Merlin Case Study - buckinghaminteriors.co.uk · full selection of concept and mood boards to assist with the interior design choices. Areas to be refurbished included communal living

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Merlin Case Study

Kennedy House

1 Product Page Template www.furnitureresourcecentre.co.uk | [email protected] | 0151 702 05702 Case Study www.buckinghaminteriors.co.uk | [email protected] | 0151 702 0570

BackgroundMerlin carried out a full asset review of their 51 independent living schemes with the aim of reducing voids, modernising their schemes and implementing the Decent Homes Standard.

They wanted to transform their schemes to help them to stay competitive in this highly demanding marketplace. Merlin needed a partner with specialist knowledge and experience to provide a full interior design package, from developing the design concept through to the installation of furniture and furnishings – a partner who could play a key role in the entire process.

This is why Merlin selected Buckingham Interiors as their partner on this three year project, because as well having the expert knowledge and experience, we proved through our track record and our initial meetings with them, that we meet all of their needs and we understand how a scheme’s design can improve residents’ health and wellbeing.

Kennedy House


BriefBuckingham Interiors’ brief was to create a modern aspirational feel through interior design, as well as supply and install furniture, soft furnishings and accessories, to seven of Merlin’s independent living schemes.

This included a bespoke Merlin furniture and furnishings range and a full selection of concept and mood boards to assist with the interior design choices.

Areas to be refurbished included communal living and dining areas, receptions, guest bedrooms, corridors, games rooms, and assisted bathrooms.

Our full turnkey service delivers everything Merlin needs, with free delivery, installation and fitting, minimising disruption, and delivering the ‘Wow’ factor for residents.

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Peace of Mind

Buckingham Interiors is the top ranked supplier on the Procurement for Housing’s Furniture Framework. This gave Merlin the peace of mind that our prices, products and service have all been fully assessed as part of an OJEU compliant tender process, and ranked as the best in the country.

Buckingham Interiors only works with social housing providers and their contractors so we fully understand our customers, and their customers’ needs. All of our products have been designed and carefully selected through extensive consultation with our Housing Association and Local Authority customers and their tenants.

Our expert knowledge of the necessary regulations and compliance needs of this market means our customers have complete confidence in the suitability of our range which complies with all the necessary Health & Safety and Fire Safety regulations; the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA); and is certified to contract quality.

Every furniture item supplied by Buckinghan Interiors’ has been designed specifically for older persons living environment and has been tested and certificated to British Standards for contract quality by the independent testing organisation FIRA (Furniture Industry Research Association).

We offer a variety of products in each category to ensure a level of choice to meet all needs, every environment type and every design concept, traditional or more modern.

We then work with our clients to select items from our full range to create a bespoke range for their particular needs.

Gifford House

Neate Court

Prinknash Court

Kennedy House


ConsultationMerlin needed to ensure that the residents’ investment in this transformation was recognised and that they felt engaged and involved in the process. Their involvement through detailed consultation means not only are they more likely to make more use of the areas being refurbished, but by listening to their desires and needs, the end result will be more appealing to future residents.

Buckingham Interiors approach to meaningful and detailed consultation delivered exactly what Merlin needed. We created a working group for representatives across the organisation and they were invited to our headquarters and enjoyed consultation days to view our furniture range, fabric and wood samples, decorating and floor coverings.

From this, and through visits taking samples to selected schemes, we created a bespoke Merlin furniture range, and we worked closely with senior management to create a selection of concept boards which were then used to develop the series of six mood boards to be used across the scheme. This means an overall luxury design standard can be achieved while providing the flexibility for each scheme to select its own style.

Resident consultation events at individual schemes gives residents the opportunity to play a full role in the redevelopment of their home, when they can select the mood board, and the furniture and furnishings they prefer to complete their scheme.

Prinknash Court


The experienced Buckingham Interiors consultation team guides and supports the residents as they make their choices, helping them to understand the scope each mood board offers, and the specification and benefits of every product available.

After the consultation event, Buckingham Interiors develops a full specification for the whole interior design, from paint colours to stair nosings, noticeboards to artwork locations, as well a full range of high quality, beautiful furniture.

We also produce a full quote at this stage with a breakdown of all the items required, including fabric and wood choices, with all the quantities and prices included, as well as an overall total. This is supplied to the scheme manager and residents with a floor plan and fabric swatches to remind them of their choices.

This detailed work at the start of each scheme has the added benefit of allowing the design team to move very swiftly after the consultation events to put together the full layout for each scheme.

All of our layouts and designs demonstrate our detailed understanding of the needs of the residents, facilitating interaction with added touches like creating a ‘café’ atmosphere in key areas for activities like coffee mornings and other social events.

As the age range of residents in independent living schemes expands to include younger members, the versatility of communal areas becomes increasingly important to a scheme’s attraction to future residents.


Expert interior design can transform a living space, creating the ideal environment to relax and socialise. Colours have the ability to calm or enliven, and different textures can add depth to the look and feel of a room.

In Independent Living environments we believe that design needs to deliver more than the look of a scheme, it also needs to counter the challenges faced by people with different needs.

While Merlin does not have any dementia schemes, we understand the need to subtly assist any tenants who may develop any early symptoms of the disease, and these needs are also shared with those suffering from sight loss.

An increasingly ageing population means both these groups should be considered when designing a scheme and we use a variety of methods, including colour and contrast. For example we gave a 30 LRV, (light reflective variance), between the walls and flooring. RNIB Guidance recommends this as colours can appear washed out so contrast can be very useful.

We also specified different colours to the communal WC doors to other doors in the corridors to help people to identify the bathroom. In the communal lounges, and handrails were also provided in a contrasting colour to the wall colour to visually lift them from walls.

Further subtle contrast was provided in the seating fabric to help people with dementia and sight loss to recognise where they are and to find their way around. Fitted step edges on the stairs contrast with the stair treads and risers improved safety by helping to visually reinforce the change from flat surfaces to steps.

Expert DesignFeedbackNiva Pandya, ILS Project Modernisation Officer from Merlin said:

”We are delighted with the finished look in the completed schemes. The residents are very happy with the new styles and we are looking forward to working together with the Buckingham Interiors team in the future.”

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The walls of each floor of Merlin’s schemes were painted in different colours to help residents to differentiate the levels and make navigation easy. We also supplied themed artwork for each corridor to provide additional visual clues. The residents and managers are able to select the artwork from the Buckingham Interiors’ Artwork brochure. This features over 100 different artwork options, all grouped into themes that match our interior design mood boards.

We also considered how residents can navigate around the room. Wheelchair users, or those using walking aids, need enough space between the furniture for them to manoeuvre around the room, however too much space between furniture can impair socialinteraction so we created the right balance to allow conversation to flow and allow easy movement.

Kennedy House


Going the Extra MileBuckingham Interiors has over 28 years of experience in delivering and installing furniture and furnishings for large and small scale schemes. We fully understand all of the statutory obligations a public body needs to adhere to, from security issues to health and safety requirements, and fulfillling these obligations is at the core of all our processes and procedures.

As an ISO9001 (2008) certified organisation, our quality management system covers all areas of our business, from services and equipment, to facilities, people and training, so our processes are carefully developed to meet all of our customers’ needs, and are stringently monitored, giving confidence in their efficiency and effectiveness.

Our fully qualified delivery team provide a complete one stop delivery service for Merlin, fitting everything from the flooring to artwork and window coverings, minimising any disruption for staff.

Our delivery teams also receive regular training and hold all relevant qualifications, including SMAS certified for Health and Safety, Construction Skills Certification Scheme, manual handling, and are all DBS checked, so our skilled and qualified teams meet all health and safety, as well as security, requirements.

Feedback

Amanda Hampden, Service Manager from Merlin, said:

““It’s been fantastic visiting the completed schemes and seeing our customers enjoying their completely transformed communal facilities. The design and quality of the soft furnishings is outstanding.”


Project Management

The Buckingham Interiors Project Management service is free and manages the whole process, giving you peace of mind that everything will run smoothly.

The Buckingham Project Manager is on site throughout to oversee the whole process, and to liaise with the decorating contractors, manager and residents. This also allows the managers to provide immediate feedback and the Project Manager has the authority to resolve any issues immediately. The project is signed off at this stage but the full Aftercare package then begins.

At the end of each scheme we carry out a resident consultation survey to establish how satisfied they were with the level of consultation and to find out if the finished scheme met with their expectations. We share these responses with Merlin but we also use them for our KPIs and they form part of our ISO procedures.

FeedbackResident consultation responses:

“ I enjoyed how they listened to us at the consultation.”

“ I’m very pleased with the outcome, it looks inviting.”

“ I felt I had a real voice on the choice during the consultation.”

Prinknash Court


Furniture Reuse and Recycling

Whenever we are replacing furniture at a scheme, we are happy to collect any unwanted items and bring them back to our warehouse for reuse and recycling. Buckingham Interiors is part of FRC Group, a social enterprise, and one of our social businesses is dedicated to furniture reuse and recycling so we have the facilities, the expertise and the experience to do this efficiently and responsibly.

All preloved furniture collected as part of every refurbishment project is assessed for its reuse potential and if suitable, after minor repairs and cleaning, the items are taken to those who need them most.

As members of the national Furniture Reuse Network, we are also happy to work with partners throughout the country if clients would like preloved items to go to help people in their local area.

All items which are not suitable for reuse are recycled. They are deconstructed and all the recyclable elements are separated and sent to our waste partners. We always follow the waste hierarchy and fully comply with waste management regulations.


AftercareAs part of the Merlin contract, the scheme aftercare is closely overseen by a dedicated Account Manager who provides a single point of contract for the client for all queries and issues. Full contact details for the Account Manager, including email address, landline and mobile phone numbers, are provided to Merlin staff.

The Account Manager organises regular contract review meetings with the Merlin team, providing the opportunity to discuss any improvements to the service that could be offered, and then implementing those changes. The frequency and content of these review meetings have been developed to meet with the needs of the client, our standard practice with contracts of this nature.

A full maintenance support pack is provided on completion of each scheme with detailed cleaning recommendations. We also provide an ongoing repair service for all items and as a member of FIRA, we use their specialist engineers to deliver this.

Neate Court


Neate Court


12-14 Atlantic Way, Brunswick Dock, Liverpool, L3 4BE

www.buckinghaminteriors.co.uk | [email protected] | 0151 702 0570

Registered in England 2296329 | Charity No: 700731

Gifford House

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Merlin Case Study - buckinghaminteriors.co.uk · full selection of concept and mood boards to assist with the interior design choices. Areas to be refurbished included communal living