de Fiddes are excited to introduce you to our new blog page! This is a place where we plan to share our thoughts and reviews on design, architecture, products and the latest cutting edge research.
Our team will be posting regularly on de Fiddes projects, review new and exciting innovations, pass on to you the latest education, share and promote notes of inspiration and show you some fabulous photos from our interior fit outs. Keep up to date on latest products in the market, articles of interest and research findings from our Managing Director, Debbie de Fiddes.
Our blog will not only be an example of what keeps the team at de Fiddes committed to being at the forefront of innovation but a fun place to collect and seek ideas, advice for all things design and even just to share whatever is on our minds. To be the first to receive our latest posts sign up to our newsletter inKIND here.
Following on from a fabulous time at DenFair 2017 in Melbourne earlier this month, we were lucky enough to get to Sydney and be immersed in the wonderful light and sound show that is Sydney Vivid.
And what a show it was! We spent many hours walking the Sydney streets and harbour areas taking in the captivating, and often poetic installations on offer. It was a photographer paradise but this particular installation 'Freedom of Movement' captivated us all with its core mission to change the way we move.
We are totally inspired by the amazing autumn colours. This creeper reminded us of a beautiful tapestry rug, snapped at a day in the Yarra Valley when visiting Melbourne last week. Enjoy bathing in the beauty of this most colourful of seasons.
Is designing spaces or products that incorporate make-believe elements within dementia care the right thing to do? Currently there seems to be much discussion around this topic and we know that make-believe could be viewed as potentially deceptive and deception is a core issue in relation to person-centered dementia care..
I would like to share with you a story from West Seattle, where there is an Intergenerational Learning Centre called “The Mount”.
The Mount is a licensed non-profit child-care centre and preschool established on the Mount’s premises in 1991. The program was designed to counterbalance the loneliness and boredom that we know is an issue in aged care facilities..
We know that a lot more residents moving into aged care are either bed bound or spend a great deal of time in recliner chairs. The sad reality is it means that residents are looking up towards the ceiling for a large part of the day. How do we make walls and ceilings more interesting for those residents?
Regis North Fremantle have just combined their first birthday and grand opening. I cannot believe 1 year has passed since we fitted out the new facility. It was a fantastic night and I have to congratulate their in-house chef who provided all the nibbles. The food was sensational and if that is any indication as to what the residents are served each day I have to say congratulations Regis and book me in for lunch!
An amazing opening of the new Amaroo Buckley Caring Centre age care facility. De Fiddes Design has been working on this exciting project, integrating suitable aged care appropriate design elements throughout.
The band were made up of the local men’s group and they played “You Will Never Grow Old” by Nat King Cole and the singing was by the CEO David Fenwick and all his wonderful staff.
We love to use of floral arrangements when fitting out our interiors projects. The more natural the better. They provide beauty and greenery as well as a valuable connection to nature. Our Australian native Eucalypts and wildflowers are currently in bloom and we can’t get enough of them – simply stunning!
Designing to enhance our senses is important when designing for the elderly.
Many people living in aged care, especially secure Memory Support Units, miss the opportunity to explore their senses.
The BBC has a fascinating series called “The Uncommon Senses” by Barry Smith who journeys into the human multi-sensory experience and highlights the importance of our senses and what it means to us as individuals...
Last month Debbie featured on the ABC news talking about the importance of technology in aged care highlighting both the virtual reality goggles and the interactive technology.
This area of design is gaining interest worldwide and we were contacted by the BBC to air the story in the UK.
Russell Foster, professor of circadian neuroscience from Oxford University, is a leading researcher in the study of sleep and cycles of the brain. Prof. Foster explains that we need exposure to light between 1000-2000 lux to keep our body clocks ticking over. Prof. Foster says that exposure to light will not only prevent sleep problems, it may also be crucial for keeping our brains in good condition...
Last night on ABC News Sunday was our very own CEO, Deb de Fiddes, who says, "Showing the virtual reality goggles to dementia residents at SwanCare Kingia was an amazing experience for the residents, staff and especially for me. It created some great conversations and the expressions on their faces makes what we do all worthwhile".
I think we are all familiar with robots and the many articles talking about technology playing a major role in the aged care industry moving forward.
In our last newsletter, we talked about the virtual reality goggles. This week we gave the residents at Swan Care’s dementia area an opportunity to try the Goggles. The reaction from the residents was absolutely incredible. We were filmed by the ABC and it will be viewed on the news Sunday night 7pm if you get a chance to see it.
Quite often you will walk into a room and a TV is what you will see and hear first. Samsung have come up with an amazing new UHD TV called ‘The Frame’. The Frame is not only a TV but can double as a picture frame displaying over 100 pieces of art options whenever you’re not using it. The display not only adjusts to your presence but also adjusts to ambient light automatically!
Incredibly important!! I recently returned from a speaking engagement at the Environments for Aging Conference in the USA. One of the presentations was by the University of Philadelphia on this particular subject.
What is Biophilia? Bio means life and philia in Greek means fondness ...
We had the great pleasure of being taken to lunch at China Tang, Harbour City in Kowloon on our recent trip to Honk Kong, thanks to our wonderful client and LWK Interiors. Not only was the food amazing but the interiors were completely delightful. Elegant luxury and an inspiring mix of Chinese and European design.
This coming month is a very busy month at de Fiddes Design with finishing a number of exciting projects and travelling overseas to conferences and meetings. Debbie is off to Las Vegas this week to speak at the Environments for Aging Conference and mid-March, Debbie and Erin are travelling to China with our Hong Kong client to look at new products. We look forward to hearing some interesting stories!
Following on from last month, we often take simple things for granted, such as knowing our way around our home or understanding where the bathroom is located. Let’s then consider an elderly person with dementia who is living in a new and unfamiliar environment; finding something as simple as a toilet outside their own bedroom can be a real problem.
We had the pleasure of meeting Marc Pascal, one of the co-founders of BuildVR, who brought along some virtual reality goggles for the team to try. All we can say is that they are amazing!
The goggles transport you into an environment that feels real and are a great deal of fun! Solis have a number of virtual packages available from aquatic, travel, animals, relaxation and adventure.
Under stormy skies this month, the Perth International Arts Festival presented our beautiful city of Perth with 'Boorna Waanginy: The Trees Speak' - a light and sound wonderland that showcased our indigenous Australians sacred connection to the land.
