Winchcombe Place is a new care home from leading provider Care UK that offers residential, dementia and nursing care to the local community in Newbury, Berkshire.

The clients brief specified three objectives for its design; to support the care groups identified; to present a home not an institution; and to reflect the local history of the site, previously used as school playing fields.

The challenge of care home interior design is to create inspirational surroundings with a limited budget and restricted materials that all residents can enjoy without neglecting a care group; for example visual cues are useful to residents with dementia but should not over-simplify the surroundings of those who do not suffer from the condition.

Winchcombe Place has been designed with a differentiated and eclectic style; bedrooms feature a variety of schemes, including a proportion with specialist product developments, to provide choice and personalisation for residents; whilst each lounge has been individually themed to provide stimulation as well as a destination point within the home, for example a racing themed games room presents an activity area and relates to nearby attraction Newbury Racecourse.

Its distinction however comes from its aesthetic appearance; innovative features, including a vintage sports display, an old fashioned scullery and aged photography memorabilia accompanied by black and white photographs, relate to the local area and the history of the residents that have lived there. The clients brief has been satisfied by providing a supportive care home that is integrated with the local community making it feel like home.

This project is proof that even with its many stipulations, outstanding care home design is achievable; a unique interpretation of the clients brief has resulted in an original interior and provides a source of competitive advantage for this leading provider.