J+J Symposium Focuses on Senior Design Trends

Dalton, GA, Aug. 4, 2014 -- J+J Flooring Group recently hosted the first in a series of senior living design symposiums in which experts discussed the driving trends.

The top five trends observed included:
 
Hospitable luxury, user driven design, green house project passion, nature inspired healing, and greater diversity in flooring selection, with an increase in the use of carpet tile.

Held in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the two-day event brought together leading practitioners of senior living design representing firms from California, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon and Virginia.
 
For designers, the open exchange of ideas offered lessons about other firms’ approaches to common challenges along with an update on the state of the industry.

There was also a focus on the growing study of evidence-based design.
 
Dicussions focused on the deinstitutionalization of senior living facilities and the push for an increase of hospitality influences.

Many attendees are seeing the surge of Baby Boomers who are demanding different standards in their accommodations.

Residents are now embracing technology and wanting more contemporary and stylish living environments. Also, design elements must not only provide safety and care, but also unique facilities with familiar, homelike qualities.
 
Many attendees also noted that elders are being given more input into the design of their spaces. Trends such as nature-inspired aesthetics, warmer finishes, abstract organics and color selections with hues of greens and purples are becoming more prominent in long-term care facility design.

Flooring preferences are also seeing a transformation. Carpet tile is continuing to grow as a preferred option to broadloom carpet and traditional patterns are being updated with modern color and styling.

Many times mixed flooring types are used to accommodate the use of the individual space, however room carpet tends to remain neutral with small scale, textural patterns.

Because multi-flooring selections are incorporated there is a high importance given to transitions.