The Brief
The nursing home hosted a large bright room that incorporated a small modern kitchen, but was tired, old fashioned and rarely ever visited by residents. The space was wasted and generally only used for storage space or as a canteen for staff.
The client wanted to change this room into an area that incorporated a large table for craft activities combined with an area to relax, unwind and quietly watch television in smaller numbers to the main lounge.
Ideally, they wanted to include burnt orange in the colour scheme. The room was a major fire escape and entry to the garden so the central area had to be left clear for easy access.
Inspiration & Design
My first problem was to work around the desire for the colour Orange, which is a vibrant colour and perfect for activity and excitement, however doesn’t work so well within a calm environment.
I looked towards lilac and purple with hints of grey to work alongside as it represents peace & spirituality. Having located a suitable fabric to use within a care home environment, that used these colours alongside shapes and pattern, it enabled the rest of the design to flow.
I opted to split the room in two with the calm zone carpeted for comfort and a wood effect, non-slip, vinyl floor used for the central walkway, kitchen and creative zone -in case of spillages for easy cleaning. The room had many windows and doors that let in much sunlight and warmth.
I wanted to frame these windows with flat-board pelmets whilst using a faux wood Venetian at the windows to easily diffuse the amount of light into the room. We removed the plain, dull and uninviting furniture and replaced with modern armchairs in complimenting upholstery fabrics.
A secure chest on lockable wheels provided storage space for art equipment but doubled as a coffee table for the chill zone. An old college work bench was revamped to use for arts & crafts activities, with new extra high dining chairs and space for wheelchair users.
Wall stickers and 3D wooden letters spelt out words with butterflies flying around the room to decorate the plain painted walls. Shelves were installed and decorated with jars of paint brushes, and the windowsills dressed with pots filled with lavender and herbs to bring a sensory element to the room and help bring the garden inside (not forgetting use by kitchen staff).
