i+D - July/August 2018 - 53

Designed for a
Good Night's Sleep

Even the most unassuming details can help a space feel
more like a warm and personal bedroom rather than a cold
hospital room. "A pale pastel on the ceiling lends softness and
quiets the room, whereas white, the color of primer, can be
harsh, creates glare, and looks unfinished," she continues.
"For someone who is bedridden, looking up at a pale peach,
fern green, blue-gray, or lavender can be so much more
pleasant and soothing." She also opts for contrasting switch
plates that "stand out more easily to aging eyes or those with
cognitive or learning disabilities," using wall paint colors to
delineate pathways to the bathroom, closet, and entry/exit to
the room. George also steers clear of using, for instance,
a dark rug on a light floor, which "might be perceived as a hole
to someone with cognitive impairment," she points out.
George put her design philosophies to the test when designing
spaces for Katie's House, a nonprofit organization that oversees
small group homes with a live-in caregiver. She first designed
a bedroom for Katie (who has physical and developmental
disabilities) when she was 21, then a second bedroom for her
10 years later. George also designed for two young men with
autism. "It was important to understand the capabilities and
limitations unique to each, but because these homes were the
first opportunity for them to live independent of their parents'
immediate care, there were also style choices to make based
on their personal preferences," she recalls. "While the design
choices were what made the rooms safe and functionally
appropriate for their unique needs, the style choices were
what gave each individual joy and, in the case of one of
the autistic young men, comfort, helping to ease the difficult
transition from the familiar to the new."
Features like motorized shades allowed one of the men
to proudly operate the shades himself, and Katie was able to
enjoy her requested color scheme-red and purple-while
the designer addressed furniture layout, easy-to-operate lights
and shades, oversize knobs and pulls, potential for falls, and
future wheelchair use. "In the planning stages, I repeatedly do
visual walk-throughs of my designs, looking for problems
I can't see on a floor plan; I try to remain sensitive to anything
that feels uncomfortable on these mental reviews and address
issues before the hammers are swinging. I imagine what it
is like to enter a room from both a standing and seated point of
view," George says, stressing, "Entry to a bedroom is usually
likewise the exit so it is imperative that the area be free of
furniture, the door should swing clear, and the handle should
be easy to grasp and operate for the occupant who has the
greatest challenges." The designer pointed to ASID Industry
Partners, such as Periwinkle Skies, Sherwin Williams, and
Kravet, that all pitched in to help her designs for Katie's House
come to fruition.

i+D - July/August 2018

When New Jersey-based designer Holly George sets out to design a bedroom,
she doesn't wait for her clients to request wellness-minded or eco-friendly
options. She simply presents them as the only option. "I have been specifying
low-VOC and zero-VOC paint products since their introduction to the
market," she says. "While I have had occasion to defend the price of a
particular manufacturer's product over another, explaining, for example, that
in order to truly be zero-VOC the pigments must also be zero-VOC, I honestly
don't make not using these healthier products an option. I believe it highly
important for the painters on my projects as well; after all, they are exposed to
these products fresh from the can every day."
Luckily, paint brands offer paint and primer selections
that fall right in line. Take Benjamin Moore, for
example: Its Natura paint not only is zero-VOC and
has zero emissions (the Natura primer is low-VOC),
but it also has been certified as asthma and allergy
friendly by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation
of America. That's good news for asthma and allergy
sufferers, newborns, or basically anyone who wants
to breathe and rest easy.
But, let's take a look at the bed itself. People lie on it every single day, breathing
in its composition. In fact, studies show individuals spend one-third of their
entire life in bed. And, so it stands to reason that choosing a mattress is,
perhaps, one of the most important home decisions you can make for your
clients' health and wellbeing.
That's why Hästens handcrafts its mattresses from its eco-minded home
base of Sweden using ethically sourced, sustainable resources and natural
materials. "We have been using the same materials for over 100 years and
will continue to do so since these are the purest materials and what we believe
gives people the best sleep," says Jan Ryde, fifth-generation Hästens leader,
CEO, and executive chairman. "These materials are all specially combined to
give the best comfort, but also support to the neck, lower back, and the
whole body. Cotton and wool keeps you warm during the winter and cools
you down during summertime, and the horse hair takes away all the moisture,
which is very powerful since we sweat a lot while we are sleeping." And,
Hästens' commitment to staying sans-synthetics extends to its other sleep
products as well, including bedding, headboards, sleepwear, and bedroom
items for kids. >

Hästens handcrafts
its mattresses using
ethically sourced,
sustainable resources,
and natural materials.
(Image: Philip Karlberg)

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i+D - July/August 2018

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