Interior design


Working with a care provider or interior designer Creating wallcovering and mural designs for care homes is very different from commercial design. I have learned one design type or style does not fit all care homes, which is why my approach to design before I start a project is bespoke. When a care home or interior designer are looking for a particular design they may already like a repeat wallcovering or mural design from an existing collection or they may want a bespoke design created from scratch. Having an initial conversation with the


client to discuss the type of design they are looking for is crucial. By doing this, you will learn in-depth


information about the project. Questions are up for discussion and you get to find out more about the care home while getting as much information as you can. I like to get inside the client’s head to understand their thoughts before I start work on a design. The client will also like to know about


you and how you work as a designer. So it is always best to ensure everything is clear from the start on both sides. Once you have discussed everything, make


sure that you receive a brief from the client with any additional examples or inspirations to clarify their thinking. If you are not sure about anything, keep


asking questions until everything is clear. There is nothing worse than creating a design and it ends up being not exactly what the client wants because you were not on the same page. Before Covid-19, I would usually visit


a care home to meet the client who would show me around the rooms and the project space. I get a sense of spatial space, which helps me build a mental picture of the care home with the wallcoverings and murals, taking note of any colours and lighting. I find that visiting a care home is very useful. Depending on the project, you may want to capture and incorporate colours from the care home into the design. If you are unable to visit a care home


in person, a good discussion and regular contact with the client by phone or video call will suffice. Check what type of residents are staying at the care home. Are there any residents living with dementia? What is the age range in the care home? Depending on the type of designs


Bringing the outside into a mural or repeat wallpaper design is what we love and do best. Care homes like this idea as it encourages familiarity


March 2021 • www.thecarehomeenvironment.com


you are creating, consider what kind of activities the residents enjoy. What type of music do they like? What are/were their hobbies? What was their profession? What is the surrounding area like where the care home is situated? Can you bring the outside/familiar places into the design?


Putting plans into practice With these questions in mind, you will have some ideas to consider when creating a design. An example of this was when Towerview Care commissioned me to create bespoke mural designs for two areas at Trent Court in Burton upon Trent: the gentlemen’s social rooms (two TV rooms), and the long corridor wall linking to the TV rooms. The first TV room features classic cars


and adverts - printed on large canvases - they might well have seen in their younger days. The colours in the room are nostalgic: teak blue and maroon to work with the furniture and canvases. For the second TV room, we continued


the colour scheme from the first TV room for coherence. We created a vintage map mural of the local area, pinpointing places of interest. On the walls are photographs of green spaces of the local area on printed canvases to complement the walls. For the corridor, the brief was to


create a mural design that is bright and stimulating. Towerview Care holds several games activities in this area, so the mural had to reflect that. I created a bespoke music wall featuring iconic singers from the 1930s to the 1960s - such as Doris Day, Elvis Presley, The Beatles - and music


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