New opening
had the idea of obtaining an apple press to make fresh juice for the residents, too. Beyond maintaining the orchard, sustainability plays a key part in the running of the EPC ‘A’ rated home. Eschewing a mains gas supply, the underfloor heating at The Applewood is provided by heat pumps, while roof- mounted solar panels supply electricity. In the car park, visitors and staff can take advantage of EV charging. Interior design manager Sarah tells me that The Applewood’s green credentials extend to the interiors. “We tried to bring that sustainability into the interiors as well, using recycled fabrics and trying to keep [everything] as sustainable as possible,” she says. To complement this approach, Sarah and Dessy carefully considered the longevity of fixtures and fittings, opting to use, for example, stone worktops rather than wooden ones in order to avoid the false economy of spending less money upfront, but having to replace things more frequently.
Homely, independent living Taking a tour of The Applewood, Ana-Maria, Dessy, and Sarah explain that the design emphasis was very much on creating a homely feel, avoiding anything that could be seen as overtly ‘clinical’. A particular focus is on residents retaining as much independence as possible, with communal spaces kitted out with tea and coffee- making facilities, toasters, and so on. The Applewood is arranged over three residential floors, plus a fourth containing the home’s kitchen and laundry facilities.
into two communities, which share a nurse station, lounges, and dining rooms. The communities are distinguished by their own colour scheme, interior design, and themed communal areas (more on which below). As things stand, the ground floor is designated for regular residential accommodation, with the first and second floors intended for dementia/memory care and nursing care, respectively. There are three categories of bedroom
available at The Applewood – Classic, Premier, and Deluxe – all of which feel spacious, airy, and contemporary, and boast en suite shower rooms. Profiling beds come as standard, and many rooms on the ground floor feature patio doors leading to the garden and courtyard, as well as private patios with a table and chairs. In terms of safety, while CCTV extends only to the reception area, all bedrooms have built-in nurse call as standard. While The Applewood sits close to a busy road, inside the home all is quiet and calm. And superstitious residents will be pleased to note that there is no Room 13 at The Applewood!
The attention to detail is extraordinary
Ana-Maria tells me that the original plan was for The Applewood to have a basement, but planning stipulations dictated otherwise, and the laundry and kitchen were relocated to the top of the building instead. Each residential floor is divided
Interior design: cracking the code As Dessy mentioned, much of the inspiration for the interior design of The Applewood comes from the local area. This is demonstrated most strikingly by each lounge having been named after a local landmark or historic building. Accordingly, wandering around The Applewood, one might come across The Great Ouse Bistro (named after the River Great Ouse, which runs through counties including Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, and Norfolk before reaching the North Sea), The Bletchley Lounge (Bletchley Park being the country house and estate famous for being the epicentre of Allied codebreaking during World War II), and The Chicheley Private Dining and Cinema Room, and The Claydon Room – both named after notable local country houses. Sarah explains that the doors to each
lounge have a distinctive glass manifestation – or frosted pattern – depicting the location that gives the lounge its name. Thus, the doors to The Bletchley Lounge feature a stylised manifestation of Bletchley Park. As well as aiding wayfinding, these manifestations assist in preventing accidents by making the glass panels more visible. Hence, as the terraces that residents can access from the first and second floors overlook the orchard, the glass barriers
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www.thecarehomeenvironment.com July 2025
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