Refurbishments
How to make a care home refurbishment less institutional
Elliscombe House care home near Wincanton in Somerset reopened in October 2021 after an extensive refurbishment. Here, owner and creative director Catherine Trotman illustrates the works in detail and explains how they were designed to feel like home
With functionality and practicality of paramount importance in a care home, it is easy to slip into the trap of selecting ‘the same as everyone else’ and having a bland, neutral colour palette that is easy to clean. The problem this presents is that your care home, while clean, looks like an institution rather than the residents’ home. It doesn’t have to be this way. When my husband Glenn and I were refurbishing our care home Elliscombe House ready for re-opening, I put my years of interior design experience to use to create something that is practical yet stylish, and befitting of the grand Edwardian family home that it once was. Whatever your budget and style of home, here is my guide to turning your care home into a beautiful, practical space that you and your residents can be proud of.
The grounds
The first place to start is the grounds of your home – after all, this is the first thing that prospective residents, their families, and professionals will see when they come to
visit. It does not matter if you have acres of space or just a forecourt with a few tubs, the outside space needs to be inviting, attractive and functional. Can you make a feature of your front door? Can you leep walking areas well lit, clear and level? Can you design handrails in such a way that they become a design feature rather than purely utilitarian? The garden can also be a great
recreational space, with the benefits of gardening now well understood. Think about whether you can install some raised planters or beds for your residents to participate in gardening, and possibly even grow vegetables for the kitchen. Interaction in the garden will be a great tonic for many residents.
Front door
Think about the style of your building, and select something in keeping with it, which looks more like it could be in a private house. Do not be afraid to use a dynamic paint colour and choose good quality door furniture and wall lights.
Many care homes were family homes in a
previous life, so there is plenty of possibility here! At Elliscombe House, we have retained the heavy, Spanish-style front door with its iron hobnail that has been here for generations. If there is space to add them safely, flowering tubs either side of the front door add a lovely splash of seasonal colour for visitors to enjoy.
Reception area
This is the space within the home where visitors are first welcomed. It would be tempting to pay minimal attention to this space, as your visitors spend little time here. Yet is by definition the area where they are received, so why wouldn’t you want to make a great first impression?
Think about the colour scheme. I selected
Farrow and Ball’s ‘Hay’ yellow paint for its warmth and character in our reception area, inviting visitors into the comforting feel of the house. A neutral white or cream would have felt like a hospital because we have high ceilings. If your home is an old building, it may
have wooden panelling and a dado rail. This can feel very heavy and imposing, but if you do not want to remove it - it is an original feature, after all - then consider painting it. There are a myriad of paint colours available
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www.thecarehomeenvironment.com January 2022
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