Tuesday, January 17, 2012

You Should Be Ashamed Of Yourself

All decorators/interior designers of doctor's offices should be ashamed of themselves! As I sit in the walk-in clinic of Vanderbilt with my daughter this morning, I find myself in complete disgust with medical waiting room decor. Why? Why does it have to be this way. I was an OBGYN nurse for 15 yrs. and a mom of 2 so I have seen my fair share of medical facilities and I have never sat in a waiting room and felt comfortable or relaxed. This is a missed opportunity for those doctors/nurses to get people calmed the f down.

Let's start with color. Why some form of skin color beige. Nobody wants to feel like they are sitting in a band aid box and obgyn offices are the worst! Why always green/peach or pink/blue palette? This really pisses me off.  If I don't feel good, I want cozy, warm, and comfortable. Not this:


Seating. Why so generic and stiff? If I have to sit for any length of time, I want to be comfortable.

Artwork. I don't want to look at mother's and children in meadows. Give me something that I can sit there and interpret for an hour or two.

Get the tv off of CNN of Fox News. I feel bad enough already.

Why not have a doctor's office look like a hotel lobby. Make me want to spend half my day there. Your patients won't complain about the wait, staff will be friendlier, and over all it could be a pleasant experience.
So designers....channel Kelly Weastler please!







2 comments:

  1. I would have to agree with you on most points. With my dad being a pediatrician and my husband a dentist, I too have seen my fair share of waiting rooms. We tried to make Matt's a little more modern with some pieces from West Elm and Crate and Barrel, but overall it's very neutral. What my dad always says is that it has to be easy to clean because of all the vomit/germs/etc. I get that. But maybe have some bright cleanable vinyl seats. My husband has tried to explain to me that the general public does not "get" my aesthetic and therefore neutral is the order of the day for him. Oy vey.

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  2. And I promise you, four hours at the walk-in clinic will cost the equivalent to a luxurious night a the Viceroy in Palm Springs!

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