National Assisted Living Week Profile: Interior Transformations at The Aldersly and The Meadows

Competition is steep for quality assisted-living care, and while new communities can design residences with all the latest amenities, existing ones are feeling the pressure to keep up. “They want to remain competitive and attract residents,” says Perkins Eastman Senior Associate Merintha Pinson. The good news is that a modern makeover doesn’t necessarily require costly teardowns or a gut renovation. In some cases, a refreshing new combination of lighting, paint, finishes, and furniture will do the trick.

To commemorate National Assisted Living Week, whose theme this year is “Inspiring Generations,” we’re sharing some before-and-after inspiration from the talented interior designers in our Senior Living practice who are helping established communities stay current.

The Aldersly Retirement Community | San Rafael, CA

Established in 1921 as a non-profit community for Danish Americans, Aldersly translates to “a shade for old age.” The campus has evolved significantly over the past century, with buildings erected over many different decades. Perkins Eastman established a campus-wide master plan so the Aldersly can continue to serve new generations of residents, starting with the plan’s first phase to renovate the campus’ two-story, 35-bed assisted living building. One of the biggest challenges was the fact that assisted-living and memory-care residents were combined across both floors, even though each group had different needs and levels of care, says Perkins Eastman Principal Soo Im. Another was the building’s L shape, which prevents a circular flow. In response, Im and her team created separate care environments on each floor and designed a community pantries and living areas on the short end of the L shape, so residents would feel like they’ve arrived at a destination instead of a dead end. Another huge improvement was introducing a state-of-the-art circadian lighting system—the first of its kind in California—which mimics the daily passage of natural light to reinforce residents’ waking and sleeping cycles. Every design gesture thereafter was meant to integrate the Danish concept of “hygge,” Im explains. “Everything was about comfort and coziness.”

Non-structural columns created an unnecessary obstacle to this sitting area, and the poor lighting created a “light at the end of the tunnel” effect. The acoustics were also problematic, with sound reverberations off the tray ceiling. The new design called for acoustic tile applied to the tray inset, with edge filling that space and decorative pendants to send it down into the room, thus removing the window glare. New luxury vinyl tile replaced the dated carpeting, and the coordinating furniture, with its bright fabric against a soothingly neutral background in the new activity space, creates a “more friendly, more residential, and less institutional feel,” Im says.

Insufficient lighting down the corridors once more created a light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel effect. Because the only light source came from sconces, the effect visually brought the ceiling down lower, Im explains. By refreshing the paint and carpeting, and lighting the space all the way around, the same corridor now appears brighter, lighter, and more expansive. The design team also chose different mailboxes to distinguish each resident’s apartment and add more personalization.

Before the renovation, a combined living and dining space had the tables at the far end of the room, separating them from the pantry area. The new design switched the sequence, adding a room divider with a fireplace to create zones, but whose open shelving cleverly allows staff to keep an eye on residents. Mechanical systems prevented the team from adding edge lighting to the tray above the new living area, so they added a dropped panel to achieve that effect and wash the light more evenly across the space.

A new pantry includes a rear storage room for equipment such as carts, appliances, and dishes, while “you don’t see anything here in the front that you wouldn’t see in your kitchen,” Im says. An induction warmer on the left counter obviates the need for hotel-buffet-like chafing dishes to keep food warm, further enhancing the community’s sought-after “hygge.” An inviting bar area promotes easy interaction between the residents and staff.

Two staff offices were relocated to make way for a spacious library. The entries to the space are in the same location as the former offices’ doors (visible to the right in the before picture above), while open shelving fills the space between. The shelving adds intimacy to the space, but its openings provide sight lines for the staff, in addition to a new wall cutout around the corner (to the right of the bar area above). Says Im: “We try to build these features in without calling it out.”

The Meadows Senior Living | Elk Grove, CA

After two decades in operation, The Meadows’ owner approached Perkins Eastman to update and improve the amenity spaces in this 106-unit assisted living and memory-care community. “They wanted to retain that warm, welcoming residential feel its residents always enjoyed, but in a refreshed way so today’s consumer would be interested in living there,” Senior Associate Merintha Pinson says. The rebranding effort, she adds, “draws heavily from the natural color schemes and palettes found in California.”

First impressions start at the entry, where the team replaced a wobbly banister with a refreshed, contemporary style. The renewed foyer offers touches of hospitality with statement artwork, distinctive lighting, new furniture, and updated flooring.

All Meadows photography Copyright Rich Montalbano / Rimo Photo, LLC
All “before” images Courtesy Perkins Eastman

A great room off the foyer has always doubled as a meeting and discovery space for the sales team to speak with prospective residents and their families. A bold new fireplace surround, inviting wing chairs, and carpeting in natural blues and greens can now do its own sales work.

“We had to be creative in where we wanted to prioritize the funds to create the biggest ‘wow,’ ” Pinson says of the design efforts. For that reason, they didn’t touch any of the columns or beams in the main corridor and dining room, which is centered under a double-height space that’s open to a lounge and activity area above. But they were able to provide screening around the wait station for a visual and acoustic divide between prep noise and the dining experience. New accent carpet also softens the acoustics of the space, while the paint and wall covering, light fixtures, artwork, and furniture brighten and refine it.

In addition to the decorative lights, the team re-lamped the recessed lighting – “that makes a huge difference because the color temperature was improved,” Pinson says.  “And replacing the former stationary valances with operable, lighter shades dramatically improved the amount of daylight that reaches into the spaces while allowing control over glare and solar heat gain.”

The second-floor activity space, which provides a view of the dining room below, previously lacked flow; a bistro-style area was segmented by faux gates, while the rest of the space didn’t project a clear purpose. The newly cohesive space includes zones for lounging, focused reading, and tables for games or light dining. The team encased the existing beam with wood-grain laminate (which also conceals the electrical conduit between the new fans) and added additional beams to make the look more intentional and to give definition and warmth to the tall ceilings.

The overall appeal of The Meadows has grown immeasurably, Pinson says, which will help the community continue to attract new residents in a care setting where they will feel at home. The community’s executive director, Alyssa Sellers, is thrilled with the result. “We’re beyond grateful for our new, bright, elevated space!” she says.