The owners of this high-ranch contacted me right before they moved into their new home. They are a sweet couple with young children. They wanted to move away from the traditional look they had in their old place, to a more modern look. The only furniture they brought to their new home, was a hutch that had sentimental value to them.
The hutch was very traditional, so I kept that in mind while choosing the furnishings. The tufted accent chairs, tufted ottoman, and the bling from the different metallic accents, add elegance to the modern look.
With their open-floor plan, it was very important to choose kid-friendly furniture. I did what I could to help my clients avoid the-parents-face-of-horror. You know, the face parents get when their sweet innocent toddler hops off the dining room chair heading to wash the spaghetti sauce off their cute little hands and, on the way, making sure to touch…EVERY…SINGLE…SURFACE (I know you’ve been there!)!!! So, I stuck with leather for the sofa and ottoman/coffee table and dark teal velvet for the accent chairs.
The husband really liked the black and white look, so I chose these throw pillows to go with this amazing ottoman/coffee table. I stuck to black, white, neutrals and small pops of different shades of teal to tie the accent chairs into the room (here’s the color palette I referred to: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/252342385350257891/). I added lots of texture and, of course, a lot of plants!
I created this unique arrangement of decorative items on a round tray by adding very cool looking succulents to this black pedestal vase and added a pretty oval bowl. Together they create nice contrast and break up the boxiness of the white squared vase.
Placing this trailing succulent plant in a hammered copper cup left them with this beauty!
These coasters are beautiful! It’s good I don’t have them at my house, because I’d find any excuse to use them and end up with a drinking problem!
Love what you see? Tired of endlessly pinning items on Pinterest that you never actually purchase?
My clients run the Center of Jewish Life/Hillel of Rockland College. Thinking about updating their Hillel student lounge for a long time, they decided to reach out to me. I was more than happy to take on the job. I knew it would be an exciting challenge! My clients wanted to change the room’s vibe from boring lunchroom to fun lounge/hangout. The room was pretty small, so the first thing I did was booted all of the original items/furniture that were not necessary. The only things we kept were the bookcase and fridge. The replacements would all be budget friendly and have a tight palette so the room would not feel too busy. We chose black and white with pops of blue. Once that was figured out, a-shopping I did go!
So, how do you make a room with boring grey wall-to-wall office carpeting look fun and fresh, you ask? Drop a great rug on it! The first purchase I made was this amazing rug that looks like the tide coming in on the shore. I knew it would bring some life to the room and steal the show!
My clients wanted to hang up some pictures of the students, so I decided to create a gallery wall. All white frames would be nice and clean looking, but this is a student lounge, so I thought we should have some fun with it! I wanted to have a black and white speckled background for the gallery wall. I originally planned on using speckled wallpaper but that would have taken us way over our budget. Luckily, my clients had many wonderful students that were willing to volunteer! Out with the wallpaper, in with the hand-painted speckled wall!!! They did an amazing job!
For all you peeps that are dying to get some wallpaper on your walls but can’t afford it, DIY it! Okay, it would take a really long time to do this yourself, so call over some friends. You may want to make a one drink limit, unless you’re going for a modern art look. In which case, you may as well get your kids to help you. Then when you and the kids finish the walls, you can celebrate with your friends and go out for those drinks! Both are very good options. There are so many great ideas out there for DIY accent walls. You can head over to my Pinterest DIY board to check out some that I’ve pinned –https://www.pinterest.com/StylebyMimiG/diy-ideas/.
The rest of the room was all planned out. I knew the Hillel lounge needed some Israel-related paraphernalia but I didn’t want it to be cheesy(AKA, big poster of the map of Israel, etc.). I decided to create a modern asymmetrical string art of Israel. Check out this great tutorial I put together. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!
I also commissioned one of the students, Gayil, from Hennas by Gayil (https://www.facebook.com/hennasbygayil/), to create a drawing of a Chamsa. I had seen her work before and knew she was extremely talented. Well, she did not disappoint! Check out the beautiful detail in this drawing!!!
I wanted it to have an authentic look, so I had her draw on paper with raw edges and pinned it onto the matting of the frame.
When it was time to shop for furniture, I searched for simple, fun and modern. For the chairs in front of the gallery wall, I chose black leather chairs to help that wall feel grounded. Two mid-century modern chairs in black and white houndstooth material were placed opposite the speckled wall. The pattern of the fabric helped create balance, adding a similar splash of black-and-white-crazy to the other side of the room.
I chose simple birch nesting tables to add a natural element to the room. The matching stools brought balance to the other areas of the room, while affording extra seating when needed. I customized the stool tops to add some texture and color to other parts of the room. I stuck to our tight color palette when choosing the fabric for upholstering and the paint for the stool tops.
This is the Frosta stool from Ikea. It is so affordable and you can customize it in so many ways!
I am a big believer in bringing life to a room by adding live plants. I scoured the internet for a cool hanging planter and found this gem-of-a-gem-shaped glass hanging planter. I created a beautiful terrarium, layering pebbles, varied types of dried moss and a succulent plant.
I always choose succulents to add to client’s rooms, because they are hardy and most people are unintentional-plant-killers ;).
The Before…and Afters
beforeafterbeforeafter
Love what you see? Tired of endlessly pinning items on Pinterest that you never actually purchase?
I can help you create a home you love!
I have a service an online studio that allows me to work with anyone in the world through my E-Design service! I also have my Full Service option available in the tri-state area! Visit my services page for full details.
WOULD LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK! SCROLL DOWN TO LEAVE A COMMENT!
My client reached out to me when she was about to open her own private practice. She wanted her office to be calm, warm, and a place she could even use for her own meditation. Sticking to neutrals, soothing blues and teals helped create a gentle healing energy in her office. These were the color palettes I kept referring back to.
When you choose your decor accents, look for a mix of materials and textures. Include some white pieces to contrast the wall color and to keep the room feeling light and fresh. Make sure to have at least one live plant in your office. They add energy to the room that cannot be created by a faux plant. You can even get a cactus if you’re usually a plant killer :). I placed a trailing plant inside this vase and love the life it breathes into the office!
Click on image for details!
When styling a shelf, make sure to vary the heights of the items. If your items are around the same height, you can stack up a few books and place one of the items on top to create variation. Make sure not to line everything up in a row. Layer some items behind others to create interest and depth.
This is the inside cover of an antique book that I framed. The colors worked perfectly for our palette. Adding a little pop of pink to each side of the room, adds a bit of contrast and vibrancy. When decorating a therapy office, you want to stick with neutrals and soothing colors. The small added pops of contrasting color is optional, but I think it gives the room a nice little boost of energy. You definitely want your clients to feel calm and relaxed, but you don’t want then falling asleep! 🙂
My client offers these beautiful inspiration stones to her clients. She said they like to hold it during their session. She has a secret stash so she can tell them to keep their stone. It’s such a nice little gift, especially for a first-time client!
I’m really grateful for the opportunity to work with therapists to create a therapeutic office. It is very rewarding! It feels great knowing that I am taking a small part in the healing process of so many people!
Hope you found this helpful! I’m an interior decorator and e-designer and specialize in therapy offices. I offer full-service to local clients(Tri-State area) and offer e-design to clients nationwide (some services available internationally too!).
I’VE GOT SOME OPTIONS FOR YOU DIYers!!!
I just launched, “Therapy-Office-in-a-Click”!!! It’s a budget friendly way to get the therapy office you’ve always dreamed of. It includes links to everything from furniture, plants and decor items down to inspiration stones and soothing scented oils. All items have positive customer reviews- you can skip all that time researching! Click HERE to start shopping!
I also recently created an e-book, “Step-by-step Checklist and Guide to Decorating Your Therapy Office.” It’s available for FREE right now! It includes a detailed breakdown of how to create a therapy office with amazingly soothing energy. It also includes a checklist of all the items you’ll need to buy. All of that, and yes, it’s FREE!Click here to get your e-book!
FREE E-BOOK
Love what you see?
Tired of endlessly pinning items on Pinterest that you never actually purchase?
Get the beautiful serene office you and clients deserve!
FULL SERVICE INTERIOR DECORATING
If you are looking for full service decorating for your commercial or home therapy office (or really any room you’d like transformed to have great energy), feel free to reach out to me. You can either fill out the contact form here or click here to choose a 15 min. time slot on my calendar to discuss your project with me.
If full service is not the right option for you, but you want a customized room made just for you? Have no fear! I offer an e-design service that will be perfect for you!
Need some help choosing relaxing art for your office? Check out this new blog post! Click Image Below!
How About Some Rug Options That Are Perfect For Your Office? Click Image Below.
WHAT’S COMING NEXT?
A new blog post describing the thought process I go through when choosing items and when creating the layout. You’ll also learn how the collaborative process works, seeing how a decorator and therapist work together to create the right experience for their clients. The blog post will include a video interview with the therapist, recorded in her office. Together, we will discuss the process of transforming a room from looking like a DMV waiting room, into a calm space with healing energy.
To see all of my therapy office e-design options in one place, click here!
Do I Even Have a Dream?!?! My Unconventional Journey to Interior Decorating
“Why is therapy office decor so important anyway?!?! What’s the big deal? The clients aren’t coming for spa day! They’re coming for me to help them with their issues. Anyway, my clients don’t seem to mind that it doesn’t look pretty in here. I mean, it would be nice if my office was decorated nicely, but I wouldn’t even know where to start!” -thoughts of many lovely therapists.
My name is Mimi Goldsmith and I am an interior decorator that specializes in transforming residential interiors and therapy offices. My very first project was a therapy office in a commercial space. That project actually sparked my love for design. It was really a blessing that came at the perfect time. I had 4 young kids I was caring for and my hubby had just started med school that year. Let me tell you, it was rough! He was gone all day, ate dinner with us and then had video study groups the rest of the evening.
THE BEFORE PIC
He did warn me that it wasn’t gonna be easy. He actually told me something kinda funny too. He told me that at his med school orientation, the Dean was giving a speech. He started with, “Med school is no walk in the park. It will get grueling. It will ruin any social life you had. If you’re in a relationship, it most likely won’t last past the first year of school. Are any of you married?” My hubby piped up, “Don’t worry, I pre-filed!” I know, terrible! But I thought it was hilarious (that’s why we work so well together)!
So, that should give you a pretty clear picture of what med school life looks like. Life had made it’s adjustment, but I couldn’t keep up. I did try, but I was struggling. I was very happy that he was following his dreams, but I think watching him “go for it” made me realize how stagnant I was. I’m usually a pretty happy person, but the change of climate in my home made me feel like I was standing still, watching my life pass by.
ANOTHER SAD BEFORE PIC
What was my dream anyway?!?! I was 38 at the time and I remember many times when I’d be hanging out with a friend, I’d turn to them and ask, “What should I be when I grow up?” They’d laugh and we’d move on to the next conversation. But I was really unsettled not knowing what my dream was. I mean, I was pretty busy having and taking care of kids for a good decade. But they were getting older and more independent and I just kept asking, what will I be when I grew up?
In the back of my head I kept hearing something a friend says when the new year comes around. She says, “G-d should bless you with a year of revealed good!” That is my favorite blessing! First of all, it’s unique. “Happy New Year doesn’t have that much oomph after you’ve heard it 30 times. Second of all, it’s very powerful and helped me to really appreciate when I was actually able to clearly recognize the good in my life. Well, listen to the following and you’ll see the kind of blessing that I got.
One evening, I went shopping with a good friend. We headed out to HomeGoods (do you also hear the angels sing when that word is spoken?). As we shopped, my friend said, “I’m so excited, I found a space for my private practice office and I’m signing the lease tomorrow!” We hugged and I congratulated her. Then she said, “The only thing I’ll need to do is decorate it, but I have no idea what to buy and where to start. Wait, Mimi, you’d be so good at that! You want to design my office (insert more HomeGoods angel singing here)?” I answer, “Shut up! Really? Don’t tease me!” We hugged (I may have jumped up and down in excitement) and my answer was a big fat, “YES!!!”
The next morning, I met the landlord so I could take measurements of the room. Well, before he even showed me her office, he was taking me to other offices that were still in construction phase asking me about paint colors for those offices. I know it’s crazy, but I left the building with 2 projects that morning!!! I went home and starting doing research on interior decorating. Paint color! Lighting! Color palettes! Mastering my new floor plan software program! I loved it all! I mean, I had always loved it. But once I started doing research for the projects, I realized how passionate I was about it. It was love at first sight. I had found my dream.
The evenings look different now. The fam eats dinner together, I put the kids to bed and then my hubby and I sit together on our own laptops. We sit there for hours, him following his dream, and me following mine. My frustration has been squelched and my passion has been stoked. Realizing my dream had freed me. I am now able to love and embrace my life with joy. I am happier, which means that the family is happier too. All from a night out shopping with a friend at HomeGoods? You could bet that it was all chance, but I put my money on revealed good.
Thank you for the blessing!
Hope you enjoyed hearing about my journey! Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to connect! If you are thinking about decorating your commercial or home therapy office (or really any room you’d like transformed to have great energy), feel free to reach out to me. You can either fill out the contact form here or click here to choose a 15 min. time slot on my calendar to discuss your project with me.
I’VE GOT SOME OPTIONS FOR YOU DIYers!!!
I just launched, “Therapy-Office-in-a-Click”!!! It’s a budget friendly way to get the therapy office you’ve always dreamed of. It includes links to everything from furniture, plants and decor items down to inspiration stones and soothing scented oils. All items have positive customer reviews- you can skip all that time researching! Click HERE to start shopping!
I also created an e-book, “A step-by-step guide to decorating your tranquil therapy office.” It includes a detailed breakdown of how to create a therapy office with amazingly soothing energy. It also includes a checklist of all the items you’ll need to buy. This e-book is FREE to all my members!Click here to get your e-book!
FREE E-BOOK
WHAT’S COMING NEXT?
A new blog post describing the thought process I go through when choosing and positioning each item. You’ll also learn how the collaborative process works, seeing how a decorator and therapist work together to create the right experience for their clients. The blog post will include a video interview with the therapist, recorded in her office. Together, we will discuss the process of transforming a room from looking like a DMV waiting room, into a calm space with healing energy. Subscribe to the blog if you’d like to get notified when new posts are published.
-box of nails ( I used Exterior Galvanized 4d 1 1/2″ nails)
-plank of wood (pine was the most affordable. My art is on a plank that is 2′ x 4′)
-paint (I used white wall paint)
-embroidery string
-hammer
-scissors
1. Paint the wood. Allow it to dry. Put a second coat on it. Allow it to dry for 24 hours.
2.Tape the map onto the wood.
3. Hammer in the nails along the border of the country.
4. Gently rip the map off, holding down on the nails as you rip it off that area.
5. Tie the string around one nail and make a double knot.
6. Loop string over and around each nail continuing all the way around until you reach the original nail you started with. Then repeat in the opposite direction.
7. Repeat step #5 3 times on each side
8.Then, start looping around each nail, switching direction with each nail (in the shape of an 8) until you attain the desired affect. Do not cut the string yet!
9. Pull the string across the center at random angles, making sure to loop around each nail you choose. When you like what you see, tie a double knot and cut the string.
