Alicia Mentzer an NCIDQ certified Interior Designer joins the One Line team with a diverse background in multiple market sectors giving her a well-rounded design “toolkit”. Alicia isn’t just a Designer of course, at home, she is a triplet, a mother, a teacher, and an involved member of the community. With her Architect husband, they have 3 children and reside in Pennsylvania where she spends family time at a lake nearby, is active with her church, enjoys volleyball, swimming and hiking and not only plays but teaches Violin lessons! Alicia and Co-Founder Susan, studied Interior Design together at Philadelphia University as well as in London with American Intercontinental University.
We asked Alicia a few questions about her life as an Interior Designer and specifically her experience with Senior Living design.
Q. How/When did you know you wanted to be an Interior Designer?
I think that being immersed in art and classical music throughout my childhood led me to have a strong curiosity for interior design since it was another art form with a creative process, but in a different environment. My family helped in a huge way to cultivate my interest in the arts. Interior design was always something I gravitated towards – whether it be picking up the Interior Design magazine over all others at the dentist office, re-arranging the furniture in my parent’s house until it looked just right, I enjoyed the art and science in creating beautiful things.
Q. Can you tell us about one of your Senior Living projects?
Village Point Rehabilitation & Healthcare (Skilled Nursing, client: Springpoint Senior Living, location: Monroe Township, New Jersey) . This project is a new 2-story, 87,594 SF, 120-bed skilled nursing building built to provide healthcare in a home-like environment, emphasizing resident independence while providing better quality of care. Each individual household provides centralized and decentralized living areas to support spontaneous socialization among residents, visitors and staff. Social areas are intimate, yet open to corridors. (This project was featured in Environments For Aging Magazine)
*Project was completed by Alicia and their team at Noelker and Hull prior to joining One Line.
Q. Senior Living is a fast growing sector. In your experience, what do you like about this type of design?
I love its complexity and richness. I think it is a positive change that Senior Living has shifted away from the institutionalized model to more of a holistic approach offering a more homelike feel, fostering wellness and a strong sense of community. The senior living industry has changed a lot over the last 10 years, and I like that while it continues to evolve at a fast pace, especially following the pandemic, it forces me to think out of the box.
Q. What are the main points of focus in Senior Living design, how is it different from other sectors like Multifamily residential?
What I truly enjoy the most about designing Senior Living projects is the unique synthesis of so many sectors of the industry into one cohesive project. Each resident’s living space should have the comfort and warmth of a home, with a balance of privacy and access for the assisting staff.
The layout, patterns, and textures of the materials in each of the resident’s living spaces should provide the familiar comfort and warmth of a home, each household requires the right balance of privacy and discrete access for both the residents and the assisting staff and organizing the reception and dining amenities to maximize the efficiency of the staff without sacrificing the sense of comfort and home for the residents.
Q. What do you hope to accomplish in the projects you work on?
I hope to work together with the project team leveraging every tool and tactic we can to support a resident’s physical, mental, and emotional health. I want to stay committed to the holistic wellbeing of residents and design spaces that build community, engage residents and their families, and offer support for every stage of their lives. I hope to implement the WELL Building standard on future projects, nurturing the health and wellbeing of all of the residents & staff.
“It feels like a natural fit working with One Line, I love the story telling aspect of our projects. Susan and Karrie are great role models and the depth of our projects allows me to be challenged every day.” Alicia Mentzer, Senior Project Designer
“We are thrilled to have Alicia as part of our team working on a variety of projects. Her depth of knowledge, skills and work ethic are valuable as well as her experience in Healthcare and Senior Living sectors.“ - Karrie Drinkhahn, Co Founder
Alicia, a graduate of Philadelphia University has over 14 years of industry experience designing innovative multidisciplinary complex projects to Senior Living, Healthcare, Corporate and Hospitality, as well as Science & Technology. Some of her projects have been featured in Interior Design Magazine and Environments for Aging Magazine. Her diverse experience coupled with her passion for creating healthy building designs and environments that promote wellness is a dynamic asset to the team.
One Line is a full-service interior design firm located in Miami, Florida and Detroit, Michigan. Our Co-Founders bring their collective 35+ years of extensive experience, offering a fresh approach to the evolving landscape of interior design and project management expectations.
We have developed a strong foundation based on the strength of our creative capital, approaching each project through the authenticity of our teams’ collective lens. It is the fusion of these dynamic creative minds that drives our approach to every project we work on, and our firm