotta, or cheerful sunflower yellow. Display your art, your hobbies, your memories. Whether it’s seashells from beach vacations or vintage needlepoint from your grandmother, let your treasures shine.

Add visual personality through accent pillows, throws, and curated wall décor. Try mixing textures and layers to make each room feel rich and inviting. I decorate the dining room table for each season and holiday, which gives the house a fresh look.

what to expect when moving to an active adult community
Keeping our decor simple and stylish

3. Create Cozy Zones

Think in terms of “zones” — a reading nook by a sunny window, a breakfast corner with your favorite mugs, or a relaxing patio for your morning coffee. These small spaces encourage daily rituals and can offer a sense of calm and joy.

Add soft lighting with floor lamps, string lights, or candles to create warmth and ambiance. A touch of greenery — even a simple pothos plant or small herb garden — adds life and beauty. Fresh flowers in the kitchen are something that I treat myself to weekly.

4. Welcome Guests with Warmth

One of the joys of active adult communities is the social connection. Make your home guest-friendly by keeping a few welcoming touches on hand: a cozy guest throw, a stocked tea station, or a small vase of fresh flowers near the entry. I always try to have little snacks on hand for when friends stop by.

A cheerful front door wreath or welcome mat adds curb appeal and gives your neighbors a glimpse of your style — and your smile

decorating your new space after 50
Fresh flowers are a must

5. Give Yourself Grace

Creating a home you love doesn’t have to happen overnight. Enjoy the process. Let it evolve as you settle in, meet new friends, and explore your new chapter. After living there for a few years, we did upgrade the kitchen counters and powder room. It’s always a work in progress.

decorating your home after 50
New counters give the kitchen a fresh look

Moving at this stage of life is an act of courage and optimism. Your new home should be a place that nurtures you — filled with comfort, joy, and the things that make you feel truly at home.

Tip: Keep a small notebook or Pinterest board with favorite ideas and inspirations as you decorate. It helps guide your choices and keeps you connected to your personal style!

Happy Decorating,

Carrie

All About Home, Arizona,My Second Home, Decor, Remodeling and Renovations

Den/Office Space Refresh

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den/office refresh

The holidays are over and it is time to get back into the swing of things. I needed a bigger workspace here in AZ. I love my little pink desk from Pottery Barn but it is very small. We have a nice little den space that I thought would be the perfect spot. When we do have guests that use it I will just go back to my pink desk. It is still in the same spot and I just freshened it up with some accessories.

We started by taking out the carpet and installing a laminate. Our two little Yorkies make having carpet impossible. If you have little dogs you totally understand. We did something a little different than the bedrooms that we redid last year. Home Depot was out of that flooring so I chose something a little different. I’m really happy with it and I like that it is a little different.

A small desk was the best fit for this spot. Knowing that it will not be used all of the time and not wanting to spend a ton of money, I checked out Amazon. Of course, I found just what I was looking for. I really like that it has a couple of drawers for all of my office supplies. This desk fits perfectly in the space and I ordered a chair too. I wanted the farmhouse look to keep with the colors of the room.

The lamp was also an Amazon find and I really like the pop of gold in the room. I made a Target run to check out the Hearth and Home line. I just wanted a few simple accessories. The basket was perfect to keep my most used supplies handy and a little greenery is a must. I picked up the picture at a local art fair a few years ago and finally found the perfect spot for it. It has moved around from place to place. The rest of the accessories came from my previous desk.

The only other thing that we did was reconfigure the room to fit my desk better. Everything else on the walls stayed the same too. I actually think that the room looks bigger configured this way. I think this is the perfect little office space for me here in AZ. What do you think?

Until next week,

Carrie

 

All About Home, Remodeling and Renovations

DIY Foyer Makeover

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It was time for a little refresh of the foyer. Do you ever get that way and have the urge to change up your decor? I really enjoy giving my spaces a new look. It was definitely time to dive into a new project and just a few changes and updates can really transform a space without a complete remodel.

I knew that I wanted to make a statement with a focal wall. A focal wall is a great way to add a lot of style to a space since it is the first thing you notice when entering our home and visible when the front door is open. A shiplap look wall was the way to go. I love combining many different textures and styles in a space. The finished wall also provides a neutral background for any artwork or photographs. I played with a few different pieces of furniture to place here. A good tip is to always try to repurpose pieces and use them in different spaces. I decided on a Longaberger shelving unit and added a lamp from Target from years ago, salt lamp, and some fun Lilly Pulitzer accessories. The wall turned out just perfect. I love the impact it makes when you walk in the door.

My chandelier was beautiful but I had changed out most of the other lighting in the house to a black or dark bronze so I decided to change this one too. I found this beautiful chandelier at Lowe’s. The home improvement stores really have great budget-friendly options and large selections. I first saw this design in Lydia Elise Millen and Ali Gordon’s kitchen/dining remodel. If you don’t follow them you really should, my favorite YouTube couple. But I digress, I knew I wanted that look for my foyer. The shape was so unique and I kept coming back to that design. Luckily I was able to find that style in stock at Lowe’s. I’m really happy with it and it gives off so much light with the LED Edison style bulbs.

The only other piece I added was a new rug I found on Amazon, and I ordered a smaller one in this style for my kitchen. My Ballard Designs console table went back into its previous spot. I switched out most of the pieces on the console table with a lamp, vase of hydrangeas, and a few other fun accessories.

This small remodel made a big impact in our foyer. It really changed the whole look. Now onto my next project.

 

Carrie Kelly is Lead Designer at Carrie Kelly Designs and specializes in interior redesign, seasonal, and home decor helping clients create beautiful spaces in their homes. She is also an Independent Consultant with Initial Outfitters, a boutique featuring all things monogrammed and personalized for your unique style. Carrie is also the author of Pineapples and Sweet Tea, a Lifestyle blog.

Find her at: https://carriekellydesigns.com

                   https://pineapplesandsweettea.com

                   https://www.facebook.com/carriekellydesigns

                   https://www.initialoutfitters.net/ckelly

                   carrie@carriekellyesigns.com