The Bluebell Room Renovation
If you are local to Cheltenham, you may have heard about the renovation to the interior of The Bluebell Room. The Bluebell Room is a treatment room at the Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice in Cheltenham.
On a Summers Day in 2023, Rhian met the Sue Ryder team for the first time, at a CheltNetworking event hosted in the hospice grounds. Getting to know everyone, as you do, a conversation on interior design psychology got really interesting….and it led the way to a room, that the team were currently struggling with inside the Day Hospice. Upon viewing, the potential for this room was clear; a few small changes could help it to become a special, supportive space for the Carers and Therapists to share.
Room for Calm
It's no secret, the space was rarely used and it looked like this....becoming a bit of a temporary holding area for unused furniture! Rhian began to review the layout and storage requirements in the space with the team, to create an uncluttered, calmer environment.
Room for Comfort
One thing that was clear, was the need for improved seating and the flow of furniture. At the time it felt quite like a waiting room and a cold one at that! That said, commercial regulation and practicality had to remain priority, amidst the wishes for a warmer, cosier feel.
And room for Colour!
The room was blessed with some lovely wall space....perfect for a pop of colour or a spot of artwork perhaps. Whilst the shape of the room could probably take a good amount, Rhian was mindful of the user experience, to get the feeling of support just right.
Rhian made a start to the redesign of this clinical, unused room. With no budget to speak of though, fundraising, donations and hands on help were going to be required to bring this room to life.
The Design
The room is located within a Grade 2 Listed Building and the first-fix foundation provided a great basis to work from.Rhian began to pull together a first draft of a design scope, ready to discuss with the team and the potential support. As the materials and resources became clearer, Rhians' design support led onto further drawings, sampling and testing where required.
Determined to achieve this for the hospice, Rhian reached out to local businesses and found four who were delighted to support; Barnwood Limited, Warwick Fabrics, Just Fabrics and Karndean.