Keymer Hall Named SBID Interior Design Finalist
Keymer Hall, the Burgess Hill dementia care home that opened its doors less than a year ago, has been named a finalist in the Healthcare & Wellness Design category at the SBID International Design Awards 2026, one of the design world’s most closely watched honours.
The shortlisting puts Keymer Hall alongside healthcare and wellness projects from around the world. Finalists are chosen through a two-part judging process: an international panel of design experts accounts for 90% of the score, with the remaining 10% decided by public vote. That structure means Keymer Hall’s place on the shortlist already reflects the judgment of people who assess design for a living, before a single public vote is cast.
The interior was designed by Catalyst Interiors, working closely with Boutique Care Homes throughout. Rather than a conventional clinical look, the team built the home around a South Downs inspired palette, soft olive and mustard tones, gentle cottage patterns, chosen with residents living with dementia specifically in mind. Colour, pattern and layout were used to help residents feel calm and orientated, so the design supports daily life rather than simply decorating it.
“We’re incredibly proud to see Keymer Hall recognised as an SBID Awards finalist,” said Rebecca Bailey, Business Development Executive at Catalyst Interiors. “It’s a privilege to work alongside the exceptional team at Boutique Care Homes to create a space that truly supports the people who live and work there. This recognition is a celebration of everyone involved and what can be achieved through genuine collaboration, a shared vision, and a commitment to creating environments that make a meaningful difference.”
Keymer Hall welcomed its first residents on 8 December 2025. In under a year, the home has built a settled community and, with this shortlisting, a national design credential to go with it.
“When we opened Keymer Hall, we wanted a home that felt right for the people living there from day one,” said Ameet Kotecha, Founder and Managing Director of Boutique Care Homes. “Seeing that recognised on an international stage, in under a year, tells us we got the balance right between a beautiful home and a home that genuinely works for people living with dementia.”
For the team who work there every day, the recognition lands differently. “You forget sometimes that visitors notice the details we live with all day, the colours, the quiet corners, the way the light comes in,” said Christine Bunce, Home Manager at Keymer Hall. “Our residents and their families deserve a home that feels warm and familiar, and it means a great deal to see that effort recognised.”
The public vote is open now and closes on 4 September 2026 at 5pm BST, just days away. Anyone can cast a vote for Keymer Hall in the Healthcare & Wellness Design (UK) category at www.sbidawards.com, and can follow the shortlist using #SBIDAwards. Category winners will be announced at the SBID Awards ceremony on Friday 6 November 2026.
For Boutique Care Homes, this recognition is not a departure from what the group already believes: that where someone lives with dementia should feel like a home first, built and designed around the people in it. Keymer Hall is the latest proof of that standard, and the group intends to keep building homes worth designing that carefully.
