Carinity’s breathing new life into Clifford House

Refurbishing an aged care home presents a perfect opportunity to preserve history while enhancing functionality, comfort and aesthetics for a modern audience. 

Clifford House is Carinity’s oldest aged care home, established just over 75 years ago at its original site in Alderley, roughly five kilometres from its current home in Wooloowin. 

Clifford House in Alderley was formed by a passionate group of members from the local Baptist community who wanted a community aged care home to alleviate the pressure on church care homes that were ‘filled to overflowing, and had long waiting lists’.

The community responded in droves and after eight short years it was at capacity. And so, Clifford House relocated from Alderley to Ascot, before making the move again in 1991 to its current location. 

Thirty-four years later and with no desire to move again, Carinity looked at an impactful refurbishment to breathe new life into the home. 

“We wanted to refresh what we had. We didn’t want to lose the homely feel of Clifford House. It has quite a charm to it so there was never a desire to knock it down,” Brett Maunder, Carinity’s Marketing and Communications Manager, shared.

“Because we have a few older sites, our strategy is to bring them up to the level of what the market’s demanding before we look to build any brand new sites. We want to focus on the older homes, particularly the ones without private ensuites, as that was a real catalyst for helping our occupancy in the suburbs where it would be an expectation for incoming residents.”

Architecture and design practice Deicke Richards partnered with Carinity on the refurbishment of Clifford House. 

Associate/Senior Interior Designer Magda Myszkowski embraced the organisation’s goal of preserving history while also enhancing functionality for staff and residents, and rejuvenating comfort and aesthetics. 

“The revitalisation of Clifford House exemplifies how thoughtful design can breathe new life into an established space, creating a warm and inviting environment that feels like home,” she explained.

“Despite budget constraints and initial scepticism, the refurbishment highlights the immense value of revitalising an existing facility. Thoughtful layout adjustments improved staff efficiency while fostering a warm, homely atmosphere – moving away from the traditional, hospital-like feel often associated with aged care. 

“Designers embraced creativity and resourcefulness, blending second-hand furnishings, collectibles, artwork and existing pieces with carefully selected new additions. The result is a character-filled, inviting environment that enhances residents’ comfort and lifestyle.”

Ms Myszkowski also highlighted several key features of the refurbishment. This includes enhanced functionality for staff via more discreet and user-friendly staff areas, and improved visitor experience whereby the entry now features a tea and coffee station plus an information display, while bay windows now have built-in seating to promote comfort and connection to nature. 

Embracing community knowledge

Residents participated in a creative collaging workshop so Ms Myszkowski could understand their experiences and aspirations to inform design modifications. So not only were their ideas influencing the space, but they could also take pride in the finished product with a sense of ownership and connection.

“The residents should have a say in what their home is like, what they want and need from it. It’s vital to get their input because they have so much accumulated knowledge,” Mr Maunder said.

Amelia La Frantz, Carinity’s Marketing Business Partner, said residents were involved in processes like trying out new chairs, and after showing them the newly renovated space, they all expressed great pride because their input had an impact. 

“We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from the residents and their families so we were conscious that we didn’t want to upset what was already created. All of the residents are positive towards the community we’ve created here. They’re very engaged and they love where they live,” Ms La Frantz added.

“We also have a lot of staff who’ve been there for a long time – Leti Asi’s been with Carinity for 38 years – and the community is a big part of who they are. It was important that we acknowledge that and recognise the role staff play in creating that space as well.”

A wing by wing process

The first stage of the refurbishment has revitalised the Grevillea wing, with work in the remaining four wings to be completed by the end of the year. Demolition is underway in the second wing. 

Carinity Project Manager Paul Stokes said there has been ongoing communication with residents and families while the builders have happily made key concessions knowing they’re working in someone else’s home. 

“We work with the builders so they stop during mealtimes to reduce the noise. But the residents have been amazing. Every time I’ve spoken to any of the staff, there’s been very minimal trouble, even though work has been going on for a long time. They have not complained. They’re all excited about what’s coming,” Mr Stokes shared. 

Among the notable changes in the Grevillea wing is the establishment of a new memory support area. Here, considerable thought has been put into the colours, textures, signage and features that promote safety, familiarity and comfort. 

Elsewhere, lounge areas were enriched with home-like touches – lamps, plants, meaningful keepsakes and engaging books – encouraging interaction and exploration. Artwork was thoughtfully selected to foster engagement and evoke positive emotions with a mix of vintage and contemporary pieces that are dementia-friendly and uplifting. 

Importantly, all resident rooms have been redesigned to have private ensuites. Outdated window treatments and security grills are gone, while new furniture helps to conceal clinical support equipment. 

Even the heavy drapes have been removed and fluted wall and ceiling panelling introduced to the dining area to reduce noise and improve the aesthetic appeal. 

“Our focus has been on making sure that people are comfortable and they have different amenities available and different spaces to relax and spend time with family that’s not just in their bedrooms,” Mr Stokes said. 

“It’s great to see the residents using the spaces we’ve created, like the dining room. We have a new servery in there so rather than making food in the kitchen and bringing it out plated on trays, it’s served in the room. The residents have the homely aroma of fresh cooked meals and it’s a great environment there around meal times.”

With the refreshed Grevillea wing receiving rave reviews already, learnings from the first stage of refurbishment will go a long way to inspiring the design of the remaining wings. 

“It was amazing to see the journey from original plans to the finished product. This process is organic because as you put things into place you realise it might not be the right option, so you make small tweaks. You’re learning as you go along,” Mr Stokes added. 

Ms Myszkowski summed up the experience perfectly. 

“Clifford House now stands as a testament to the power of thoughtful refurbishment – demonstrating that even with limited resources, meaningful transformation is achievable. This project reaffirms that elegant, considered design can seamlessly coexist with the necessities of care and support.”