Sunrise Senior Living Washington, D.C. Resident Receives Suite Redesign By HGTV'S Emily Henderson

MCLEAN, Va., April 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunrise Senior Living, LLC today announced the winner of the Suite Style contest who will receive a complete redesign of her suite by HGTV host and "Design Star" Emily Henderson. On April 30, the dream of working with a professional designer will come true for Fran Ferguson in her home of seven years at Sunrise. Ferguson will receive a consultation and all-expense paid redesign of her suite at the Sunrise on Connecticut Avenue community in Washington, D.C.

Where Design Meets Care

For the past two years, Sunrise has partnered with Emily Henderson to offer tips for designing spaces for seniors. In 2013, Sunrise introduced its "Suite Style Contest" for one lucky resident to win a suite redesign by Henderson. Sunrise will also host a Tour of Homes in its communities in June, showcasing resident suites and the Sunrise Signature Experience.

"For more than 30 years, we've been providing residents with an environment they are proud to call home," said Jeff Fischer, SVP of Operations for Sunrise. "Our partnership with Emily Henderson allows us to raise awareness for the unique needs of seniors, and share how design principles can be used to create spaces that help keep seniors safe and comfortable."

A "Suite" Redesign

A technology maven and self-proclaimed "Apple addict," 81-year-old Ferguson is the "go to" resource for residents at Sunrise on Connecticut Avenue who need help catching up on email or researching online.

Despite being wheelchair-bound due to scoliosis, she is active in the community and looking forward to having a space created for her to make the "Franmade" greeting cards she shares with friends and family. Ferguson also hopes that Henderson can help her find a place to showcase the memorabilia she collected traveling the world with her late husband of 52 years, a fighter pilot and U.S. Air Force General.

"I have so many treasures from moving all over and have enjoyed collecting generations' worth of family records and memorabilia—hence the clutter I need help organizing," Ferguson said. "Sunrise has been such a great home and everyone here is like family to me. I am thrilled to have Emily help me bring new life into my space."

Henderson will begin redesigning Ferguson's suite on Tuesday, April 30, and shared a mood board to illustrate the design concepts, furniture and accessories she is using to refresh Ferguson's suite based on her personal style, unique interests and needs.

"Fran has wonderfully rich stories to share about her past experiences, family and friends," Henderson said. "I've enjoyed working in Sunrise's bright, comfortable homes, and am excited that I can help Fran's living space reflect her joy for life."

The redesign will be unveiled to Ferguson on Thursday, May 2. This event is open to media.

Senior-Friendly Design Tips

Combining their expertise in senior care and design, Sunrise and Henderson offer tips for seniors and their families when designing a suite in a Sunrise community or in their own home:

1. Choose contrasting wall colors – Since vision typically declines with age, it's important to contrast the wall and floor colors.
2. Personalize wall art – A great way to showcase family memories – opt for larger collage-type frames to avoid having too much clutter on smaller walls. Shadow box frames are ideal for displaying precious mementos.
3. Utilize safety rails – Disguise a handrail by making it into a "chair rail." Paint the top half of your wall a darker color than the bottom half and install the supportive handrail in the middle.
4. Find creative storage solutions – Downsizing doesn't have to lead to clutter. Ottomans, for instance, can be used for storage, extra seating or a coffee table.
5. Select round furniture – Round furniture helps to keep the layout open and the room void of sharp corners.

Please visit SunriseSeniorLiving.com/Design to view the full list of design tips, an interactive floorplan with product recommendations from Henderson and additional resources. To learn more about the Sunrise Tour of Homes, which will take place June 2 – June 8, visit SunriseSeniorLiving.com/Tour.  

About Sunrise Senior Living
Sunrise Senior Living, a McLean, Va.-based company, employs approximately 29,000 people. As of April 1, 2013, Sunrise operated 292 communities in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, with a unit capacity of approximately 27,400 units. Sunrise offers a full range of personalized senior living services, including independent living, assisted living, care for individuals with Alzheimer's and other forms of memory loss, as well as nursing and rehabilitative services. Sunrise's senior living services are delivered by staff trained to encourage the independence, preserve the dignity, enable freedom of choice and protect the privacy of residents. To learn more about Sunrise, please visit http://www.sunriseseniorliving.com.  

SOURCE Sunrise Senior Living, LLC