The project brought together Furncare’s expertise in crafting furniture tailored for comfort, safety, and durability with Bright Bay Design’s innovative approach to interior aesthetics, which has resulted in an elegant, welcoming environment designed to enhance residents’ quality of life.

“Collaborating with Bright Bay Design on Elm Lodge has been a truly rewarding experience. Our furniture, designed specifically for care environments, aligns perfectly with Bright Bay Design’s vision for a space that feels both nurturing and beautiful. We’re proud to play a part in creating a home that supports residents’ wellbeing.”

Carl Southall, Managing Director at Furncare

Elm Lodge is a state-of-the-art, 60-bed luxury residential care home nestled in three acres of beautifully landscaped grounds in the picturesque Hampshire countryside. As part of the Forest Care group, it offers residents over 43 years of dedicated care experience and five-star hospitality, all guided by residents’ preferences. This brand-new, eco-friendly facility combines comfort, sustainability, and exceptional service to create a truly outstanding living environment – from the cosy lounge spaces to the functional yet stylish restaurant and café bar, every element reflects thoughtful design and meticulous attention to detail.

Click here to view the Elm Lodge virtual tour.

Key Features of the Elm Lodge Project:

• Resident-Focused Furniture: All furniture supplied by Furncare prioritises safety and ease of use, without compromising on aesthetics. Comfortable & stylish seating, as well as bedroom and dining furniture have been crafted to meet the specific needs of care home residents.

• Custom Interiors: Bright Bay Design expertly balanced the high-quality design aesthetic with robust interiors which meet the complex demands of a care home, creating a stylish, comfortable and tranquil atmosphere conducive to both relaxation and community.

• Durability and Sustainability: Furncare’s commitment to sustainability is reflected in their use of responsibly sourced materials, ensuring Elm Lodge’s interiors are environmentally conscious, fit for purpose and long-lasting.

“Bright Bay Design’s involvement across the full project process, from initial building design through to final fit-out, enabled us to create a care home that stands out in so many ways, and we were delighted to include Furncare’s specialist furniture which, with their excellent service, helped us realise our and Forest Care’s vision for Elm Lodge.”

Alexandra Ledger, Director at Bright Bay Design

Elm Lodge is now welcoming residents and is set to provide a caring and uplifting environment for years to come.

For more information about Furncare and their bespoke furniture solutions, visit our Projects page or call 01603 664900 to request your copy of the Bespoke Furniture Collection brochure.

To learn more about Bright Bay Design, visit http://www.brightbaydesign.co.uk/

Read more about this project by clicking HERE 

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In these videos, we’ll be diving into topics that matter to you most. Our first episode focuses on creating spaces for elderly care environments… giving you tips and tricks when designing your homes.

View more Furncare videos by clicking HERE 

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This month, we’re joined by our very own Account Manager, Ernie Francis, as he shares his 4 key tips for choosing the perfect lounge chair for care environments.

View more Furncare videos by clicking HERE 

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Don’t miss this glimpse into the future of care design!

View more Furncare videos by clicking HERE 

The post Furncare Focus: Episode 3 – A Review of 2024 Care Sector Design Trends and Predictions for 2025 appeared first on Furncare - Distinctive Interiors.

“The care sector has been our life for two decades and we have such a close connection to the area, so this nursing home means so much to us. We’re delighted with the service and value that Furncare have provided and can’t wait to welcome our first residents.”

Kathy Ragunathan, Ashton Group Director

Kathy Ragunathan is a chartered accountant and Director of Ashton Group and controlled many of the financial and operational aspects of the new build. Along with her husband Gaj, both are experienced elderly care providers with a growing portfolio of premium care homes in West Sussex and Surrey.

The Ashton Group employs around 360 staff across their various sites, including the new Ashton Meadows Nursing Home. Gaj Ragunathan was born in neighbouring Kingston Hospital and attended Tiffin’s Grammar School just a few hundred metres from the new nursing home.

Award-winning, multi-disciplined studio, DesignLSM, were commissioned to design the interiors, boasting a glowing reputation of delivering inspiring concepts within the hospitality, leisure and senior living industries over the last 36 years.

“Blending our vast experience in hospitality and senior living design, Ashton Meadows is set to present residents and staff with a beautiful home to enjoy – showcasing a luxurious concept that embodies tranquility, freshness and refinement.”

Taryn Kallie, DesignLSM, Interior Designer

DesignLSM were already developing early concepts for the project when Bincy Mathew of the Ashton Group visited the Brighton Care Show in 2022. Having met Sheldon Southall on the Furncare stand, further meetings were arranged in London and Kingston over the next few months. A Furncare delivery vehicle loaded with sample furniture was taken to the site for first-hand assessment. Final specifications, bespoke upholstery designs, soft furnishings and budgets were then agreed. The final order was placed at the end of 2023, scheduled for spring and summer deliveries in time for an official opening event at the home in June this year.

“You can’t beat trying out the furniture itself. Taking actual samples to Kathy and Gaj took all the hassle out of the process for them. Our show van enables us to take furniture from our showroom to customers, no matter where they are in the UK.”

Sheldon Southall, Business Development Manager, Furncare

Everything from tables, lounge chairs, sofas and dining sets to bedside cabinets, curtains and soft furnishings were installed in scheduled phases. All the furniture, including cushions and bed linen, was delivered on schedule and placed ready-to-use in individual rooms – an aspect of the service which was especially appreciated by the nursing home team. Curtain poles were installed and curtains professionally hung by the Furncare ‘White Glove’ Moving Team. Even the patio sets were assembled and arranged in the gardens in time for the eagerly awaited summer sunshine and the VIP open day in June.

Read more by clicking HERE 

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Complementing the Admonere cabinets in the Remini Dementia Collection, are coordinated lounge and visitor chairs, upholstered in contrasting high-performance fabrics.

The Remini Collection features specialist room themes for those living with dementia. It includes fully electronic profiling beds, matching curtains, soft furnishings and accessories, and achieved the highest ‘Gold Standard’ rating.

Creating dementia-friendly environments

Having celebrated the news, the panel then explored more factors to consider when caring for residents with dementia, creating dementia-friendly environments and improving CQC ratings. Hosted by Mike Goldwater from Furncare, Lynsey Hutchinson and David Wilson-Wynne from the DSDC joined Ruth French of Stow Healthcare and Director of The Outstanding Society, and Paul Gaskell from Runwood Homes on the panel. Jade Eaglen, Interior Design Coordinator at Furncare completed the expert line up.

Dementia is like a thief…

David Wynne-Wilson from the DSDC gave an overview of dementia and the care challenges it presents. Paul Gaskell of Runwood Homes explained aspects of his dementia care model and training courses. He likened dementia to a thief, stealing different things from different people. “When we know the individual, we can see what dementia is stealing, and can help to replace some of those missing pieces.”

Ruth French agreed, and highlighted the importance of documented evidence of change on the journey from ‘requires improvement’ to an ‘outstanding’ CQC rating. She recalled the documented story of a resident who could no longer shave himself. Trained carers encouraged him to use a vegetable peeler to prepare carrots until he regained sufficient manual dexterity to use a razor again. A great example of how ‘lost’ functions can be retrieved with the right care and encouragement.

Light Reflectance Values (LRV)

LRV helps designers to plan dementia-friendly interiors. Lyndsey Hutchinson explained how these important values measure the contrast between different surfaces. 0 indicates black whilst 100 indicates white. Lyndsey recommended a difference of at least 30 points between surfaces to help dementia residents to make sense of their environment. Jade Eaglen agreed, and explained why the LRV for each product is specified in the Remini Collection.

The Remini Dementia Collection is available from stock within just five days. For more information and to see the Dementia Matters webinar, visit furncare.co.uk/remini or call 01603 664 900.

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Furncare’s Liv Collection now provides a wider choice of contemporary interiors for supported living and challenging environments. Exciting new room themes for private bedrooms and homely living rooms have been added, and coordinate everything from furniture to fabrics, beds to bookcases and cabinets to curtains.

We’ve added four new interiors to our Liv Collection, making it bigger and more adaptable than ever before, and providing more stylish and homely themes. We’ve even coordinated soft furnishings and accessories to complete the look.

Carl Southall, Furncare MD

Aimed at younger users, everything was conceived to help care homes find fully coordinated, designer interiors quickly and conveniently. Precious time being of the essence, every item in the Liv Collection is available from stock within just five days.

Built to serve you well for many years

Jade Eaglen, Furncare’s design coordinator, describes the new themes as fresh and inviting without compromising comfort, safety or practicality. The extensive new Waylen furniture range for example features in all four new Liv Collection room themes. On the surface, Waylen cabinets look classic and stylish, but underneath the range can endure hard-wearing, robust use and has been built to serve you well for many years to come.

Highlights of the 2024 Liv Collection

Sofas & Armchairs

Rita, Freja and Milano sofas and armchairs – heavy enough to deter misuse but homely and supremely comfortable

Durable Fabrics

Fire retardant, stain and water repellent fabrics, curtains and upholstery

Safe Cabinets

Waylen, Marit and Anker table and cabinet edges rounded and smoothed for safety

Built to Last

Ultra-strong solid beech Jansson and Malin dining chairs with corner bracing and stretcher rails

Anti-ligature Features

Anti-ligature features and robust piano hinges built in to Anker wardrobes

The 2024 Liv Collection is on display at the Furncare Showroom, download your new 2024 brochure or view the full collection here>>.

All the room themes and products are in stock and can be with you in five days.

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Whilst setting up the rooms, I can’t deny that for just a moment I completely forgot I was in a photographic studio. The rooms, the furniture, the soft furnishings and the general vibe looked and felt so homely.

The first set we built was the B001 bedroom. That classic Waylen furniture is very cool, and heavy! The cabinets and wardrobes are really substantial, and the solid wooden surfaces feel organic and natural. The Dove Grey painted finishes give it a modern feel and contrast well with the real wood. Whilst it looks nice and solid, it’s also safe. All the corners and edges are carefully rounded off which not only makes them safer, it’s also a really stylish feature too.

I’m quite tall, but the Everly bed was a perfect fit (don’t tell anyone I tried it for size). And the crisp bedlinen and duvet cover felt great. If it wasn’t for those bright studio lights I think I could have snatched a most welcome 40 winks. Wish I’d thought to draw the stylish Kaya Ochre curtains now!

The Waylen dressing table doubled as my temporary office for the day, and the Jansson chair – upholstered in Nevis Putty faux leather – was very comfortable. The Elm tub chair was far too comfortable though, that became my go-to resting place between shots as it really is great with that feelgood Aspen Light Charcoal upholstery.

Our design coordinator came up with such a great theme for the room – even the recommended wallcoverings and pictures were carefully considered and worked a treat. Great job Jade.

A quick wall swap and we were in a glorious green B002 bedroom. All the soft furnishings, cushions, curtains and pictures were swapped over, and the room took on a whole new character. Lush, rich, sophisticated. The studio crew liked the curtain fabric, which worked so well with the Annika Emerald cushions. Even the smart Kira bedside lamp looked great on the Waylen three-drawer bedside cabinet.

Unfortunately there wasn’t much time to dwell on this lovely bedroom as we moved on to the matching L002 Living Room. Just like its bedroom cousin, the living room feels lush and homely. They say it’s all in the detail, and Jade’s selection of Gazania Forest curtains, Loreto Forest and Imbali Emerald cushions and the Palm Canvas on the wall was a triumph again. Having said that, the stars of the show were definitely the magnificent Luxe Bottle Green Rita sofas. Hard to believe that the soft velvety upholstery is waterproof, fire retardant and stain resistant as it just feels so nice. Just to be clear though, it IS waterproof, fire retardant and stain resistant!

Having had to surrender my Waylen dressing table/desk, I parked my laptop on the matching Waylen dining table for a while. Easy to see how nice it would be to have the same theme and furniture range flowing seamlessly from bedroom to dining room and living room. It really makes for such a calm environment.

Another wall swap and we’re in the grey L001 Living Room above – cousin to the B001 bedroom. All sleek, smooth and sophisticated. The Vision Pewter curtains were a hit with the crew again (self-proclaimed curtain aficionados!), but yet again those Rita sofas stole the show. This time they were upholstered in Compass Pewter which, just like the Luxe Bottle Green version, is waterproof, fire retardant and stain resistant. I say that because I always thought that you could spot contract grade upholstery a mile off. This whole collection is contract grade furniture (in fact it exceeds contract grade standards) but it really doesn’t look like contract furniture. It looks and feels more like home. And you simply can’t get better than that!

Don’t take my word for it though. Visit the Furncare showroom and try The Liv Collection for yourself. Failing that, request a Liv Collection brochure and see the whole collection.

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