Décor tips for healthcare

Merino Laminates, December 20, 2024

Healthcare facilities like clinics and hospitals are a necessity and a lot of care must be taken to design the same as a person is in a state of panic and distress when they or someone close to them is sick. We have to be mindful of the spatial planning and layout so as to make it easy for them to find different facilities with minimal effort. The decor of the space must be calming rather than being too chaotic which can make them more confused and overwhelmed. Here are some tips to bear in mind while designing a  healthcare facility:

1. Focus on the spatial planning

The layout of the clinic or the hospital must be simple and easy to understand for the patients and visitors. The reception should be clearly visible as soon as one enters and the entrance should directly lead to it without any confusion. Creating clear public and private zones will help you design a facility that is user-friendly, easy to navigate and secure without the risk of unexpected visitors or intruders. The pharmacy, testing labs, consultation rooms are often built in the public zone of the building, whereas, rooms, operation theatres etc are considered the private zones and are built on the upper levels on the interior of the building so as to provide security and safety for the patients that are admitted.

2. Colours and patterns

When one visits a healthcare facility, they are already anxious and agitated. Hence, the decor must be simple, calming and should help a person stay calm and relaxed. The wall treatments or the upholstery shouldn’t have too many patterns or have colours that are too dark, bright or overpowering. Most of the time, many designers stick to time tested colours like lighter shades of blue, white or grey to give the space a hygienic and sterile look. You can also go for light shades of yellow, green or lavender if you wish to try something unconventional or if you are designing a space for kids. Minimal, abstract, soft geometric patterns or self designs are recommended for such spaces along with fonts that are simple to read and understand. Any large prints, heavy intricate details be it abstract or otherwise and bold, cursive text should be avoided.

3. Maintaining hygiene

It is very important to offer a clean and hygienic environment to not only help offer a healthy environment for the patients but to also avoid the spread of diseases and contamination that can happen due to unhygienic  conditions. Many contagious conditions can be picked up if the surfaces are not cleaned well, hence it is crucial to choose surface finishes that are easy to clean and maintain. Super glossy laminates like the Gloss Meister range from Merino Laminates make for an excellent choice as they can be very easily cleaned, and they continue to look new and elegant with a simple stain removal and maintenance routine.

4. Prioritise the comfort of the visitors

Right from having ample comfortable seating for visitors to the clinic or hospital to having sufficient amounts of lifts and creating ramps to make it disabled friendly- the comfort of the patients must be the top priority of every designer. A mix of chairs, sofas and benches can be used around the reception and waiting areas and lifts and ramps must be placed in such a way that people can spot them and use them with ease. Sufficient number of clean, well planned, disabled- friendly toilets should be placed within easy reach of the visitors.

5. Lighting and accessories

Well lit spaces with soft, white light that gives a feel of a sterile and clean environment are a must in every healthcare facility. White light is also ideally recommended as proper, bright light is mandatory to treat patients especially in dental clinics, eyecare etc. It is best to avoid yellow or warm lights, over the top chandeliers and highly decorative light fixtures and ideal to go for minimalistic light fixtures, cove lighting etc. Likewise, tacky, overly designed accessories, door handles etc are best avoided and it is ideal to go for simple and sturdy finishes to make the space look tranquil and elegant.

6. Storage and organisation

Healthcare facilities demand a lot of storage as they have to store a lot of samples, case files etc. As technologically advanced as a facility may be, it is still crucial to have ample, closed storage and organised spaces to ensure smooth and hassle free filing of documents, samples, storage of bed linens, aprons etc. Sufficient locker space and storage must also be provided to the doctors and staff to store their bags, scrubs etc. Thus, right from the reception to the staff rooms, ample and well planned storage is a must in every clinic or hospital irrespective of their scale of operation.

We hope that these decor tips will help you create a pleasant and calming healthcare facility that feels like a safe haven for the patients. It must also offer a productive and pleasant environment for the doctors to work at, and a mindful understanding of the needs of the staff and visitors will help us create a design that is functional and elegant.