Twice as Nice

Such universal design features as grab bars and levered door handles are common features at active adult communities. But at least one builder, Brookfield Homes of Del Mar, Calif., is touting another amenity for the over-55 set: double master suites. “Our studies show that as people get older they want their own private space,” says Janet Howell, vice president of sales and marketing at Brookfield’s Washington Business Group in Fairfax, Va. “Our younger baby boomers often have their own parents living with them. But we’ve also learned from active adults that they live a little bit differently than when they were younger. It seems they like to roam at night, with one reading while the other does the crossword puzzle. Double suites give everyone their own private space.”