For senior Australians, outdoor spaces are a welcome and proven factor for health and wellbeing. As a design-led manufacturer, we want to ensure that beauty is on equal par with quality and high-performance in outdoor furniture for Senior Living environments.
The Granton, by Carr.
With the proportion of over 65s expected to increase to 21–23% by 2066, Australia’s ageing population is growing. Thoughtful design can assist the transition into older age, and to make A Life Outside available for more people, long-term, we’re enabling a series of senior-focused design customisations to our furniture. ‘Well-designed residential settings can contribute to greater quality of life, and we know that connection with outdoors is especially important in enhancing wellbeing,’ says Creative Director Susan Tait. ‘Older Australians, as well as those with decreased mobility, or who are pregnant, ill or injured, deserve to have beautiful, high-quality, Australian-made furniture options for their spaces.’
Elevated retirement living
Making fit-for-purpose furniture is always our intention, which normally applies to its intended outdoor application. Senior suitability calls for additional criteria, such as practical care and maintenance of finishes, sturdiness, support and stability, and facilitating ease of movement. Balancing these qualities is critical – as is embedding a sense of beauty and pleasure. ‘We want to meet the needs of older clients subtly, whilst maintaining a refined aesthetic,’ explains Creative Director Susan Tait. ‘Form and function should always be equally prioritised, and we believe elegance does not need to be compromised for comfort,’ she continues.
Many of our chairs and lounges are available with upholstered seat and back pads, and with arms. These add-ons assist with comfort and ease entry and exit. Billy, Swing, Jak and Volley are great dining options, whilst the Trace Armchair in a dining height with an additional back cushion offers a more relaxed seat. Because we make everything to order at our manufacturing HQ, many of our products can be customised to suit. For example, Linear and Trace sunlounges can be made with a raised height, to enable easier entry and exit from a reclined position. Crafted in high-performance materials, all our Dining Tables, Side Tables and Coffee Tables are suitable for Senior Living and healthcare applications, as well as our Planters and Tilt Outdoor Kitchen. Embedded with durability, and designed for refurbishing, our pieces work hard whilst elevating the outdoor spaces that offer health and wellness benefits to Australians of all ages.
Whilst many of our chairs can be customised with a raised seat height, Rockpool’s Armchair, 2-Seater and 3-Seater Sofas (which both come in a curved version) are all available with standard options tailored for senior suitability. ‘Designing the Senior Living version of Rockpool meant making subtle but essential modifications,’ shares industrial designer Adam Goodrum. The seat height was adjusted to 480mm (for comparison, the lower version is 430mm) for easier entry and exit. And optional timber armrests are shaped for comfort and grip – providing a warmer and wider surface for lowering and raising into the armchair, as well as for arm resting. ‘We also paid attention to ensuring the cushioning offered both comfort and firmness, striking a balance between softness and the practical needs of older users,’ Adam adds.
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