Styling With Significance

The need for care homes to look and feel homely is widely acknowledged.  And it is the finishing touches that make it a home.  Skimping on those is a false economy.  Whilst at the end of a project it might be all too tempting to halve the art budget and not dress all the communal spaces, this will significantly diminish that all important first impression.  Bare spaces feel colder and less inviting.

Having designed show homes for Barratt David Wilson for over 6 years, I also know how locality and relevance can make such a huge difference to how connected people feel with a space.  With our show homes we would always thoroughly research the location, consider the target purchaser and dress each property with carefully selected pieces.  This level of styling is just as, if not more important when it comes to healthcare design.  Accessories make a room feel more lived in; well thought through dressing with relevance to residents, finishing touches that create interest be it through a local connection or a hobby theme, completely bring a room to life and makes it the engaging communal space that it sets out to be.  As we design with the aim of community connection, having schemes, dressed and finished with pieces of local significance is even more important.  Interesting accessories create talking points and promote social interaction.  Themes offer great scope for local schools to get involved too providing the perfect platform for intergenerational activities and further community connection.