Helping Imbue a Sense of Ease & Calm for a Boutique Dentist's Office

Let’s face it: the dentist’s office can be a scary place. The sound of drilling, the “scary dentist” trope, the fear of bad news...all can be a legitimate cause for concern. IRO Dental seeks to take a different approach by providing what they call “compassionate, patient-focused care” as Dr. Maureen Khoo and the rest of the employees go to great lengths to put clients at ease during their appointment.

When we were brought on for this project, the architects involved were looking to incorporate a soft, elegant pattern woven in and out of the newly-renovated space. The goal was to create a sense of cohesion through the design that would tie the rooms together visually and most importantly, create a sense of calm for patients during visits.

At the beginning of the process, it was challenging to find an appropriate visual that would manage to be both compelling and understated at the same time, as well as something that could blend beautifully with the colors and motifs already within the space. The ultra-modern studio is outfitted with minimalist fixtures as well as the latest dental technology and touchscreens, so another one of our concerns was finding a design that would work in concert with this sort of digital minimalism.

After a series of reviews, we thankfully finally landed on the ‘Migration’ pattern: a readaptation of my first pattern, “FLUX” back in 2008. The pattern is inspired by the beautiful formations created by the hundreds of birds I would observe making rhythmic circles in the sky during this time. Looking back at this experience, it was not only inspiring but really life-changing for me. As a result, this pattern serves as a sort of homage to this earlier time and is meant to evoke a soft movement, creating a sense of peace and meditative tranquility.

Once we had agreed upon a style, one of the major challenges we faced was coming up with the right scale for the space. The client wanted something large enough to be noticeable from far away, yet they didn't want to lose the subtlety of the dot formations. As a result, it took several scale tests before landing on the perfect flow for the space. Additionally, there were several objects in the reception area that would impede the design including the reception desk and a reflective mirror, so it was important to be sensitive to those objects when creating and laying out the custom artwork.

Once the layout of the design was created, the background color was tweaked slightly to work with the warm tones in the office and finally we were ready to install. After all the hard work, it was truly rewarding to see the patterns and designs we created up close and in person. While we have completed several projects in the boutique medical office space, this was the first time one of our wallcoverings had been specified for a boutique dentist's office and luckily for us, it happens to be the most gorgeous and well-designed one I have ever seen. I’m honored to have our pattern compliment the space and eager to see how the design is received by patients.

IRO Dental is a full service practice offering family, restorative and aesthetic dentistry founded by Dr. Maureen Khoo.

Have a design in mind? Looking to make your medical office space more restorative & inviting? Contact the studio today either via email or by phone at 718-207-9587, we'd love to discuss your next project.