Designing wall-coverings and murals for the care home sector is an area ATADesigns has been exploring for a number of years. To help realise this, award-winning surface design specialist Annette Taylor-Anderson (ATADesigns) and Gareth Wyn Jones, founder of Wallsmiths (specialist wallpaper printers), joined forces to collaborate on care home wallcovering and mural projects. Their first collection was exhibited at the Dementia Care & Nursing Expo, Birmingham, to very positive feedback.
To deepen their knowledge of designing for care homes and dementia, ATADesigns and Wallsmiths attended the ‘Intersection of Dementia + Design’ two-day accredited course at Stirling University (2019), run by DSDC.
Course Review
“Before signing up to the course, both Gareth and I did lots of research. The ‘Intersection of Dementia + Design’ caught our eye. We heard good things about it from an interior designer who had attended a few years earlier, and after speaking to Ailidh Aikman (Business Support Officer) who explained the course in more detail, we decided to book and couldn’t wait to get started.
We went with an open mind and embraced whatever the course had to offer. It was welcoming, and it was great to network and meet companies from other disciplines. The course encouraged us to learn from each other, working together as a team through well-presented workshops — including problem-solving, working through scenarios and decision-making.
Our business is designing and printing wallpapers and murals, so it was very useful to see that the course covered all aspects of design — from new build, interior design and lighting to outdoor space and the garden, as well as regulations and guidance.
When designing wallcoverings and murals for care homes, we have now learnt to look at the space in a different way, bearing in mind the types of things to consider before starting a design. Learning about colour tonal values was a big eye-opener — important knowledge we can apply both in business and in our personal lives, especially as more and more of us will know someone with dementia.
We learnt so much over the two days. The presentations and workshops were excellent, and who better to learn from than industry expert speakers themselves.
ATADesigns and Wallsmiths aim to create wallcoverings and murals where residents, family and staff can feel at home in a welcoming, safe and well-being environment — working with familiarity and bringing the outside in.”
Annette Taylor-Anderson, ATADesigns & Gareth Wyn Jones, Wallsmiths
