AMR Design believes in giving back to our community whenever possible and in 2021, we were contacted by repeat clients, the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton (SACE) with a request to assist them with a playroom refresh.
Who They Are
SACE supports people who have been impacted by sexual violence and they work hard to educate and engage communities on respect and consent. SACE is a non profit organization that is supported by the Government of Alberta and the City of Edmonton. To learn more about this important organization, please visit their website at https://www.sace.ca/about/
The Playroom Before
When we were contacted for assistance, SACE employees were concerned that the playroom was not inclusive enough and did provide opportunities for adults to use the space as well as children. The room had previously been covered in a whimsical and colorful mural throughout the room that expressed a childlike style. SACE needed it to be updated and more inclusive of all age groups, ethnicities and genders. Play therapy is an important part of their service offerings and having a dedicated space that felt comfortable for children, teens and adults across multiple cultural backgrounds was imperative.
The room was also home to ALL the toys and storage was lacking. The old shelves that held all the sand toys were mismatched and were not quite deep enough to hold some of the larger toys they had. They also needed ample storage to hide the cleaning products, paints and other items that did not require easy access to clients.
The Plan
Our plan included painting over the mural to create a more inclusive space for any age range, but in doing so, we needed to add back in more colour. While collaborating with Design Loft on this project, we came up with the idea of creating an interactive felt wall that could act as art, a focal point in the room, as well as a spot to integrate therapy. We had this large piece of art framed by a local framer, Picture Perfect.
We selected numerous IKEA cabinets and bookshelves for cost-wise storage solutions. We created a quick way to hide the sand toys by attaching blinds to the top of the bookshelves so that they could be brought down for a simple way to get rid of visual clutter. Our collaborators at Design Loft had an additional sand table made for the organization so that adults and children could both benefit from the sand therapy.
Our other collaborator, Modern Era Design, assisted us in ordering an adjustable table from Iron Elements and Urban Granite. In addition to this, we also created a sail draped from the ceiling to create a small nook space with a bean bag chair for when clients may need a cozy spot.
The Results
Thank You To The Collaborators On This Project
We are so appreciative of the generosity of our industry partners! Thank you to everyone who collaborated with us, as well as donated time, money, and resources to this project:
Felt Wall Design and Production: Design Loft
Felt Wall Frame: Picture Perfect
Bookshelf Blinds: Elite Blinds
Mural Removal and Paint: Gary Duggins Paint and Wallpaper
Adjustable Table Design: Modern Era Design
Adjustable Table Fabrication: Iron Elements
Adjustable Table Top: Urban Granite
Overall Design, Fabric Sail Production and Final Installation: AMR Interior Design