A Distinctive Sense of Place: Custom Broadloom Carpet Elevates Senior Living Design

_{Custom Broadloom | Photographed by Jordan Powers}

_{Article written by: Savannah Weeks, Marketing Manager Senior Living + Healthcare. Published by: Shaw Contract.}

Southeast U.S.-based design firm LS3P was tasked with designing a continuing-care retirement community for Liberty Senior Living in Raleigh, North Carolina. Hayes Barton Place is the sixth community LS3P has designed for Liberty, which operates more than 20 communities across the Southeast, each designed to reflect its unique local culture.

The Hayes Barton Historic District, located northwest of downtown Raleigh, is known for its stately Colonial Revival and Classical Revival homes and the generations of North Carolina politicians, socialites and families who have called it home. Hayes Barton Place builds on this legacy, offering a new chapter in the neighborhood’s rich story. Designed to reflect the charm and character of the district, this community fosters the same sense of belonging, connection and timeless elegance that has long defined the area.

To help residents feel at home, LS3P took a modern approach to classic design, crafting interiors that offer comfort, familiarity and a sense of place. “We didn’t want residents to feel like they were giving anything up or downsizing when moving to Hayes Barton Place,” shared Ariel Fischer, of LS3P, the project’s lead designer. “We played off of the local architecture and implemented design features that evoke traditional design, like foyers that pull through different areas.” 

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Flooring Design Calls for Customization 

Fischer started her exploration for carpet in the common spaces by using Shaw Contract’s Foundry design tool. The Foundry tool lets designers experiment with Shaw Contract’s custom carpet patterns using yarn color and placement. Liberty was looking for a very specific color of blue for the community’s carpet that varied from Liberty’s other communities. After reviewing nylon pom colors with her Shaw Contract account manager, the account manager worked with Shaw Contract’s StudioOne Custom Design team to achieve the desired color through yarn placement.

In terms of pattern work, the Custom Design team created about 12 samples before Fischer and the LS3P team chose the six custom designs used throughout Hayes Barton Place. LS3P and Liberty employed pattern variation to differentiate spaces within the community. “The different patterns give each space its own identity,” Fischer shared. A solid teal border complements the patterns created for corridors and select seating areas.

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Custom Broadloom for Senior Living & Hospitality Spaces: Design That Feels Personal 

In senior living and hospitality spaces, creating a unique sense of place makes all the difference, and custom broadloom is a great way to bring that vision to life. That’s where Shaw Contract’s Foundry online design tool.

Whether you have a clear idea or just a spark of inspiration, begin with Foundry to explore patterns ideas. Partner with StudioOne Custom Design team to turn your vision into truly one-of-a-kind designs. We take a creative, hands-on approach to help you design flooring that fits your space and tells your story, down to the last detail. Explore Foundry.

Senior Living Community Design Well-Received

Hayes Barton Place opened in January 2025 and was 80 percent leased before opening. “We heard from the construction team at Liberty that it is their favorite project so far,” Fischer noted.

Additionally, the community hosted an open house at Christmas, so residents and their families could begin enjoying the space before moving in.

Design That Feels Personal

In senior living and hospitality spaces, creating a unique sense of place makes all the difference, and custom broadloom is a great way to bring that vision to life. That’s where Shaw Contract’s Custom Design Studio comes in. Whether you have a clear idea or just a spark of inspiration, explore custom carpet patterns first on the Foundry custom design tool.

Next, the Custom Design Studio partners with you to turn your vision into one-of-a-kind custom broadloom carpet or carpet tile. Together with designers, we take a creative, hands-on approach to help you design flooring that fits your space and tells your story—down to the last detail.