Designing a Medical Office in Gainesville, Florida
Over the past year, I’ve worked on a complete redesign of a medical office in Gainesville, Florida. Slightly stuck in the 90’s, this office was ready for a complete redo! This very busy practice sees hundreds per day and it was time to give these patients a more modern place to visit. Let’s take a look at how it came together.
The Before
The 2 Concepts Presented
I created two distinctively different concepts for them to select from. Since this portion of the practice sees mostly women, I created a soft “color” version and a refined “neutral” version.
Colorful pink and green option
Refined neutral option
Which would they choose?
The Selection
A neutral palette was selected with lots of texture and rich details. Greige, white, beige and gray were the settled on color scheme. Split face travertine at the entry and a gorgeous custom made reception desk were the focal points.
We couldn’t be happier with the results! A beautiful office now greets the hundreds of patients seen each day.
Debra Main, the company’s Marketing Director, sums it up like this. “Recently we’ve undergone a major renovation because we want to improve our patients’ overall experience. We believe that patients chose their health care providers based on who can respond to their needs and the sum total of their interactions while they are in your office. If we can make you comfortable in this environment, it becomes a better experience for you.”
Where do ideas come from? Well, not from thin air. Inspiration is a beautiful thing and I LOVE being inspired by great designers. Pinterest fads may come and go, but true design is timeless.
Here’s my completely unscientific, highly opinionated list of the best Interior Design books out there in 2019. Some are new, some are old, but all are truly inspiring and look great on a coffee table. Enjoy!
New York Times bestselling book from interior designer Mark D. Sikes is a celebration of American style today, showcasing chic and accessible ideas for every home. Modern and unfussy, Mark D. Sikes’s interiors are classic takes on California indoor/outdoor living, with natural fibers and crisp coloration, informed and influenced by the fashion world where he began his career.
Tory Burch sees the world in color, inspired by people, places, and ideas—all of which influence her brand, synonymous with print and color. In her first book, she explores what living in color means to her. The book is organized by color, each one brought to life through images of her own collections and travels; how she entertains; style icons; the works of artists, authors, and interior designers she admires; and the advice of business leaders—many of whom are interviewed within.
Assouline began with an idea and a belief: the first, a notion that beauty, perfected, has meaning that is capable of transforming our lives; and the second, that a book—artfully crafted and highly considered in its visual content—can open our eyes and minds.
In celebration of Ralph Lauren’s 50th anniversary as a global fashion icon, Mr. Lauren has expanded upon his original 2007 book to provide further insight into his evolution, philosophy, processes, and passions as a designer.
Black and white décor is at once dramatic and understated, modern and classic, apparent in the work of iconic designers such as Dorothy Draper and Madeleine Castaing but just as present in design today.
Lavishly illustrated in full color, a book of thirty-six spectacular houses and gardens—whose owners come from the worlds of fashion, music, art, and society—drawing on stories from the pages of Vogue and VogueLiving as well as never-before-published images by iconic photographers.
Domino: The Book of Decorating cracks the code to creating a beautiful home, bringing together inspiring rooms, how-to advice and insiders’ secrets from today’s premier tastemakers in an indispensable style manual.
Phoebe Howard, known affectionately as Mrs. Howard to her clients, has a penchant for creating stylish spaces, which has evolved into her own critically acclaimed brand of interior design. Mrs. Howard’s first book features several of her largest design projects and addresses the most common decorating issues and questions her clients and customers ask.
From an early age, Aerin understood that Estée’s passion for family was equal to her love of beauty. Now, Aerin has made this legacy her own. For the first time, she shares memories of the family celebrations and world travel that formed her sense of style.
So, there you have them! Don’t forget to Pin this to your Pinterest board for future reference.
Mother’s Day is right around the corner (May 12th) and brunch is always a big hit with the Mom crowd. Steal one of these seven amazing looks to impress. Using basics you already have (white plates, clear glasses, etc.) you can easily add a few pieces and mimic these stunning tabes. Many use fabric right from the store as tablecloths…not even hemmed…shh, it’ll be our secret. 🙂 Be sure to click on the links below each photo and go directly to the items!
1. This hot pink and orange ikat tablecloth, offset with light blue glasses, looks amazing!
A fireplace above the tub in the Master Bath? A gorgeous Kitchen with stone hood? Custom doggy door? This home in Alachua, Florida has it all! Really! From matte black plumbing to bamboo flooring, this chic and modern farm-fresh home is outstanding. Let’s take a look!
Spitting on your finger to hang the perfect artwork? Stuffing pillows that are too big into covers for the perfect fit? Stacks on stacks on stacks of coffee table book? Yes, yes and yes! These finishing touches make the room! Over the past 20+ years, I’ve collected seven of my favorite and today I’m revealing them to you.
1. Buy Coffee Table Books You Love
One of the very best tips I have is to splurge on coffee table books you’re drawn to. They are super useful for adding dimension and height to coffee tables, console tables and bookshelves. Stack them, lean them, even open them and you’ve instantly elevated your design. Using topics you love (gardens, photography, you name it) or places you’ve traveled is the perfect way to inject a bit of personality into your room. Want to really take it up a notch? Have some of your favorite family photos made into a custom coffee table book.
Can’t settle on the perfect color for your room? Love your sample but fear it’s too dark? Create your own color by having the paint store cut the color you love by half or a third. It will give you the same color, but with less intensity. Bonus, no one else will have it and you can name it whatever you’d like!
benjamin moore “sleigh bells” at 50% {studio mcgee}
sleigh bells at full strength, maybe a little darker than you want {your design nest}
3. Layer Rugs
Rugs can be expensive, like super expensive. A perfect alternative to breaking your budget is to layer a smaller version of the pricey rug you have your eye on, ON TOP OF a less expensive rug. A basic sisal rug can be found very moderately priced and serves a a rich, textural backdrop for a more “statement” piece. Think large, solid, inexpensive as the base rug and smaller, richer, even trendier as the top layer. The result is stunning and something you don’t see everywhere.
this inexpensive dhurrie rug looks great overtop of an inexpensive sisal {decorpad}
a rich zebra painted cow hide stuns overtop of a basic sisal {kate jackson}
a natural cowhide livens up this basic seagrass rug {domino}
4. Buy Your Pillow Inserts One Size Larger Than Your Cover
No one wants a wimpy pillow. You know the kind; lifeless, pathetic and downright distracting. Purchase the pillow insert the next size up and you’ve instantly given the pillow (and room, really) a makeover. For example, for a 20″ pillow cover, I use a 22″ insert. A 18″ cover gets a 20″ insert and so on. While your at it, splurge on a down or synthetic down fill. Full, down pillows are one of the easiest ways to revive a room!
It can be scary to hang the piece of artwork you love on big, bare wall. Hanging it over a fireplace or a piece of furniture you love isn’t any easier. Too high or too low really cheapens the piece and the room overall. My rule of thumb, if hanging on a bare wall, is to hold the piece in front of you so that the CENTER of the art is AROUND your eye level, then go up just a smidge. Scientific, I know, but it works every single time. 🙂 The rule of thumb when hanging over a piece of furniture or fireplace is to use the WIDTH of your HAND(S) for the correct spacing above. Just place your hand sideways, then place the other on top (sideways) and you have the perfect spacing somewhere in-between the first and second hand. No measuring! Once you’ve settled on the height, lick your finger, slide your hand up, feel for the wire behind and tap on the wall where you want the nail to go. Gross, I know, but it saves a whole lot of measuring. Just don’t tell anyone what you did, it’ll be our little secret.
hung at eye level center and looks perfect! {the decorista}
hand width above a fireplace, works for mirrors too {traditional home}
tory burch’s home, art hung perfectly above the mantle {tory burch}
6. Keep High, High and Low, Low
When you’re putting together the perfect tabletop vignette, it’s hard to know what to put where. Stacking items on books and choosing frames to use? It’s overwhelming. Keeping the taller pieces “high” and the shorter pieces “low” will create an interesting, layered display. For example, start with a tall lamp, then keep your books low, add a frame in the middle and you have an interesting flow. If you had chosen a shorter lamp, stacked your books up too high and selected a frame around the same height, you’d end up with one level throughout, which isn’t nearly as interesting.
nice flow, high to the sides and low in the center {the pink clutch}
vignette perfection! high to the left, low to the right {mimosa lane}
all one height, could look much better with varying heights {vanity fair}
7. Add Dimmers EVERYWHERE
What’s cheap and will instantly transform your entire home? Dimmers! I don’t want to oversell this, but they are literally life changing. Literally. 🙂 Adding dimmers to your main living areas will completely transform the space, I promise. Harsh, overly lit rooms suddenly become soft, candlelit looking spaces. I actually suggest having them everywhere, like in every single room. Don’t believe me? Try just one and see what you think. You can go with a basic version, fancy smart versions, or even one made just for lamps. It’s super easy to switch out your current old-school switches for new dimmers. You can get them at Lowes, Home Depot or even order them online and it takes under 10 minutes. Home Depot has a quick tutorial here.
Well, there you have it. Seven designer secrets that I just had to share. Do you think you might try one? Do you have any tips or tricks to share? I would love to hear them, please comment below!
What’s super hot right now, but also will be forever? Blue! If you know my design, you know I love the color blue. On furniture, walls, or anywhere in between, blue always adds the perfect touch of color to any space. It’s serene and pretty and it doesn’t overwhelm.
But what shade do you choose? Search it on Pinterest and you’ll be overwhelmed with results, some good and some not. THE perfect blue is the goal, but there are just sooooo many to choose from! But, we are in luck! I have combined my very favorite Blue paint colors that are tried and true, with photos showing them in real world applications below. Enjoy and pin the chart at the bottom for future easy access! 🙂
If you’ve been in the market for plumbing fixtures lately, you’ve likely seen the newest and most beautiful finish out…”Luxe Gold” by Brizo. It will stop you in your tracks!
It stands out in a sea of Brushed Nickel, Chrome, Oil Rubbed Bronze and (now) Matte Black. It’s the perfect warm-gold. It’s not bright brass from the 80s, not even close. They have everything you need for your Kitchen or Bath.
Here’s just a very small sampling…
So, let’s say you’ve decided to use this lovely combination in your home. Amazing! But… you need some things to coordinate with it. Knobs…lights…mirrors… What goes with this gorgeous finish? Brizo makes a few things to coordinate but not much….like one light…seriously.
What coordinates?
You can MIX the finish with other finishes…maybe matte black? That’s a valid option. But, let’s look at what will actually coordinate with Luxe Gold from other brands. Here are a few of my favorites. Don’t worry, all the links are down below at the bottom of the post.
But wait…
Is This The Same As Delta’s Champagne Bronze?
Before we dive into each of these items above( links are below) let’s address a mistake I almost made.
Is Brizo’s “Luxe Gold” finish interchangeable with Delta’s “Champagne Bronze”? I mean Delta OWNS Brizo…they look similar…they’re probably the same right?
No…no they’re not.
Brizo’s Luxe Gold is lighter, less “gold-y”. Delta’s Champagne Bronze is deeper and would mix easily with standard brass options. (Maybe we’ll cover that in the future!) But for now, let’s stick with
So let’s breakdown that Cheat Sheet. Scroll down for the all the links below!
So now we have a BUNCH of options to coordinate with the amazing Brizo Luxe Gold line. Here is a handy dandy Cheat Sheet for you, with links, along with one perfectly formatted for your Pinterest page.
“Location, location, location!” You’ve heard it a million times before and it really holds true. Where you build is just as important as what you build.
When we considered rebuilding for ourselves, location was the prime determining factor. We loved the neighborhood we lived in and didn’t want to stray too far from it. Since there were no remaining lots for sale, we decided to stay put. But…one night while out running, a little red FOR SALE BY OWNER sign popped up that wasn’t there the evening before. I called right there, made an offer and took the sign down (shh). I ran home, told my husband and we gave the deposit the next day. Sometimes things just work out! Now we are starting the process of rebuilding just down the road!
If you’re just joining us, this is the third installment of a year long series documenting the building of our personal dream home. We started off with INSPIRATION ( here), then tackled FLOORPLANS (here). Now let’s dive into LOCATION.
Overhead shot of our new property
So, if where you build is just as important as what you build, how do you decide? Here are a few tips!
When looking at properties, consider the following:
The size of the lot and closeness of neighbors
Slope/flatness of land
Direction the lot faces (Where will the sun be?)
Natural surroundings (forest, field, water, etc.)
Trees (Remember – tall, old trees can’t just be planted)
The style of other houses in the neighborhood
Access to resources (Will you need a well? Septic tank? New power, phone or cable hookups?)
Our new lot
Talk to a Professional! Although it is not necessary, having a professional such as a contractor look at the property you are interested in may save your some headaches down the line.
Once you find a lot you are interested in, research the property.
Find information on the zoning, wetlands, septic connections, energy code, etc. These all affect what you can do. For example, zoning can affect the required setback distance from the street, the height of your house, and whether or not you can build an in-law suite.
Is the lot in a historic district? If so, there may be additional requirements or restrictions on how your home must look and what materials it must be built with.
Look into home values in the surrounding neighborhood. You may not want to build a $2 million house in a much less expensive area.
Speak to the neighbors. This is one of the best ways to find out if the area is a good fit for your family
What is the school district?
Keep all of these things in mind, do your research and enjoy!
