Designing RMH Manchester’s New Day Room

Saturday 25th March saw an exciting morning for the staff, residents and supporters of Ronald McDonald House Manchester with the opening of their new Day Room. Working together with the charity, our Interior Design Team have created a welcoming new home-away-from home hub for visitors to the Manchester residence.

As a long-time supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), and with the funding for the space coming from late AEW Managing Director Steve Burne’s Charitable Trust – who raised over £400,000 for the charity before he sadly died from cancer in October 2018 – we welcomed the opportunity to act as Interior Designer for this new space.

RMHC provide accommodation for the families of sick children being treated at nearby hospitals. The vision for the scheme was therefore to create “a home-away-from-home”, with the design focused on creating a warm, homely environment for all members of a family to enjoy.

Our design proposals involved knocking through between the existing Day Room and a Games Room to create one large, light filled space with easy access to the communal garden. The final open-plan layout combines different areas for cooking, relaxing, gaming and play – allowing families using the House to stay together whilst each uses the area that best meets their needs. Aesthetically, a key focus of the design was to bring the outside in. This has been achieved through the implementation of tranquil and relaxed style with furniture and finishes specified in warm earthy tones and natural hues, paired with patterned weaves and timber accents.

Director Danielle Purves has said of the scheme:

“It’s an honour to have been appointed as Interior Designer and successfully realised this commission for RMHC, particularly with the space being funded by Steve’s Charitable Trust. It’s great to be able to continue his legacy of support for the charity and to provide a much needed, home-away-from-home for families during stressful times.”

Read more about how the Day Room has been received, and how it will positively impact residents here.

Our work at Manchester is the latest in a long-standing portfolio of work we have completed for RMHC. Having completed our first House for them in Birmingham in 2009 and more recently having designed and delivered Houses at Evelina, London and John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.