Dementia-friendly Opus flooring from Karndean Commercial receives DSDC accreditation.
Karndean Commercial has achieved accreditation from the Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) at the University of Stirling for 19 designs within its Opus collection, providing architects, designers and specifiers with independently assessed flooring options for care and healthcare environments.
The accreditation highlights the important role thoughtful design can play in supporting people living with dementia. Assessed against recognised dementia-friendly design principles, the selected Opus wood and stone designs have been evaluated for factors including colour contrast, visual clarity and pattern complexity, helping specifiers create environments that are easier to understand and navigate.
Flooring is increasingly being recognised as a significant contributor to how people experience and interpret their surroundings. In care homes, retirement living communities and healthcare settings, carefully specified flooring can help create environments that support independence, confidence and wellbeing.
Geneva Oak from the Opus Collection, (1219mm x 228mm).
Richard Allen, VP of sales for commercial at Karndean Commercial, said: "Designing for people living with dementia requires a thoughtful understanding of how the built environment influences confidence, orientation and day-to-day experiences. Flooring is one of the largest visual surfaces within a space, so it plays a crucial role in helping occupants interpret and navigate their surroundings.
"The DSDC accreditation of selected Opus designs provides designers and specifiers with additional reassurance that these products have been independently assessed against recognised dementia-friendly criteria. It gives greater confidence when creating environments that support both the practical and emotional needs of occupants."
Dominic Chu, architect and product accreditation lead at the Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC), University of Stirling, commented: “The physical environment plays an important role in supporting people living with dementia, and flooring is one of the most influential elements within a space. Carefully considered design choices can help create environments that are easier to understand, navigate and use with confidence.
"Products that achieve DSDC accreditation have been independently assessed against recognised dementia-friendly design principles, providing specifiers with greater reassurance when selecting materials for care, healthcare and retirement living environments.
"By considering factors such as visual contrast, pattern complexity and overall legibility, designers can create spaces that support independence, orientation and wellbeing while delivering high standards of design and functionality."
Magna Oak from the Opus Collection, (1219mm x 228mm).
The accredited Opus products include a curated selection of wood and stone-effect luxury vinyl flooring designs. Within the wood portfolio, designs such as Columba, Avena and Barolo Oak feature subtle grain variation, consistent colour tones and minimal visual interruption, helping reduce unnecessary visual complexity while maintaining the natural appearance often preferred in care and healthcare environments.
Alongside the wood designs, stone-effect floors including Mico, Fumo and Urbus can be used to support intuitive wayfinding strategies, helping designers subtly distinguish between circulation routes, communal areas and private spaces without introducing sudden visual changes that may cause confusion.
The accreditation also extends to patterned designs including Dalmata, Pleta and Dolce, which offer understated, non-directional visuals that can add character and interest while avoiding excessive pattern complexity.
In addition to meeting recognised dementia-friendly design principles, the accredited Opus products achieve a 36+ Pendulum Test Value (PTV), providing low slip potential and supporting confidence underfoot in environments where occupant safety is a priority.
Designed to meet the demands of busy commercial environments, the accredited Opus collection is backed by a 20-year commercial warranty and combines long-term durability with low-maintenance performance, helping specifiers deliver interiors built to stand the test of time. Supporting Karndean Commercial's wider sustainability commitments, Opus is also included within the Karndean Evolve take-back scheme for clean installation offcuts, helping reduce waste and support a more circular approach to specification.
Pamplona from the Opus Collection, (610mm x 610mm).
Importantly, many of the principles associated with dementia-friendly design also align with wider inclusive design objectives. Flooring that is visually clear and easy to interpret can benefit people with visual impairments, neurodiversity and changing mobility needs, helping create more accessible environments for everyone.
By combining evidence-based design principles with the practical performance demanded in commercial settings, the accredited Opus collection offers specifiers a flooring solution that balances durability, aesthetics and inclusive design.
To find out more about Karndean's Opus collection, and more, click here and visit Material Source Studio Manchester & Glasgow where it is a Partner.
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