Interior Design: More than Just Paint
While the warm colors and inviting furniture draw people in, so much more than just color goes into putting the puzzle pieces of interior design together.
Interior designer Anne Peterson says the first step is to sit down with her client to talk about the desired look – and what can be done within the given budget.
“ Often senior living managers are looking for a warm, inviting environment, so we’ ll go through the palettes to choose what style they’ d like, such as modern, traditional, etc., that fits with the location or community where the building will be located,” Peterson said.
She said safety is one of the biggest considerations when designing for senior living communities. For example, as people age, eyesight weakens, and the lens of the eye tends to yellow. This can cause an unsteadiness among seniors at floor transitions because they are unable to read depth properly. This is especially true in memory care wings, where a strong contrast in color could also be difficult for dementia patients, who might mistake light-to-dark transitions of materials as a step or a hole in the floor.
I look to the architect to say,‘ I hear what you’ re saying, and this is what we can do to get you there.’ And then to be creative along the way, and if there’ s something that’ s a challenge, help us to fix it. Matt( Frisbie) did a very good job at that. He just gets it.
– Jill Nokleby Kaiser
Peterson said long-term durability and cost is also something she takes into consideration.“ Due to all of the traffic from residents and staff, the flooring wears quickly. We select durable luxury vinyl tile and low-level pile carpet and work at minimizing transitions between different flooring types,” she said.“ Not only do I want to save my clients money in the long run by choosing materials that won’ t have to be replaced in a year or two, but I also want to make sure that nothing creates a trip hazard.”
She said that while there are plenty of trendy products out there that are fun to look at, they don’ t actually wear well in a senior living environment.“ Senior living managers want the building to look home-like and stylish to attract residents and their families, but we need to walk the line between what draws people in and what is going to last,” Peterson said, noting that in addition to being attractive and durable, fabrics need to be anti-microbial, moisture and stain-resistant, in budget, and meet flammability code for the building type.“ This can really narrow the list of possibilities,” she said,“ but so far I’ ve always been able to find something that will complement the design.”
“ Anne did a miracle there,” said Jill Nokleby Kaiser, the housing development director of Ebenezer Management, Red Rock Senior Living’ s management company.“ She got the goal of what was needed, she was easy to work with and didn’ t bog us down with the details, which helped move us forward.”
Peterson said that while she enjoys putting all these pieces together, at the end of day, her favorite part is seeing the residents use the spaces she and the team have created.“ It’ s satisfying to see residents take the big step of leaving their home and making this their new home,” she said.“ It’ s fun to see how they use the spaces – even if it’ s differently than we originally envisioned!”
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