Cheryl Janis Designs

When I was in Spain last month, the thing I missed most was probably not what you think it was. It wasn’t the food (although I did miss it, just not the most). It wasn’t the weather. And it wasn’t my cats (although I loved seeing them again when I returned.)...Continue reading

I recently took a quick one-hour flight from the island of Ibiza to Barcelona on my way back to California from Spain. There was a long slow line to board the aircraft and we (the passengers) were subsequently packed inside into seats that had maybe two inches of leg room to spare. I almost had a panic attack on that flight. Thank you deep breathing and body-centered wellness techniques. You totally got me through it. ... As I sat there on that quick flight, I was reminded of how far most modern-day airplane companies have come in creating extra space and comfort for its customers. Thank you GOD. I was reminded of how far many healthcare practices and wellness services businesses have come in offering their patients and clients a deeply nurturing and comfortable experience in the waiting room. Thank you GODDESS. I thought about how overcrowded and uncomfortable waiting rooms with wall-to-wall chairs lined up like army cadets waiting for their drill sergeant to give them their next order are really on their way out. I thought about the design of waiting rooms todaywith home-like vignettes arranged to serve an array of demographicsyour older adult pop, Millennials with young families, Boomers and now even the Z generation. This thought made me so happy. This year I’ve been seeing some super cool healthcare design trends popping up all over the map, influenced by our favorite 5-star hotels and the hospitality industry in general, like this stuff: Pub or cafe tables and chairs for millennials to hang out in for that cafe-like experience. It’s fun and hip and it’s what Millennials are asking for in their healthcare offices. A small to medium children’s play area near the pub area where young parents can keep an easy eye on their kiddos. Sofas and end tables with USB ports for easy smart phone plug in and access, along with free and kick-ass wifi. Duh, right? Comfortable upholstered chairs with nice arms for the older adult population to sit in, relax and get out of easily without having to ask for anyone’s help. This helps your older adult peeps feel more independent. Areas for extroverts and introverts. Vignette areas within the waiting room (this works even if your waiting room is small) that are arranged to promote socializing and other areas that feel a bit more private with plants and lamps used in the design for a perceived sense of privacy. This totally works. Walking through Porcelanosa showrooms in Spain a few weeks ago, I noticed some of these trends popping up in a variety of lovely ways. For example, these tables made their way into my love zone because of the curved tabletops made with Porcelanosa’s Krion antibacterial material that can be customized in a variety of ways in all the colors of the rainbow. See pics and read more here: https://cheryljanisdesigns.com/i-almost-had-a-panic-attack/ #healthcare #interiordesign

Get a free copy of my next book, The Treatment Room Cure: The healthcare design guide to transforming the treatment room in 13 easy steps https://cheryljanisdesigns.com/get-a-free-copy-of-my-next-/ #healthcare #interiordesign

Hi Peeps! I skipped last week’s post because I was in Spain visiting the tile company Porcelanosa’s geothermal-powered factory and international showrooms in Villarreal (near Valencia)! More on that later, but I’ll just say for now that when I walked onto their campus, I felt like I did when I first saw the Star Wars movie at age 10with wide-eyed wonder and intense curiosity.... During my time there, my senses were submerged in an array of textures, colors and materials on an epic scale of awesome. You, like me, might think of tile manufacturing as this gross dirty wasteful process and it certainly can be. I think I could have eaten off the floor of the Porcelanosa factory! I’m not kidding when I say it was that clean. I was amazed at how eco-conscious their whole process is from start to finish. They showed me an on-site wastewater treatment plan where they clean wastewater so it can be used again and again in the plant. They even have a way of reclaiming the excess heat from the massive kiln where the tiles are fired and using that heat to run a turbine that generates electricity for the lights and other systems in the factory. The showrooms were design geek heaven. Showroom after showroom of design vignettes showcasing Porcelanosa’s tiles, countertops, flooring, kitchen cabinets, bathroom materials, and other products I instantly imagined in your healthcare space. Here’s a quick pic of me and National Sales Director Andy Pennington examining two tilesa fragment that QA rejected before the kiln process and a beautifully finished one still warm from the kiln: https://bit.ly/2pxounn #healthcare #interiordesign #porcelanosa

This. Peter’s art changes lives. #healthcare #interiordesign

Dear friends, There’s a facet of healthcare interior design that doesn’t get much air time. It’s a large part of why some spaces feels safe and nurturing, delightful to the senses and have that quality the mind can’t wrap itself around.... This is a big part of my work. I hear hints of this quality in interviews with people like the father/son architecture team I.M. and C.C. Pei who designed the state of the art 1-million square foot medical center at UCLA. This highly successful facility was conceived as an instrument of healing with liberal use of natural light and human-centric spaces. I feel called to share this esoteric aspect more and since recording podcasts is such a great way to help you design your own waiting rooms, offices, exam rooms, clinics, staff rooms and other wellness spaces, I’ve started doing that with a new micro-podcast. For now I’m just sharing this only with you here, and on a private channel. That means it’s not in the iTunes Store just yet. The first episode is now live here http://taoofhealthcaredesign.com/ https://cheryljanisdesigns.com/why-does-it-feel-so-good-in/ Yours in wholehearted living, Cheryl

Last week, when I walked into my client’s new 1,200 square foot psychoeducational evaluations clinic for children, a certain familiar soulful paint color simply showed up as they often do, in my minds eye, tugging at my ear whispering, Yes, this color! After fifteen years of designing boutique healthcare offices and wellness-based service businesses, I’ve learned to listen, I mean really listen to that inner voice. She is always right.... What was the color? you ask. Let me answer this question in a few illustrations and pictures here https://cheryljanisdesigns.com/this-paint-color-creates-a-/ #healthcare #interiordesign #ilovecolor

Which gray wall colors do you like best? #healthcare #interiordesign #notallgraysareequal

Dear Peeps, Last night at 10:30pm I arrived at the half-century mark of my life here on earth. To celebrate this special day, my hubby gifted me with a star party.... I know what you’re thinking. A star party is where I invite all my favorite celebrities to hang out for the evening. Nope, my star party, was much grander, and literally, a party in the stars. A couple of astronomers in my town with bad ass (hubble-esque) telescopes offered an evening of star and planet gazing, including stories of the cosmos, while sipping tea and eating birthday cake! I was thrilled to celebrate my big day in the heavens, amongst the brightest constellations and the Perseid meteor showers happen every year around this time. Another way I’m celebrating my big day is with a new podcast episode for you. Today’s episode is a design lesson from my book, The Waiting Room Cure. In the episode I go deeper into how to design a positive first impression in your entryway and why it matters to your business. Here are the highlights: CHAPTER 4: You’ll Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression The psychology of first impressions and why it’s important in keeping patient satisfaction rates high What happens during the first fifteen seconds after your patient or client steps into your healthcare office The biggest no no’s of a first impression that can make your peeps feel like they’ve been on an IV drip of Red Bull for the past six hours An easy two step process of designing a gorgeous first impression that doesn’t break the bank (although it can if you want it to) The best placement for your reception desk How to make plants and water features your BFF’s Start listening now: https://cheryljanisdesigns.com/a-star-party-for-my-50th-an/ In the meantime, you’ll find me still with my head in the stars celebrating my big five O. , Cheryl

Dear healthcare professional, The modern healthcare experience is starting to look more and more like the love child of your favorite tech-savvy café and a 5-star hotel. And not just any 5-star hotel; the kind of drool-worthy experiences you see people sharing on Instagram. ... Year ago, this was something one might hear about while at a conference or read about in a magazine. It was kinda rare. And even though I have been advising my clients to create a cozy, home-like experience in their healthcare and wellness spaces for many years now, it’s now happening on a larger scale and I couldn’t be more excited! Boomers and Millennials, the two largest adult populations in this country are setting the bar high, and influencing healthcare design. Boomers love the best of the hospitality industry and want their healthcare spaces (and senior living facilities) to offer those same experiences without compromising clinical excellence. Millennials, on the other hand, desire hip, tech-savvy offerings in your waiting room (like comfy sofas and chairs with power sources and usb ports built in to them) and beautiful artwork. The experience economy in this country is growing. People are paying more (often out of pocket) for a wellness experience that makes them feel special. And as this trend is picking up steam, I’m seeing more and more examples of this. I’m noticing that my clients are already showing up with this love child vision of their waiting room design (for example) instead of me having to convince them. Case in point: I recently designed a waiting room for my dentist client who is listening to the desires of her tech-savvy millennials with young kids, and installing beautiful round wood bar-height cafe tables and chairs. This, next to the play area and in the same waiting room where her older adult patients wait for their appointments in a 5-star hotel lobby like experience. It’s so sweet! And just last month I helped a prosthetist (who makes artificial limbs, mostly legs) design a new waiting room with an open help-yourself kitchenette next to community tables (for the extroverts) next to a lounge (for the introverts) all in the same modestly-sized room. Pretty cool right? (Don’t worry, I’ll post pics when they become available.) What are you seeing in your neck of the woods? Are you seeing what I’m seeing? Are you inspired by this lattes, scones and five-star hotels vision? Share in the comments section. Tell me your vision of how you want your healthcare office or wellness space to look and feel. Cheers to the love-child healthcare design revolution !https://cheryljanisdesigns.com/lattes-scones-and-five-star/ #interiordesign #heatlhcare #designtrends #revolution

Dear peeps, Last week I showed you a picture of a treatment room I carefully designed in my CAD program, and asked you what the bleep was wrong with it. Before I show you the same exact treatment room designed with all kinds of love, I wanted to take a moment to thank those of you who sent me your hilarious and ah..mazing and did I mention totally right on answers.... You rocked it. Here are some of your answers to the question: What the bleep is wrong with this treatment room? And a picture of the room redesigned with all kinds of love: https://cheryljanisdesigns.com/wow-you-crafted-a-sickening/ #healthcare #interiordesign #treatmentroom

My newest design of a 180 square foot dental office waiting area seats 9 adults and 2 toddlers. The room reflects the dentist's personality, while considering the older adult, pediatric and tech-savvy patients too. I'm *swooning* over those Niche Modern pendants. #dental #office #interiordesign