Interior design for care homes is quite different from the one for other commercial or residential spaces. However, the basic interior design principles are the same for any type of space. The difference stems from the way they are applied.
Let’s take a quick look at the main interior design principles and how they should be applied to care homes.
Proper management of space is the core value of good interior design. You typically want to maximise your space and make the most of it.
For example, in the case of a shopping mall, you want to make sure you can create as many commercial spaces as possible. At first glance, in the case of a care home, you may be tempted to use the space to the fullest so you can create as many rooms as possible.
But, even if you have enough space for two extra rooms, you need to consider the common areas as well. Your care home will most likely host people with limited mobility or with cognitive impairments.
They need wide areas to get around and to avoid accidents. To reduce your ambulance callouts, make sure that:
You may not need all these things at the same time. But enough empty space ensures the safety and well-being of your residents so maximise it as much as possible.
As we age, our eyesight deteriorates progressively. Your residents need more light to read and even to pick out certain objects around them.
Whether it’s natural or artificial, the lighting in a care home has to be at a consistent level. To ensure consistency, you need to carefully balance your doors and windows.
Where natural light is insufficient, artificial lighting can help. But it’s not enough to install as many lighting fixtures as possible and hope for the best. Here are some things to consider when planning your care home lighting:
Colours are the main ingredient of your care home’s personality and the first thing potential residents and their families notice. While it may be tempting to opt for soothing beige and gray tones, remember that they are ill-suited for residents with neurodegenerative conditions.
Such residents need bolder colours and contrasting tones to help them remember their surroundings and differentiate between the different spaces in your care home easier.
Contrasting patterns enhance safety too. For example, if a chair blends too much with the wall against which it is set, the risk of falling increases.
Moreover, you can always choose colours that improve your residents’ moods. Blue is a calming colour, so it’s ideal for the bedrooms, while yellow is perfect for a common space because it enhances creativity and cheer.
As mentioned above, contrasting patterns will help your cognitively-impaired residents a lot. But there is more that you can do with patterns:
Wrapping Things Up
Not sure how to integrate all these principles into your care home’s interior design? You can always consult a specialist.
It can be overwhelming to create a space that’s functional, easy to clean and disinfect, and homelike at the same time. But with the help of furniture and soft furnishings that are specifically designed with your residents’ needs in mind, you can create the atmosphere and functionality they need.
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