In the Room | Rethinking senior living through design
In this episode of In the Room, host Wesley Edmonds sits down with Emily Glasser and Shannon Moriarty, interior designers at Plymouth Harbor in Sarasota, Florida, to explore the deeply personal side of senior living design. From transforming independent living residences into personalized homes and reimagining healthcare environments, Emily and Shannon share what it takes to design spaces that balance beauty, accessibility, independence, and dignity.
Together, they unpack the emotional experience of leaving a longtime home, the importance of giving residents a voice in the design process, and how thoughtful interiors can help people embrace a new chapter of life.
Key Insights
- Senior living design should preserve independence, not take it away. Thoughtful layouts, accessible features, and personalized choices help residents maintain autonomy while preparing for changing needs.
- A sense of home starts with personal choice. From cabinetry and countertops to kitchen layouts and finishes, involving residents in design decisions helps create spaces that reflect their identities and lifestyles.
- Design plays an emotional role in major life transitions. Moving into a senior living community can bring grief, uncertainty, and a perceived loss of freedom. Empathetic design can help turn that experience into one of comfort and possibility.
- Healthcare environments deserve the same attention as residential spaces. Through the renovation of Plymouth Harbor's SmithCare Center, Emily and Shannon are exploring how healthcare design can better support residents, caregivers, and the continuum of care.
- Community is just as important as the physical environment. Beautiful spaces help people feel comfortable, but relationships, social opportunities, and a sense of belonging are what help a new place become home.
Learn More About Emily Glasser
Emily Glasser is an interior designer at Plymouth Harbor, a senior living community in Sarasota, Florida, where she focuses on creating personalized spaces that support independence, comfort, and a sense of home. With a background in mechanical sales and luxury residential design, Emily brings a unique perspective to senior living and healthcare interiors. Her work involves collaborating closely with residents to create homes that reflect their lifestyles while accommodating evolving accessibility needs. Connect with Emily on LinkedIn.
Learn More About Shannon Moriarty
Shannon Moriarty is an interior designer at Plymouth Harbor in Sarasota, Florida, where she helps create welcoming, personalized environments that enhance the senior living experience. With more than 20 years of experience in sales across several industries and a passion for residential design, Shannon brings a unique background to her work. After pursuing her interior design certification, she transitioned into senior living design, collaborating with residents to create spaces that reflect their personalities and changing needs. Connect with Shannon on LinkedIn
Learn more about Wesley Edmonds
Wesley Edmonds is the Director of Workplace at OFS, where she combines her background in interior design with a passion for relationship-building, workplace strategy, and the future of work. After beginning her career as a commercial interior designer, Wesley transitioned into the furniture industry, bringing together design expertise and business development to help create more thoughtful, human-centered environments. As a contributor to Imagine a Place and host of In the ROOM, she is dedicated to fostering meaningful conversations that inspire designers, challenge industry thinking, and explore how the spaces we create shape the way people live and work. Connect with Wesley on LinkedIn.
Read More about Wesley in the Imagine a Place Journal
Learn more about In The Room
In the ROOM is a podcast series from Imagine a Place that brings listeners into candid, on-site conversations with the designers, strategists, and creative leaders shaping the future of work, culture, and human-centered spaces. Hosted by Wesley Edmonds, Director of Workplace at OFS, the series is recorded live inside ROOM’s modular, soundproof environments at leading industry events, offering a front-row seat to bold ideas, emerging trends, and the people redefining how spaces help us feel, connect, collaborate, and live. Follow Imagine a Place on LinkedIn.
