Cooper’s Hill House – entrance
Bernard Interiors creates luxurious designs for the later living and care environments. Its founder Jen Bernard reveals the secrets of its success
Apart from a great location and abundance of facilities, a vital component in the mix of retirement-living essentials is good interior design.
Bernard Interiors is part of the Audley Villages development team. Audley has 19 high-end retirement villages all over the UK – and Bernard Interiors has been responsible for the designs of three of their newest schemes.
Bernard Interiors has also worked with care-home operators, such as Hadrian Healthcare, Angela Swift Developments, Boutique Care Homes and is working on current projects with MACC Group and Principle Care Homes to name a few.
Jen Bernard
“We are proud to work with a number of retirement villages and care home developers across the UK, each providing the very highest quality of accommodation and facilities for older people,” says founder and managing director Jen Bernard.
Q: How does your interior design approach vary according to each project you undertake?
Jen Bernard: Our experience over 12 years involves developing a unique brand identity for each retirement village or care home developer and operator we engage with, tailoring the interior design for each client as part of their individual brand.
The brand identity reflects their ethos and values, positioning them with their prospective residents and owners.
Q: How do you ensure that the interiors you create meet the requirements of future residents and owners?
Jen Bernard: First, we look at current retirement or care provision in the area and ensure that we create something really unique.
We then research local history, industries and the environment to see what potential residents would be familiar with and how this could feature in the design.
We think about how we can make environments happy and comfortable as well as a fulfilling part of a life journey for residents and owners.
For staff, we consider creating conditions in which they can provide great care safely, designed to streamline routine tasks.
As the design progresses, we continue to discuss with our client how the development will be marketed on completion.
Q: You also specialise in restoring historic buildings and the recent impressive Victorian Gothic mansion at the heart of the Audley Cooper’s Hill luxury retirement village in Surrey is stunning – tell us more about your design inspiration for this project?
Jen Bernard: Cooper’s Hill House, situated in the impressive Magna Carta Park, now houses the Audley Club.
Facilities include a health spa with swimming pool, gym, salon, lounge and library.
The design combines the best in hotel, residential and healthcare to create a timeless and elegant environment for owners and visitors to enjoy the health and wellbeing facilities offered.
Cooper’s Hill House
The interior is rich and dramatic – there are nods to the maximalism design trend – eclectic, grand and fun – the style where ‘more is more’.
This style works perfectly with the Victorian Gothic architecture. The rich and regal colour palette used throughout reflects the historical period surrounding the Magna Carta – most notably in the entrance and bar bistro.
It’s important to understand the context of the building, its history and uniqueness.
Our role is both to create beautiful interiors and to respect the building’s heritage.
We don’t attempt to mimic the existing style or period exactly unless that is required, we aim to provide a new layer of history to the building.
Q: You are clearly passionate about creating luxurious yet comfortable interiors – how do you define what you do for retirees?
Jen Bernard: Creating successful luxury interiors for retirement villages requires experience and knowledge.
In terms of aesthetics, we consider high-end residential and hotel design.
We also consider care and retirement sector specific regulations, requirements and research.
It takes a high level of innovative thinking and insight to create and deliver design-led interiors which seamlessly incorporate the practical considerations.
Q: How has the pandemic influenced your design work?
Jen Bernard: The pandemic has brought several aspects of infection control in care-home design to the fore.
This includes reducing physical contact, being able to isolate rooms and facilities, use of antimicrobial materials and creating space for PPE storage.
It has also highlighted the need to optimise safe ways for residents to connect with their families, friends and medical practitioners, either virtually or through physical screening.
Hadrian Healthcare – The Manor House – Harrogate – Garden cafe bar
For example, we recently designed a Covid-19-secure visitors’ lounge at a care home for Hadrian Healthcare using integrated screens.
The lounge maintains the brand aesthetic of the home whilst providing a safe and comfortable environment for residents to meet with their families.
Despite the challenges posed by Covid-19 demand for luxury retirement options and better care homes has increased and remains stronger than ever.
For more information visit www.bernardinteriors.co.uk
Telephone number +44 (0)1661 821 427 and enquiries@bernardinteriors.co.uk
