In The News

Taking Care, 2008 Report to the Cummunity - Charlevoix Area Hospital
How Did She Think of That?
"I began at the bottom and worked up!" is Jennifer Aenis' description of the creative process she employed to transform our beautiful solarium.

A local interior designer who owns Inner Structure in East Jordan - and hospital volunteer - Jen happily took on the assignment of giving the hospital's signature space a fresh, new look this spring.

To introduce her imaginative color palate (including purple, rust, and chocolate brown), she began by studying the existing carpeting in the adjacent hallway. "I knew whatever we did in terms of color and pattern would need to coordinate with what was already in place," she explains, "and the rest of the plan grew from there."

The tone-on-tone carpet Jen selected mirrors the soft lines and curve of the solarium itself, with its spectacular floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on Lake Michigan. Saying the space was beautiful already, Jen's plan was not to dazzle and compete, but to complement.

No artwork clutters the walls; no heavily decorative furniture distracts. Instead, Jen has used simple furnishings and texture in a minimalist way. Strategically placed orchids contribute to the room's calm, almost Zen-like feeling. The result is a warm, quiet, safe place that is serene yet inviting.

"The solarium is used as a waiting area for many hospital guests, and a respite for others," says Jen. "I wanted it to be a place of comfort."

View Pictures of the Charlevoix Area Hospital Solarium