This facility has a long history in the area and especially in the Ukranian community, used by many generations of families.
In addition to update the decor, we sought to create an environment that was soothing, comforting and appealing to it's next generation of clientele.
The refurbishment consisted of replacing ceilings, carpeting, wall finishes, drapery, furniture and fixtures in two visitation rooms, an office, the hallway, washroom and foyer. In addition, improvements in the way rooms could be modified now allows Cardinal to achieve maximum flexibility in meeting their client's needs.
The design and implementation took only a few months without disruption to the operations of the funeral home and has met with favourable reception from staff and clients alike.
FOYER - before & after
Though we updated the wallpaper, paint and carpeting through out, we took inspiration from a few elements we were asked to keep. In the foyer a couple of new charcoal grey chairs with abstract gold markings became the inspiration for the paint colour used both in this space and most of the refurbished areas. To enable the funeral home to quickly freshen up with an easy coat of paint, we opted for minimal use of wallpaper. A soft yellow palette created inviting, bright and comforting interiors.
VISITATION ROOMS - before & after
In the visitation rooms, we removed heavy drapery and where they were needed to block windows, we used fabrics lighter in visual and actual weight. Paint and fresh textured wallpaper was used in other areas.
VISITATION ROOMS - before & after
New ceilings with sound system replaced the previous panelled ceilings; energy efficient light fixtures improve the facility both visually and environmentally.
So as not to disrupt the day-to-day operations of the funeral home, much of the work was done after hours. (A few contractors approached to bid on the project admitted to being a bit uncomfortable - shall we say afraid ? - to work in a funeral home in the wee hours.) ZP Construction, however, did an amazing job, working day & night with no fears.
We designers weren't so crazy getting out of bed in the middle of the night to resolve issue on the job site, but it's what we must do and luckily there weren't many such nights.
All in all, it was actually a fun project to work on. The people at Cardinal were easy going, had good sense of humour, and continue to have such nice things to say about working with us. We enjoyed working with them and have subsequently continued to do so on smaller projects at both this and their Bathurst Street location.
