Case Studies
Over the years CPID has been involved with a wide variety of residential & commercial projects. Here are a few of them explored in a little more detail, illustrating the evolution of the project from initial briefing to completion. If you would like more information, please get in touch with Clare on 024 7671 2613.
Case Studies
Over the years CPID has been involved with a wide variety of residential & commercial projects. Here are a few of them explored in a little more detail, illustrating the evolution of the project from initial briefing to completion. If you would like more information, please get in touch with Clare on 024 7671 2613.
Naked Space to Fresh & Stylish Lounge
The Challenge
My clients’ lounge was in need of updating, requiring a new colour scheme, furniture and lighting. I was working with a shell of a room as it had already been denuded of furniture and the walls plastered, so I had no steer on the clients’ own style. Although the brief was for a modern yet comfortable scheme, they admitted that they didn’t really know what they wanted, and that “they would know it when they saw it”.
As always, storage and display were important elements of a modern living space, and the position of radiators, the choice of vertical blinds and the arrangement of windows and inset fireplace were additional constraints on the project.
I devised a nature-inspired colour scheme which was stylish, fresh and relaxing. I knew the room could take the punchy green scheme as there was good natural light, and the bold colours would be balanced by the soft white and grey furnishings.
Warm oak furniture with modern chrome accents ensured the room felt contemporary, especially as it was positioned in a way not previously thought of by the client. This, along with an impressive mirror, resolved the strange window/inset fireplace configuration.
Key elements to the success of the scheme were the bespoke corner sofa and accent chairs; these really made the client feel that they had something tailored to their exact requirements at a surprisingly cost effective price point.
The finishing touches came from top quality curtains and Roman blinds, which added warmth and softness to the scheme. It was a challenge to devise the right soft furnishing solution due to the shape of the windows and my clients’ desire to retain vertical blinds.
My client was really committed to the proposed scheme and implemented it almost 100%; as with most projects a few tweaks were made as we moved forward. The real successes were the impact of the fresh green colour scheme and how spacious and modern the room felt; even my clients’ daughters approved of the end result!
Nursing Home Redesign
The Challenge
When the management of a nursing home in Coventry embarked on a major extension and renovation project they realised that interior design was not their forte. They chose to stick to what they knew best – providing excellent care for their residents – and tasked me with overhauling their resident lounges and corridors. Their goal was to create an environment that was modern, practical and stimulating for their residents, visitors and staff.
The home has three lounges – one of which is an extremely large, open-plan space – used by residents and visitors as sitting and dining rooms, but also increasingly used for activities such as aromatherapy, exercise sessions and group entertainment. The demands on these multi-functional rooms were therefore quite high. However, the decor was dated and the layouts did little to accommodate the new activities which were planned.
The carpets were to be retained, as were some of the lounge chairs. Additional chairs and dining sets were already on order, so working with what was in place was important. Furthermore, an awareness of NHS guidelines for furniture and furnishings within a nursing home environment, and an understanding of the specific considerations when working with dementia patients, were paramount.
Moving onto the corridors, my challenge was to make the existing “zones” more resident-friendly – after all, no-one really wants to live in a “zone”. The idea was to create different themed areas, making the network of corridors more navigable for residents and visitors. It would also serve to integrate the new extension with the older sections of the premises.
I took time to understand from the management and nursing staff exactly how the spaces were to be used and what constraints were in place. For each lounge I produced a colour scheme and room layout which worked with the existing furniture and furnishings and also modernised and reinvigorated the rooms. Each had a slightly different take on the predominantly mulberry theme, bringing out the distinctly different character of the rooms. New curtains and blinds added real impact to the rooms and soften the large spaces, and room dividers in the largest lounge mean that the space is divided into smaller areas ideal for small group activities. The new conservatory is a beautiful room and perfect for their aromatherapy and music sessions. The addition of notice boards to publicise birthdays, display artwork or advise of forthcoming activities makes the space far more interactive and stimulating for residents and guests. And the artwork around the space makes it feel more homely than institutional.
For the corridors I proposed a system of road naming which, when linked with artwork representative of the road name, would make each corridor a far more engaging place to be. The goal was to stimulate the residents, enabling them to easily recognise the corridor in which they lived and suggesting discussion points as they moved around the nursing home.
A series of bespoke wall stickers was commissioned in the form of traditional road signs; Queens Road, Beach Street, Park Avenue, Penny Lane, Hollywood Boulevard and Highfield Road (the old home of Coventry City Football Club and the perfect name for a sport-oriented theme). These were placed at corridor intersections, making it clear which area a visitor was entering. Then came the themed artwork; this was as varied as possible to bring interest and stimulation to the viewer. Framed posters of pop stars, sportsmen, movies and royalty were intermingled with 3D-metal artwork, fine art prints, canvases and colourful wall stickers, making each turn of a corner a visual treat.
