January 19, 2026
How paint transformed this mental health hospital
Crown Trade has supported the newly-opened Cygnet Kenney House in Oldham with a full colour consultation and the supply of specialist paint solutions, helping to create a therapeutic, welcoming space for women recovering from mental health challenges.
Cygnet Kenney House, part of the Cygnet Health Care division, is a mental health hospital for women, designed to provide a calm, comfortable and safe environment that feels like a “home away from home”.
Working closely with Cygnet’s in-house designer, Hannah Cooper, Crown Paints colour consultant Jemma Saunders led the development of a considered colour palette tailored to the needs of patients and staff. This collaboration marks a significant step toward a unified aesthetic approach across all Cygnet hospitals, with comfort and wellbeing at its heart.
One of the key base coats used throughout Cygnet Kenney House is Crown Paints’ Organic Cloth – a warmer alternative to traditional white – chosen to help soften the clinical environment and encourage patients to feel more at ease.
The reception area showcases Cygnet’s brand identity, with a specially-mixed “Cygnet Blue” colour. Subtle accents of Gentle Olive further enhance the welcoming atmosphere. This area ensures a strong visual connection with other Cygnet sites, reinforcing a consistent look and feel for patients, staff and visitors across the network.
Hannah Cooper, interior fit out lead at Cygnet Group said: “We wanted every space to feel familiar and personal – not institutional. We truly believe a warm and welcoming setting really helps patients on their journey to recovery.
“The Crown Trade colour team have been instrumental to our design process. Their expertise in colour psychology and paint specification helped us make thoughtful choices that go far beyond aesthetics. They understood our vision and guided us in selecting shades that support wellbeing, create a sense of calm, and enhance the purpose of each space. It’s made a real difference to how the environment feels – both for the people using it and those working within it.”
The communal areas use colour to create stimulating environments, whilst ensuring there is variety – allowing everyone to feel comfortable. For example, the family room features a cosy carpet tile rug that incorporates calming yet stimulating shades of deep blue, grey, and purple – with the feature wall colour precisely matched to Sweet Dreams by Crown Paints to ensure harmony and tranquillity.
In contrast, the bedrooms have been kept purposefully neutral and not over-stimulating as they’re a patient’s personal retreat. The bedrooms act as blank canvases to allow patients to personalise their space and make it truly their own.
Jemma Saunders, Senior Colour Consultant at Crown Paints said: “Crown Trade has worked closely with Cygnet on the colour schemes for numerous health and social developments, including Cygnet Kenney House, and we’ll continue to support them as they create new, thoughtfully-designed healthcare environments across the UK.
“Colour plays an essential role in healthcare design, particularly in mental health settings. It can influence how safe, calm and supported someone feels within a space. Carefully-selected tones can help reduce anxiety, encourage rest and support emotional wellbeing. Our approach is always centred on creating environments that feel less clinical and more personal – spaces that genuinely contribute to the recovery journey.”
The carefully curated colour scheme was delivered in Crown Trade’s high-performance Clean Extreme range. This enabled the team to achieve the desired ‘home away from home’ aesthetic without compromising on durability or hygiene. The Crown Trade Clean Extreme range meets the robust standards expected in clinical environments, including those set by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the NHS.
To reduce the spread of bacteria among patients’, Clean Extreme Anti-Bacterial was used as the paint’s unique formulation is stain resistant and defends against bacteria such as MRSA and Ecoli, making it ideal for healthcare environments. Clean Extreme Mould inhibiting was also used to defend against mould growth.
This collaboration reflects Crown Paints’ ongoing commitment to using colour to improve wellbeing and enhance healing environments, delivering thoughtful, patient-centred design in healthcare settings.
Crown Paints has been working in partnership with Cygnet for many years, supporting on a variety of refurbishment and new build projects across their health and social care facilities within the UK. Through close collaboration with Cygnet’s design teams, Crown has helped to shape environments that are both functional and therapeutic – ensuring each space promotes wellbeing, comfort, and dignity for service users.
From colour consultancy to specialist product specification, Crown’s input has been integral to creating settings that meet the complex demands of healthcare while maintaining a warm, non-clinical feel.
For more information on Crown Trade colour services, visit: https://www.crownpaintsprofessional.com/colour/
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