This is the first Red Cross establishment to be completely transformed by our workshop, opening a new path for the humanization of living spaces dedicated to the elderly.
This project is at the crossroads of three ambitions: to improve location and safety thanks to signage designed for vulnerable audiences, to offer an aesthetic setting that conveys softness and poetry, and to reconnect the establishment to its Savoyard territory through sensitive references to the mountains, flowers and landscapes that surround La Motte-Servolex.
When signage becomes a tool for care
In a nursing home, signage is not just a functional device. It is a real support for autonomy, particularly for residents with cognitive disorders or mobility difficulties. The project carried out at L’Éclaire was developed in strict accordance with the recommendations of the ARS, but with an additional ambition: to go beyond the norm to create humanizing, legible and benevolent signage.
Floor plans, directional markers, door markings and wayfinding were integrated into the graphic language of the frescoes. Thus, information is not imposed in a cold way; It is naturally part of a coherent décor that reassures and accompanies. This approach is in line with our expertise developed in many medico-social establishments:
https://metamorphoze.art/lieux/decoration-hopital-clinique-medico-social/
A poetic journey inspired by La Motte-Servolex
Each wall of the nursing home now tells the story of a fragment of the territory. The mountains of Savoie, the meadows, the nearby lakes, the flowers of the paths have nourished the imagination of the frescoes. This choice is not anecdotal: for elderly people who are often attached to their region, finding familiar landmarks promotes emotional memory and a sense of belonging.
The compositions evoke soft horizons, silhouettes of flower beds, stylized bouquets, without ever falling into literal illustration. The hand-drawn line brings a sensitive vibration, an almost tactile presence that contrasts with the neutrality of the old white walls. The corridors become interior walks; the salons, open gardens; the rooms, more intimate and warm spaces.
Unique frescoes, made in line
All decorations have been designed as original works, adapted to the precise architecture of the building. Line art was favoured for its legibility and softness. This technique avoids any visual overload while offering a great wealth of detail. The colours, chosen with the establishment’s teams, remain soothing: light greens, mountain blues, discreet floral touches.
The manual gesture occupies a central place. In a place where medical technology is omnipresent, seeing lines drawn by a human hand creates a different relationship with space. Residents, families and caregivers feel this artisanal dimension as a sign of care and respect.
Our design studio has been developing this unique approach for several years:
https://metamorphoze.art/atelier/studio-creation-artistique/
Humanizing spaces that have been neutral for too long
Before the intervention, the L’Éclaire nursing home had the characteristics of many establishments: uniform corridors, doors that were difficult to identify, waiting areas without character. These environments can increase anxiety, disorientation and feelings of isolation.
The metamorphosis has focused on all the common areas : the reception, the lounges, the circulations, but also the surroundings of the rooms. Each area has been designed as a sequence of the same story. The murals create visual cues that make it easier to move around while providing topics for conversation and contemplation.
The care teams quickly noticed the effect of these transformations: a calmer climate, residents more inclined to move, families who linger longer in shared spaces. Wall art here becomes a discreet ally of the life project.
A project in full ARS compliance
The regulatory dimension was a major focus of the project. The reading heights, contrasts, font size and safety of the glass surfaces have been studied to meet the requirements of the ARS and accessibility standards. But conformity has never been a hindrance to creativity; it was the framework.
The window stickers installed on some doors, for example, combine security function with aesthetic continuity. The pictograms have been redesigned to fit in with the floral vocabulary. The colours of the floors serve as both orientation and atmosphere. This approach extends our previous achievements in nursing homes:
https://metamorphoze.art/realisations/lehpad-decoration-signaletique-conforme-ars/
L’Éclaire, the first Red Cross facility to be transformed
This project marks a symbolic milestone: the first Red Cross nursing home transformed by our artistic and signage approach. It opens up the possibility of a wider deployment within the network, demonstrating that the humanization of places is not a luxury but an essential component of care.
The collaboration with the school’s teams was decisive. Directors, caregivers, animators participated in the iconographic choices so that the frescoes really correspond to daily life. The residents themselves expressed their memories of the landscapes of Savoie, nourishing the project with a collective dimension.
An impact on daily well-being
The effects of such a development are not only measured in aesthetic terms. They touch on the intimate: feeling expected when you arrive at the reception, recognising your room thanks to a pattern, walking in a corridor that evokes a well-known valley. These micro-experiences contribute to dignity and self-esteem.
Families testify to a change in atmosphere. The place seems more lively, more open, less institutional. Caregivers have an environment that values their commitment. The nursing home is no longer a simple building and will become a shared living space.
Mural art as a component of the care project
We are convinced that the visual environment directly influences the emotional state of fragile people. In a nursing home, wall art can reduce agitation, promote orientation and support moments of exchange. The L’Éclaire project is a concrete illustration of this.
By linking artistic creation to the requirements of signage, we offer a global approach where each wall participates in the resident’s journey. This philosophy permeates all of our interventions in the health sector:
https://www.metamorphoze.art
A new era for childcare facilities
The metamorphosis of the L’Éclaire nursing home shows that it is possible to combine poetry, functionality and regulatory compliance. The frescoes inspired by the landscapes of La Motte-Servolex, the ARS-compliant signage and the secure window stickers now make up a coherent whole, at the service of residents and teams.
This project affirms a vision: establishments for the elderly must be thought of as open houses, anchored in their territory, capable of offering everyone a sensitive horizon. Thanks to wall art, walls cease to be limits; they become life companions.
We hope that this first achievement for the Red Cross will pave the way for other metamorphoses, so that each nursing home can become a place where care is also provided through the beauty, memory and softness of the images.
