Hospice Woodside underwent a $3-million renovation with a goal of creating a nurturing environment.
By ANNE LINDBERG
Published October 27, 2004
PINELLAS PARK - The backdrop of soft blues, pinks and greens settles a sense of peace over a scene that could be chaotic - furniture being unpacked and arranged with cardboard crates strewn across the entryway.
That's a good thing. Designers wanted to create a serene home that would project love and caring for patients and their families at Hospice Woodside, a community-supported facility that provides around-the-clock care for patients who are nearing the ends of their lives.
Woodside, run by Hospice of the Florida Suncoast, is reopening this week after undergoing a $3-million, 10-month renovation. Planning for the renovation began several years ago, said Scott Kistler, vice president of operations for hospice.
Designer Jacqulyn Ferraro of Interior Design Concepts in Largo, the head designer, worked on the project since hospice contacted her about three years ago.
When the organization's officials described what they wanted, Ferraro said, they gave her "a long list of adjectives that would center around nurturing and enriching the lives of the residents that were going to be there."
They also asked her to bring the outdoors in. And they wanted to make it a community project.
So Ferraro contacted the International Academy of Design and Technology in Tampa for help. The school assigned design students to tour the facility and come up with ideas to make the hospice vision come true.
School officials did not return phone calls asking for comment.
As part of their course, design students must spend time in wheelchairs to experience fully what it's like to be disabled. They also toured Woodside.
"They came up with some wonderful concepts that inspired the final design that we ended up with," Ferraro said.
Some of those ideas can be seen in the final result, Ferraro said. Rather than traditional names for the wings, the students suggested calling them "avenues," thus Woodside has Beach, Garden, Palm and Magnolia avenues. The sandy buff color scheme that defines Beach Avenue was all theirs, she said.
They also recommended that the chapel have a feature wall.
"We ended up transforming that into a beautiful piece of stained glass that was backlit," Ferraro said.
Homey touches can be seen everywhere in Woodside.
Beds are positioned so patients can gaze out windows onto the parklike setting. Birdhouses, individually painted by volunteers, are outside each window.
"The whole idea of the design was to focus on the natural aspects of the facility and try to bring those inside and envelop the resident in a loving, caring atmosphere," Ferraro said.
Chairs are overstuffed and comfy to cuddle folks who sit in them.
Handpainted murals adorn the walls in a spa room.
A hologram fireplace is ready to warm one sitting room.
"We wanted to create something that felt like someone's living room, dining room," Kistler said.
While the building and decor are gorgeous, the truly beautiful thing happened during the dedication and blessing because the ceremony called the facility a home, Ferraro said.
"That is what we were hoping for, that it would become a home," she said. "I'm glad that we were able to do that."
