It may seem a bit early to be thinking about drapery colors at Providence Point, a planned continuing care retirement community in Scott where the beginning of construction is at least a year away.

But in the world of upscale retirement living, where every wall color, rug and sofa is carefully coordinated, nationally acclaimed interior designer Bonnie B. Manson likes to start working on the decorating long before the walls start going up.

That way, she can work with architects to make sure kitchens have adequate pantries, bedrooms have enough closets and the public spaces she will decorate -- dining rooms, theater, classrooms and multipurpose rooms -- feel open, not dour, like your grandmother's old-age home.

Manson, president of Interior Design Associates in Nashville, Tenn., is a sort of interior designer for the elderly, whose needs, she has concluded, aren't really much different from younger consumers.

"As one gets older, you really don't change that much. There are many 35-year-olds living in 80-year-old bodies," she told the staff of Providence Point on April 27, a day when she also met with prospective residents of Providence Point, which is to open in 2008.

With 24 years' experience and many design awards, Manson has designed senior living projects around the nation, learning about local communities.

In Tulsa, Okla., for example, Manson found that the city had a certain style, derived from generations of families who were surrounded by large amounts of old oil money.

"A lot of people built their homes with French aesthetics," said Manson, who integrated those French touches into Montereau in Warren Woods, a senior living project in Tulsa for which she received an award this year from the National Association of Homebuilders.

Now Manson is trying to define the regional style of Western Pennsylvania and integrate it into the interior design for Providence Point.

It's definitely not French, said Manson, who views the local style in this region as more traditional.

"The look I want is zippy, traditional with energy," she said. "I want it to be upbeat and happy."

That means bold colors, such as red, will predominate. Manson said rich colors and contrasting hues, such as mixing shades of red and yellow or gold, are good for senior citizens, who sometimes have vision problems, and are especially good in Western Pennsylvania, which has more than its share of gray days.

Providence Point, which is being built on the former Kane Hospital property in Scott, will have 216 apartments, 36 patio homes, a wellness center with an indoor pool, assisted living and health-care residences. It is affiliated with Baptist Homes Society Inc., a not-for-profit Pennsylvania nonstock corporation that has been operating in the region since 1910.

Residents will pay a one-time entrance fee and a monthly service fee, based on the size of the residence.

Eileen Moore, marketing director, said about 26 percent of the units had been presold.

Construction is expected to begin next year after 70 percent of the residences are reserved.