Bespoke by Evans’ Stirling Collection: Q&A with Beth Lewin
Bespoke by Evans’ recently launched ‘Stirling Collection‘ has been created specifically to help improve the quality of life for residents living with dementia. Following on from their launch, Beth Lewin, Design Studio Manager at Specialist FR Commercial Fabric Supplier, Bespoke by Evans Beth tells us about the accreditation behind the collection after recently completing her Design for Dementia course at the University of Stirling. Beth talks about what makes it dementia friendly and what to bare in mind when specifying for the care home sector.
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What is the new Stirling Collection?
A pioneering contract fabric collection created to enhance the quality of life for people living in care homes, in particular those living with dementia. There are 5 designs within the collection that comprise of an earthy colour palette and are easy to co-ordinate with each other or existing interiors. The Stirling collection is our first ever fabric range to be approved by the DSDC for use within dementia care environments. The designs can be printed onto any of 12 fabric bases which all comply with British Standards for commercial use and are priced competitively within the market.
What is the DSDC?
The DSDC (Dementia Services Development Centre) at Stirling University is an international centre of knowledge and expertise dedicated to improving the lives of people with dementia. For over 25 years DSDC’s multidisciplinary team of clinical specialists, architects and designers have been promoting the importance of design for people with dementia. They have developed a unique insight into what can be done to support people with dementia, based on research and evidence of what makes a difference.
What does product accreditation by the DSDC mean to interior designers and care home providers?
Interior designers, architects, building standards agencies, care commissioning bodies and practitioners can now enjoy added peace of mind knowing that our fabric designs not only comply with necessary legislative requirements for flame retardancy but the designs are proven to support wellbeing and encourage a safer environment for residents within care. From speaking to our customers it’s evident it’s hard to find patterned fabrics that are aesthetically pleasing and are suitable for dementia carehomes. This accreditation will give our customers and their end-users peace of mind and credibility.
What makes the Stirling Collection ‘dementia friendly’’?
Colour psychology, light reflective value, artwork style and scale are all elements that were taken into consideration to ensure the collection was ‘dementia friendly’. We wanted the designs to have an on-trend but traditional look to them that incorporated nature so William Morris was a big inspiration, however his designs are typically very busy so we made sure we found a good balance of this so that they were dementia friendly whilst also being aesthetically pleasing. For the main design “Flora” we created the pattern and repeat first so the design wasn’t too “busy” and cause confusion for dementia residents. After this we chose a colour scheme and used an LRV meter so there was no more than 10-20 LRV points difference between the colours within the designs. The flowers in the designs were painted so they didn’t look too realistic and cause residents to try and pick at them.
What are the key standards needed for textiles being supplied into a care environment?
All fabrics must meet British Standards for use within commercial interiors and be flame retardant. Unawareness or avoidance of the flame-retardant furnishing regulations can have devastating consequences. Our fabrics are rigorously tested to ensure we meet these standards. Our upholstery fabrics are also waterproof, anti-microbial and sponge clean which is vital for use within care environments.
Is there anything interior designers need to bare in mind when specifying fabrics for the care home sector?
Mainly that they meet British Standards for commercial use, but also that the interiors are accessible. With the amount of people living with dementia on the increase it’s so important that this is taken into account when designing for care interiors. I would recommend doing the design and dementia CPD course with Stirling University.
To receive you FREE product brochure and complimentary fabric swatches of the new collection, simply email design@evans-textiles.com
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