For this unit, we had the opportunity to align our concept design with a live brief. The unit itself (called Collaboration) asked us to use solutions from different areas of interior design, collaborating with them to create the best experience for the user.

The live brief focused on a retirement living building in Bournemouth called Brompton Court, which needed updating with a more thoughtful design. From our initial teams call with Helen Morrell, it was emphasised that this space was not a care facility, so the design needed to support residents subtly rather than feel clinical. Helen also requested that the design be in keeping with the building, which was previously a hospital, and has beautiful architectural features.

My overall aim was to create a space that felt both welcoming and considered, with a sense of quiet luxury. I wanted the design to reflect Bournemouth’s local history and culture, so that it felt familiar and meaningful to residents, while also supporting wellbeing and social connection.

A big part of my research looked at healthcare design principles and art therapy. I was particularly interested in how creative activity can support mental wellbeing in later life. I chose to include elements of art therapy in my design following a podcast I listened to that spoke about mental retirement, and the decline of IQ as people age and become unable to partake in mentally and socially stimulating activities. This was also quite personal for me as my grandma is currently in retirement living, and she struggles with her vision and mobility, so I wanted to make sure the spaces felt accessible and confidence-boosting.

I chose colour palettes to reflect both the setting and the atmosphere of each space. In the reception and hobby room, I drew on coastal Bournemouth tones and spa-inspired case studies to create a calm, soft sense of luxury. For the dining room and corridors, the palette was influenced by colours found in local stained glass and the nearby Pine Walk, tying the scheme more closely to its surroundings.

Some of my favourite features in my design are the smaller details throughout the design, such as the pinecone motif used in curtain finials and cushions. I also love the idea of cladding the existing columns in the dining room, turning them into part of a “pine forest” concept rather than something to hide, reinforcing the connection to the local landscape.

Architectural site plan illustration with grey geometric buildings, green landscaping, brown pathways, and curved driveway layout

Spiral notebook page with sketched green tree on left, green vertical curtain panel on right, handwritten notes above and below

Hand-drawn interior design sketch on spiral notebook showing room layout with brown wooden furniture, blue seating, white walls, and handwritten notes around margins

Spiral-bound sketchbook with architectural drawing of interior hallway featuring red furniture, brown ceiling beams, and handwritten notes

Interior illustration with brown wooden columns, green curtains, crystal chandeliers, red and blue furniture, yellow walls, and grey floor

Hotel lobby with green walls, dark wood columns, brass chandeliers, colourful armchairs around small tables, and cream carpet

Interior sketch with dark wooden beams, cream walls, red upholstered furniture, brown wooden floors, white coffered ceiling

Hotel corridor with dark wood beams, cream walls, framed paintings, red upholstered chairs, table lamp, and tiled flooring

As a fine artist coming into the world of interior design, my creative process includes a lot of drawing to help me visualise and develop my ideas. As I’m still developing my technical skills in interior design software, I based a lot of my drawings on photos of the existing space and worked from those.

For the final presentation, I used AI to help turn those drawings into renders, so the client could better visualise the ideas. The renders are not accurate dimensionally, and with the limitations of AI, some elements vary slightly to my drawings, but overall, it was a really useful tool while I’m still learning the more technical side of things, and it helped bring the concept to life in a clearer way.

Coming from a fine art background, I didn’t have any real hands-on experience in interior design, so this project pushed me out of my comfort zone and introduced me to areas like healthcare design in a really practical way. It also helped me understand how different aspects of design, like residential and hospitality, come together within one project and how I can utilise my findings in future projects. I would also like to add that Diana and Lisa were so extremely helpful and supportive, and I am very grateful.

Getting my grade, it felt really rewarding that my research and hard work had paid off, and to actually believe in myself that I had made quite a successful design with a specific user group in mind, particularly considering the needs of older residents.

Although I know my designs can still be developed further, the experience and the positive feedback from Helen has given me a lot more confidence in my ideas and approach moving forward.

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