A Home From Home
Since 2001 Kerry Southern-Reason has built up The Care Home Interiors Company to offer exceptional design, in-house manufacturing, and soft furnishings. Over the years, Kerry has become a pioneer in dementia interior design.This expertise has led to her helping her clients secure Healthcare Design Awards (formerly Pinders) in 2016, 2020, 2022, and 2023 in the Dementia Design and Best Interior Design Categories.
Using first-hand experience, coupled with best practice dementia advice, she strives to create comfortable environments for those living with dementia.
Inclusive Design Magazine spends a week with Kerry to find out how she achieves so much in seven days...
Monday
It is often the case that I will wake at 3am with an idea I'm bursting to share. This Monday was no different, waking up and making a memo note is not unusual before trying to get back to sleep for a few hours before the day begins.
My week often begins at home with the family before the school run making lists sending text messages and emails before dropping the children off at school. After the school-run this Monday morning a scheduled team meeting at company headquarters in Alton, Hampshire. Arriving at work I run through the week's commitments with my PA then head to the meeting room with my design team to prepare for a client meeting.
Together we meet the customer to discuss a refurbishment project at a nearby care home. The atmosphere during this type of meeting is generally exciting as the client starts to understand what can be achieved with design creativity. The team gather around mood boards, fabric samples, and layout plans, supplier samples, you name it is a very busy meeting.
For me, these meetings are about more than just aesthetics – they're about creating environments that enhance the lives of care home residents and staff. Together, we analyse the unique challenges of the care home interior, such as accommodating dementia-friendly designs while maintaining a welcoming and homely atmosphere.
By the end of the session, there's a clear vision in place, and I ensure everyone leaves feeling inspired and aligned on the project goals. No time to rest after this meeting and I'm straight on a call to my marketing team to discuss my 3am idea alarm call! We discuss launching a TikTok shop as a new route to market for the very tactile and comfortable bedding and towels I sell via my Care Home Bedding & More shop which sells high-quality, bedding and towels – adding just a little bit more luxury into the care landscape.
Tuesday
Yesterday so much was achieved and discussed but it doesn't stop there. Today a very exciting meeting with a long-standing client to finalise the design for a new care home build. This isn't just any meeting – it's a critical meeting to discuss creating a distinctive brand identity for the client's care home group.
Over hours of discussion and lunch we dive into the finer details of the design: selecting innovative materials, addressing specific design challenges like space optimisation, ensuring every element agreed contributes to a cohesive, memorable experience for residents and visitors. High on the agenda during this meeting was could I and my team create a more appealing interior to encourage family members of all ages to visit and stay longer. My expertise lies in balancing the need for uniqueness with practicality, ensuring that every care home appeals to not just those that live there but their family members too. In this particular care home scheme, it was agreed a games room would be included, complete with board games and electronic gaming stations for the younger generations, this room is definitely going to attract the grandchildren.
This meeting wasn't just about the business side of the job, such as budgets, cost-effective solutions and running order of the installation, it was also about ensuring the company ethos of creating home from home environments of quality.
Later on I take part in an interview with a YouTube influencer channel to talk about being a female entrepreneur, female stereotypes and just believing in yourself! I am very passionate about inspiring young girls and women to follow their dreams and will take any opportunity to inspire the younger generations.
Wednesday
My achievements were recently recognised on a national level when I was nominated by my local MP as an MP HERoes Businesswoman. Travelling to the iconic Houses of Parliament, I joined a distinguished group of women business leaders to collect my award. The day was a mix of celebration and networking, as I took the opportunity to connect with policymakers and other influential figures.
For me, the event was more than a personal milestone – it was a chance to shine a spotlight on the importance of my work in social care and advocate for more innovative approaches to improving care environments across the UK. It was also an opportunity to really celebrate being a female entrepreneur with likeminded people!
Collecting this award didn't take up the full day though. In the morning I turned my attention to a personal passion, new business Eden Equine. One little known passion of mine is horses, this year I have poured my energy into the creation of Eden Equine, a horse-riding stables and livery with a mission to support the local community and more specifically people with PTSD and neurodiverse individuals. This venture is close to my heart, not only because of my lifelong connection to horses but also because of my two neurodiverse children, who thrive in the therapeutic environment of horse riding.
My vision for Eden Equine is to create a sanctuary where people can find healing and joy through interaction with horses, blending my entrepreneurial spirit with my dedication to making a difference in people's lives. It is also a big hope that local care homes will visit with the people they care for and support to watch the horses and horse riders from the comfort of the shop and café. This morning was taken up with making final decisions about building work on the stables as well as the tack shop and café area.
Thursday
The morning sees me take an early call from a Sunday Times journalist who saw my MP HERoes award announcement on Linkedin. The newspaper were keen to secure an interview about my work as a female entrepreneur!
After this, my commitment to my work takes me out of the office and onto the front lines of care home installations. Taking a four hour journey to a care home for on-site installation of an interior, I oversee every detail, from helping to unload an articulated lorry full of furniture and accessories, to furniture placement and the final touches that bring a room to life, such as homely additions like cushions, comfortable bedding etc. My schedule for the day is incredible busy, however I steps out during lunch to take a 45-minute call with a journalist to record a dementia podcast. This podcast is for families of those living with dementia, the aim is to share knowledge that can provide comfort to those families but also to provide them with useful information they can implement practically to improve their lives and the lives of their family members living with dementia.
Balancing these responsibilities is second nature; I view every interview as an opportunity to raise awareness about the transformative power of thoughtful interior design in dementia care. After this interview I'm back to the installation. Leaving late it is straight back home to much needed cuddles with my two children.
Friday
Even with my packed schedule, I remain deeply involved in the day-to-day operations of Care Home Interiors Group. A typical Friday includes catching up on emails, meeting with my PA to coordinate schedules for the week ahead, make important business decisions, and liaise with the finance department to ensure budgets align with project timelines.
I also use this time to make contact with suppliers to discuss orders and delivery timescales. On this occasion I meet directly with customers to ensure their needs are being met. PR and marketing are never far from my mind, as I recognise the importance of maintaining the company's strong industry presence and reputation. A meeting with my PR company takes place Friday afternoon where advertising budgets, press opportunities and product promotions are discussed with wider plans for the coming months ahead.
Saturday
This is a special day. Saturday is just for me and my family to spend time in our lovely home, make time for one other, cook, watch movies, just have a cosy time with each other – perfect!
Sunday
Mucking out the horses on a Sunday morning is a time of mindfulness and relaxation for me, and actually one of my most treasured times of the week, an activity just for myself before the afternoon, which is the unofficial start of the working week. The company WhatsApp group springs to life as the team and I lay out the itinerary for the week ahead. This involves assigning members of the team to certain installations across the country. Messages fly back and forth, covering everything from which van will be required to make the journey, and what they need to take to the site. By the time Sunday evening rolls in, the team is fully briefed on their Monday morning commitments, leaving me ready to tackle another busy but rewarding week.