The kids are grown and on their own and you've decided to right size" into a condo, apartment or retirement community. Sounds good on paper, but just how do you take years of living and its accumulated stuff and it make it all "fit" your new life?

You consult the experts and someone who has done it.

"When talking with Leslie Stern of Leslie M Stern Designs, retail design expert, she mentioned how important it is not to overlook other necessities that take up floor space. She gave several examples..."

"To ensure that we have the best and most practical information for you, I spoke with Leslie Stern, retail design/lighting specialist and owner of Leslie M Stern Design, who provided some helpful information, counsel, and feedback on the article."

"The term "universal design" was created in the 1980s by architect Ronald L. Mace to describe the concept of designing all products to be aesthetic and usable to the greatest extent possible by everyone..."

"In one kitchen, a butler's pantry was transformed in a kitchen-cum-laundry room designed by decorator Leslie Markman-Stern..."

For many seniors, owning their own home is still preferred. But for those with declining health or increased mobility issues there are many housing communities with one-level single family homes and townhomes as well as condominiums...

Kitchens remain at the top of remodeling wish lists - the room that most brings together family and friends. If you're longing to renew your cooking space, whether to up the ante on your culinary creationd or make more room to serve drinks and takeout food to friends, design your kitchen so it meets your needs but have an eye to what's new and cutting edge.

Modifying a home to make it more accessible can also make it easier to sell when the time comes to move. Simple changes such as new lighting can enhance the safety of the home for current and future residents. Big changes, such as a complete kitchen redo, can make it easier for anyone – young or old – to navigate the space which can boost a home's appeal.

Reflective surfaces are great space expanders and amplify light in rooms with no windows. To give this small powder room lots of drama yet still have it remain elegant, Leslie Markman-Stern started with pink glazing for walls and then selected a gold sink, both of which cast back light from the pendant in the room...

Window coverings are an integral part of your office décor. From plain blinds to colorful shades and drapes, there's a host of options available from which to choose. Which is the best choice for your office? MOT explored the pros and cons to each and uncovered the latest trends, and here's what we found out...

"The work I do for clients is supposed to express their personalities, not mine," says Leslie M. Stern, a Chicago-based interior designer who specializes in creating environments for the elderly, the disabled and others with special needs.

Richard Hayman, 67, and his wife Carolyn are shelling out $110,000 to complete a strategic part of their retirement plan. They aren´t purchasing a fixed annuity...

Falling can become your worst enemy as you age. A fall can lead to broken bones and other health complications. However, there are small changes that can be made to mitigate fall risks...

Living in a two-story house became a challenge for Susanand Paul Toback and their two sons, one of whome is physically and cognitively disabled. Their newer one-level house in Bannockburn makes life much easier.

Furnishing a home is about more than making a space look appealing; it is also about creating a place that is functioal and works for the people who use it. When you have arthritis, you may have a�

Think slip-resistant floors. Whether you like stone, marble or something else, Markman-Stern says make sure it's honed, not slippery...

When an actor living in Chicago hired designer Leslie Markman-Stern to redo his dark, gloomy kitchen, he asked for a room that would be light, fun and functional...

When it comes to your practice and your medical office space, it's vital to consider the durability of the materials you choose for flooring, walls, furniture, countertops and sinks. Ignoring this element In favor of lower prices or aesthetics can ultimately cost you big...

"Now we entertain here instead of the living room, where all you can do is have conversation..."

From choosing cabinetry to flooring, material selection can transform a house into a home. But there are many things to consider...

"In addition to age, consider the income level and other significant traits such as special needs, celebrity status or terminally ill patients. Your design should reflect the needs and tastes of those demographics as well..."

When you think about the way you want your office to look, what do you see in your mind's eye? The images that spring up translate into the feeling you want to convey through desiqn elements, also known as your design aesthetic...

"Many people have visual and glare issues, she says. You need to find lighting to accommodate all of your patients..."

We caught up with Leslie at the recent National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) show. Here's her advice for designing your own special bathroom retreat...

Leslie Markman-Stern, ASID, president of Leslie M. Stern Design Ltd. in Chicago, notes that as you age, the need for lighting significantly increases—seniors need three times as much light as young adults.

"Instead of spending money replacing your 30-inch upper kitchen cabinets with the newer 42-inch type, hire a carpenter to trim that cavity with wooden back panels and molding. The result is an open cabinet that's great for display items. Or, replace your upper cabinets with open shelving for a contemporary look at a fraction of the cost."

Stern's interior designs are meant to help families live with and love their home as their needs change. She creates innovative spaces for couples, upsizing to accommodate children, empty nesters (for those looking to downsize) and those with special needs including disabled people and seniors. Offering full-service interior design of new construction and renovations of existing spaces, Stern collaborates with architects developers and members of the trades. Her designs often involve renewable and sustainable materials; she especially likes to come up with creative solutions for lighting needs.

Painting or Faux-Painting a feature wall to give it a new and interesting color and texture makes you want to walk into that room," says Leslie Markman-Stern, ASID, with Leslie M.

Maybe it's true the current economic situation, but more people are choosing to entertain at home these days. Whether it's a great room that combines gaming areas with a wet bar or a home theater room, home entertainment spaces are increasing in popularity...

For years, even decades, universal design represented a little-known concept. Design professionals who worked with people with any number of physical and mental challenges understood its importance–to create comfortable, accessible and safe settings by including such features as zero-threshold entrances...

Because of the age of their 1913 suburban Chicago home, a couple with three children wanted their remodeled bathroom to reflect the time period when the house was built. They also wanted the bathroom to have the feel of a high-end hotel and to be a lot lighter (it was dark when they moved in) as well as...

When an actor living in an 1880 Victorian home in Chicago hired designer Leslie Markman-Stern to redo his dark, gloomy kitchen, he asked for a room that would be light, fun and functional. The designer immediately picked up on his humorous personality and went hunting for design ingredients that were quirky enough to make everyone chuckle, yet would also function superbly...

Whether you are born with a disability, develop a condition later in life that alters the way you are able to use your living space, or trying to prepare for the changes that may accompany your MS diagnosis, it's a good idea to thing about designing your living space so that it will accommodate all of the physical changes you may experience...

Senior citizens aren't the only ones concerned about kitchen safety. With the first baby boomers turning 60, and younger home owners knowing that serious accidents and illnesses can occur at any age, a host of noninstitutional looking designs are grabbing attention...

Because the wife likes to cook and wanted her kitchen in Chicago, Illinois to be highly organized, she hired designer Leslie Markman-Stern to help plan its final look while the design/build firm of Benvenuti and Stein, Inc. was constructing the house and custom cabinets...

When she moved into her current home 18 years ago, the wife, a nurse, knew that she would remodel the kitchen someday. She loved to cook, had taken classes and thought nothing of making fresh bread, pasta and every imaginable dessert, but only from scratch...

After they became empty-nesters, the owners of a house in suburban Glenview, Illinois, decided to make their home into an adult retreat. They asked Chicago designer Leslie Markman-Stern to transform their master bedroom into a sanctuary...

"I have a very strong feeling that we should approach interiors in such a way that the space is designed for any user; for accessibility but also for comfort and beauty. Design is so expensive, and there should be a lot of thought put into it, so you're designing so the client doesn't have to change things five years down the road because certain things weren't considered."

A ramped ranch house expands into a spacious home with stunning water views. The 1950s ranch house on Chicago's North Shore had a multitude of minuses, including cramped rooms and a leaky roof, but it had one major plus: a bluff-side site with splendid views of Lake Michigan...

Staying true to its origins, this design collected all its ideas from the past, then without great expense, polished them for maximum storage and light...

"Safer designs should be both beautiful and functional, the thing to keep in mind is that every room should have a focal point. If you've got beautiful bay windows, let's feature them as a focal point..."

To accommodate employees' increased mobility, companies will position more small service facilities throughout an office, outfitted with copier machines, computes, printers and wet bars...

First decide whether you can tackle the project on your own. Unlike years past, you may be able to because there are so many more resources available today...

Designing an office can be an overwhelming experience. Many decisions have to be made such as space planning, lighting, material and finish selection. Each phase of design has to be properly though through because of its impact on the client...

The Americans with Disability Act has become a very important consideration when planning for an accessible space. Before a project commences the question needs to be asked; how is this space going to be used and by whom...

While some decorating and design rules are made to be broken, the restrictions on the lamp were absolute. Because Eileen Sudling is impaired, the lamp in question serves as one of the woman's links to the outside world, blinking to let her know someone is ringing her doorbell...