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 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.
