A mum of four is using her experience as a nurse in the NHS to help design interiors that are suitable for people with a range of health conditions.
Kim Heslip lives in a village near Tadcaster and launched her business after the pandemic.
The 40-something was home-schooling her children on her days off and with the pressures of the NHS “felt quite burned out.”
For the sake of her own health and well-being and to achieve a better work/life balance, quit the NHS in 2021 to make the most of her hobby for interior design, taking a course in the subject at the National Design Academy.
RECOMMENDED READING:
- Meet the Media event wows firms at York's Patch offices
- Sarah Hough earns national success with Sashay Dance Company
- Laura Howlette of York explains the need for 'home staging'
- Alistair Lamont of York publishes guide with local knowledge
Days off had previously been spent on home renovations, upcycling future and reading up on the subject. Couple with a longstanding interest on how surroundings affect health and well-being, Kim found a new use for the experience she had gained in nursing.
Over the years, Kim had seen how homes could be adapted, especially as more clinical equipment was introduced.
Keen to share her story, Kim was one of 30 businesspeople attending the recent Meet The Media event in York organised by PR experts Jo Leatham and Linda Harrison.
Kim told the Press: “I felt strongly that beautiful interiors should be for everyone, and that society as a whole needs to become more accessible and inclusive so that people who have additional needs can get out and about as easily as the rest of us.”
“I realised that I could bring in my nursing knowledge and expertise to inform my approach to design, focussing on creating spaces that enhance our wellbeing.”
This led Kim early last year to launch Nest and Flourish Interiors - an interior design studio that approaches design with wellbeing in mind, and specialises in transforming homes, workplaces, and community settings to meet the diverse needs of individuals with disabilities, health conditions, and neurodivergence.
Services include colour and wallpaper consultations, which can include any extra factors that may affect a householder’s perception and interaction with their surroundings.
Home design consultations will look at room layouts, their flow and function, storage and lighting for ambiance and practicality.
She said: “From layouts and colour schemes to lighting, storage, and furniture choices, I design every aspect of the space to suit the client’s needs providing detailed plans, mood boards, and samples, in a bespoke design pack.
“I can also help to source furniture and materials, as well as coordinate trades and installations, making the process seamless from start to finish.
“Whether it’s to accommodate mobility, sensory preferences, or specific lifestyle needs, my designs are tailored to promote dignity, independence, and wellbeing – providing lasting support for years to come, without compromising on style.”
Kim works mostly with the residential sector, although she also designs office spaces, staff breakout areas and community spaces.
Drawing on her nursing background means her services, which are delivered mainly to the York, Leeds, Harrogate area, are unique.
Kim continued: “My residential clients often have a health need or disability that requires extra consideration when designing their home, or they may be preparing their forever home to live in during retirement.
“I understand how our bodies are affected by health conditions, disabilities, and impairments, how our bodies change as we age, how a carer may need a space set up to attend to somebody, and what the future might look like as conditions progress, so when I am designing a space I take all of these things into consideration.”
Currently, Kim is also working with an architect who sources and designs properties for people who have had life-changing injuries or accidents, so she will be helping the clients decide on the finishes, fixtures and fittings of their new homes.
Longer term, Kim has ambitions to design accessible hotel rooms and holiday accommodation, and a nursing home!
Kim wants people to be aware of the need for inclusive spaces, looking at items like where might a lift go, the toilets and changing facilities, a quiet space to retreat to, and so on.
She added: “It’s in all our interests to make our buildings and public spaces accessible and inclusive so that everybody feels welcome and as many people as possible can use and enjoy our spaces.
“When we make a space more inclusive we all benefit, not just specific groups, it’s not just the right thing to do morally, it’s also a smart investment adding value and increasing marketability, and can help to future-proof buildings, saving money in the long term.
For details, go to: www.nestandflourish.co.uk
Share