Caring with color

How our Sikkens brand is helping to create therapeutic murals

Children can find hospitals a little bit scary even at the best of times. If only there was a way to brighten things up and make them feel more comforting and colorful.

- Our Sikkens brand is working with the Anouk Foundation

- Recently created murals at a Swiss hospital in Aarau

- Project involved 22 treatment rooms and eight patient rooms

- Estimated to be benefiting 15,000 children a year

Enter the Anouk Foundation in Switzerland, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing color to the walls of all kinds of buildings, from care homes and psychiatric centers to hospitals and children’s homes.

Our Sikkens paint business has been donating paint to the Foundation for many years, helping to create designs and murals that calm the fears and worries of residents and patients of all ages.

One of their bigger recent projects involved working on 22 treatment rooms and eight patient rooms at the Kinder Klinik Kantonsspital in the Swiss town of Aarau. Painting soft colors on the walls and introducing gentle humor has created a comforting atmosphere, which is especially important at a time when the current global situation is causing extra concern.

“We want to thank Sikkens for the wonderful 12-year partnership,” says Vanessa von Richter, co-director of the Anouk Foundation. “The paint and colors are not only ideal to work with for our artists, but they’re also perfect for the hospital, as they are very resistant and can be disinfected – which is very important in these COVID-19 times. Together we’ve been able to brighten the lives of patients and staff through impactful and sustainable projects.”

Since being established in 2008, the Anouk Foundation has completed more than 200 projects in 17 countries, benefiting over four million people. The Aarau project is estimated to be helping 15,000 children a year, with nurses, patients and parents full of praise for the colorful new additions.

“I think my room is much better now, it’s cheerful and colorful, simply beautiful,” said one young patient.” 

The therapeutic value of the murals has proved to be so beneficial that there are plans to create more murals in other parts of the hospital, including the pediatric emergency unit.

The Anouk Foundation has also made a coloring and activity book available for children. You can download it here.