A private residential nursing centre in Borehamwood, Forest Care Village, has shared the remarkable transformation of its décor. This follows an initiative by the Forest Healthcare group to embrace the art and mindfulness of hygge throughout its high-quality centres.
The reaction to the makeover, including communal spaces and exclusive-use bedrooms, has been overwhelmingly positive. It demonstrates why careful choices of colour, texture, light, and nature can profoundly impact the experiences of staff, residents, and visitors to a care setting.
Drivers Behind the Forest Healthcare Hygge Renovation Concept
Hygge is a popular theme in Scandinavian countries and a style ethos that focuses on calm, stress reduction, and promoting a feeling of safety and connectedness. It is used in varied interior environments where self-care, nurture, and the celebration of simplicity matter.
As a recognised way to make medical, healthcare, and care-delivery spaces more inviting, homely, and relaxing, hygge has gained traction as a way to complement therapies, care provision, and nursing support by designing spaces that maximise residents' and patients' wellbeing and happiness.
Forest Healthcare has long been known for its innovative approach to residential and nursing care. For example, it has been celebrated for its introduction of live, interactive music sessions. The company has taken this further with an ambitious whole-centre project to transform the already high-quality décor into something curated specifically with residents' mental health in mind.
A series of images has been published to share the renovation's outcomes. The results are stunning, with soothing symmetry, soft, plush upholstery and delicate plants, light-enhancing pale woods, and gorgeous living walls that bring nature in, regardless of the weather.
The group plans to roll out this renovation theme across its entire network of care and nursing centres. It began with Forest Care Village as a flagship centre within the network, with exceptional feedback from visitors and staff who now have an even more welcoming, tranquil environment in which to live, socialise and work.
Evidence of the Role of Hygge in Healthcare Spaces
Part of the impact of hygge is creating cosy and comforting environments, which can have a tangible benefit in reducing levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, and lowering the adrenal stress response—something many people experience in clinical environments they find intimidating or unfamiliar.
Hygge can also contribute to more mindful interactions, combat anxiety, boost connections, and make the most of simple things, like a warm drink, a pleasant scent, a soft blanket, or a shared meal.
Clinical studies and research projects have quantified that healing environments can reduce the likelihood of falls and improve privacy, comfort, and control. They have also found that for people with chronic or life-limiting conditions, hygge practices contribute to improved attitudes and participation in activities and have a 'deep impact' on emotional and physical experiences.
Reflecting on the Impacts of Hygge-Focused Décor in Residential Care
Amanda Scott, CEO of Forest Healthcare, said, ‘We chose to introduce the hygge concept drawn from evidence-based studies that showed how the hues and shades, textures, and lighting in a care environment could have a compelling effect on the wellbeing and sense of community that we want our residents to experience.
Starting with Forest Care Village, we’ve applied the Scandi-chic treatment to the home beginning with the heart of the home in the main day space. This has created a lighter, calming, inviting environment.
Hygge itself comes from the Norwegian for wellbeing. The soothing nature of taking pleasure in the simple things. It made absolute sense to invest in this renovation scheme, as we are committed to ensuring our residents feel safe, comfortable, content, and at home. Our desire is that our core living values resonate not only in the care residents and their loved ones receive, but begins with the environment they live in.’
Victoria Croft from Juniper Partnership, who was behind the success of the major redecoration overhaul, said, 'Décor isn’t only about aesthetics, but about how we feel when we enter and move around a space. Designing a hygge-style interior was a fantastic challenge. It meant incorporating all the practicalities of accessible, welcoming, and clean spaces with flourishes of colour, light, and texture.
We are delighted with the outcomes and with the inspiration and enthusiasm of the Forest Healthcare team, who got behind the project wholeheartedly to ensure we turned a concept into a reality that wouldn’t just look amazing but will directly improve the quality of life and outcomes for the residents.’
Images of the renovated space are available on the Forest Healthcare social media pages, and further updates will follow as more centres in the group undergo the same uplifting transformation.
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About Forest Healthcare
Forest Healthcare is an established care provider dedicated to consistently delivering an outstanding quality of life to the residents they serve. With a network of care centres across South-East England, Forest Healthcare specialises in catering to a wide range of care requirements, including; residential, nursing, dementia and specialist care. The organisation’s mission is to provide a family feel to the exceptional care they deliver by valuing, respecting and caring for each and every person who lives and works at Forest Healthcare.
Media Contact:
Chris Salter
(020) 7250 0156
Published by: Steve OBrien