Child Psychology Clinic Okotoks

Commercial Decorating

Let us start off by saying we don’t typically take commercial clients. Commercial projects are a completely different beast than residential. Don’t get us wrong, commercial clients are amazing and often give us much more freedom in the design without the emotions of ‘home’ involved, but the thick code book for commercial renovations is not something we are interested in memorizing.

That said, we were hired by Okotoks Child Psychological Services to put together a furnishing plan for their new larger clinic space, which was being built-out by a commercial contractor. Of course, we ended up being a bit more involved in the overall aesthetic of the space and worked with the contractor to achieve a certain look, but thankfully were hands off of the built-out.

Psychology clinic commercial decorating front desk by Unshelf Design. Bright children's psychology clinic front desk.

Lobby and Reception

a living room styled with dark burnt orange, brown and gorgeous artwork

Furnishing a commercial space brings me back to my marketing roots, and understanding how the first impression correlates with your branding for overall client experience. The client’s logo includes a tree with a swing and her request was that the space feel tranquil yet playful.

We designed a lobby area that was earthy and calming with soft colours and wood tones to bring in a peacefulness, for what can be a stressful time for families. We expanded upon her ‘tree’ iconography through artwork as well as a ‘birch bark’ wallpaper, and sourced a ‘playful’ coffee table with kid-sizes seat cushions and a surprise lift top full of games.

We also chose a light paint colour and LVP flooring for the entire main space that was both bright and warm.

this bedroom had the furniture in it already, which was styled with minmal plant decor and a white duvet cover and pillows

We were also asked to help design a custom desk for the reception area. We wanted to make sure that it was small enough to meet wheelchair access codes (which we consulted with a commercial design expert on), and maintain functionality for a busy clinic. We designed an L-shape desk with built in shoe storage and wood fluting to tie in the birch wallpaper and other wood elements. We spec’d a light white and grey stone countertop, which also acted as a ‘backsplash’ to elevate the look, and a privacy panel to help hide the desk clutter and computer.

(We were not involved in the making of the desk, and although drawings and visual references are provided, sometimes cost, timeline, and oversight become a factor in the final design. While I would have loved the privacy panel to be wrapped in the same stone as the countertop, and a rounded corner with narrower fluting on the base – the end result is still beautiful and functional for the space.)

Psychology clinic commercial decorating waiting room grey couch Unshelf Design. Modern grey couch behind coffee table with built in stools.

Psychology clinic commercial decorating waiting room Unshelf Design. Bright, open waiting room with couch, chair, and stool seating options.

Psychology clinic commercial decorating bright waiting room Unshelf Design. Children's psychology clinic waiting area, grey couch and beige chairs.

Child psychology clinic Okotoks office decorating

Psychology clinic commercial decorating hallway by Unshelf Design. Hallway of children's psychology clinic leads to playrooms.

Reception Before

Playrooms

a large open concept living room styled with couches on each side wall, two chairs , side tables with lovely lamps, a styled coffee table and a large area rug to cover the space

Psychology clinic commercial decorating blue ocean decal wall Unshelf Design. Blue children's playroom with plant.

We were pretty excited when ‘two playrooms’ were mentioned in the scope – HOW FUN!

We were tasked with designing 2 unique playrooms that would encourage kids to play, while not becoming overstimulated. The theme was up to us. So staying true to the ‘nature’ theme we had introduced in the lobby, we chose ‘land & sea’ and styled accordingly.

Whimsical, playful, charming, and welcoming. These playrooms met and exceeded the brief and the feedback from our client on the huge smiles of her tiny client’s is all the thanks we need.

(but please never ask me to put up a 5 foot tree decal again… lol!)

Psychology clinic commercial decorating jungle playroom childrens teepee tent Unshelf Design. Soft green jungle playroom with children's teepee tent among grey bean bag chairs.

Psychology clinic commercial decorating blue playroom plants Unshelf Design. Giant taro plant in children's psychology office.

Psychology clinic commercial decorating jungle playroom puppets by Unshelf Design. Children's psychology playroom with animal hand puppets.

Psychology clinic commercial decorating jungle playroom by Unshelf Design. Green jungle playroom with grey couch and bean bag seating.

We also selected new window treatments that would be consistent throughout the whole office space, and a warm creamy honeycomb was the perfect choice for heat and light protection, as well as a soft addition to the design.

Playrooms Details

psychology clinic_commercial decorating_frame and ocean decals_unshelf design

psychology clinic_commercial decorating_storage with ocean wall decal_unshelf design

psychology clinic_commercial decorating_toys and wall detail_unshelf design

psychology clinic_commercial decorating_office kids book and toy shelf_unshelf design

psychology clinic_commercial decorating_jungle room teepee detail_unshelf design

psychology clinic_commercial decorating_jungle room wall decals_unshelf design

Playrooms Before

Bright Office

Our client gave us free reign on the design as long as we kept them feeling ‘calm and bright’. There were three offices and we chose to treat them all completely different, offering a new and fresh experience for their staff and clients.

Psychology clinic commercial decorating tranquil office Unshelf Design. Calming office decor with teal, wooden, and blue details.

a bright modern kitchen with gorgeous tiled flooring to reflect the natural light. staged with a shimmering vase and sage

This first office is the ‘bright’ office, which had bright white walls and decor, and warmed with oak, blues and greens. This beachy vibe is the holiday you’ve been waiting for.

The client had an existing couch she wanted us to repurpose, which we paired with these 2 unique full-bodied colourful chairs. The wood tables, cabinets, and consoles keep this space feeling relaxing, rather than leaning too ‘contrast’.

And how perfect is this art? It pulled the exact colours we needed and grounded our 2 chairs.

Psychology clinic commercial decorating peaceful office Unshelf Design. Serene office decor with wooden storage cabinet.

Bright Office Details

psychology clinic_commercial decorating_teal chair and ceramic swan detail_unshelf design

psychology clinic_commercial decorating_office wood details_unshelf design

Bright Office Before

Tranquil Office

The tranquil office is like being able to finally breathe. We repurposed most of the client’s existing pieces (couch, chairs, cabinet, console, faux plant, and metal artwork) from their old location and chose supplementary pieces to give it direction.

The soft blue walls wrap around you as soon as you open the door, and the pops of colour keep you energized (there is work to be done in here after all!).

Psychology clinic commercial decorating serene blue office Unshelf Design. Peaceful blue children's psychology office.

Psychology clinic commercial decorating relaxing light blue office Unshelf Design. Blue office with navy couch and blue chairs.

Tranquil Office Details

psychology clinic_commercial decorating_blue office with palm plant_unshelf design

psychology clinic_commercial decorating_blue office decor details_unshelf design

Tranquil Office Before

Earthy Office

The earthy office is a staff favourite. This room again was supplied with the client’s existing couch and chairs from their old space. Full transparency – this grey couch was not my favourite for this room, but the other 2 couches fit the other 2 rooms so perfectly we had to make it work.

Again we warmed up the space (and offset that grey couch) with light wood accent furniture, and decided to pull in black for contrast. The soft mossy green paint helped to give the client’s faux plants a home, which led us to the ‘forest’ theme.

What developed was an earthy office that gave the calm of a walk in the woods.

Psychology clinic commercial decorating earthy office Unshelf Design. Earth toned office with seating.

Testing Room

This was a very unique room that we definitely have not been asked to do in a residential space (but never say never). The client wanted a room where client’s could complete tests and be monitored by staff. But what’s more, they wanted a viewing room through 2-way glass into this room, with seating for the lead therapist.

When we first looked at the plans we realized that there had been an error on the floor plan, and what should have been a full viewing room was actually just put as a closet. So we worked with the contractor to make some adjustments (unfortunately losing some storage space) to expand the observation room as much as we could. We were able to create a full size testing room accessed through the main hallway by the offices, with a narrow observation room that had 2 chairs and a desk, accessed through the staff storage area.

modern kitchen with brown quartz countertops to accent the walls and cabinetry. two simple pieces of artwork to highlight to windows

Psychology clinic commercial decorating bright testing room Unshelf Design. Bright testing room in children's psychology clinic.

Psychology clinic commercial decorating testing room Unshelf Design. Testing room with shelf storage for books.

We kept the design of this room distraction free and chose white-on-white-on-white, with only soft and positive decor pieces. And thrilled we found 2 swivel chairs small enough to fit the narrow observation space. We also carried the same countertop used in the reception and kitchen (see below) into the observation space.

You can also get a quick glimpse at the storage room which we designed purely with IKEA for cost purposes, and made use of every square inch we had left after the floor plan change.

Kitchen & Bath

You’ve seen a lot of creams and calming colours throughout this design, but sometimes a burst of colour is begging to come out. We get this burst of colour in the bathroom, choosing a rich green (which we also carried onto the front door if you noticed). Dark and moody, and nature-based, this bathroom is a joyful surprise to anyone lucky enough to have nature call during their appointment! (pun intended).

Because of it’s small footprint, we didn’t want the kitchenette to get lost in the design, and I found the perfect tile (muted & fluted) – this tile matched the fluted wood in the lobby (which can be seen at the same time) and the peaceful muted saturation prominent throughout the whole office space. And that little piece of art? The cherry on top!

The client was unsure at first but trusted the process and is now in love with it.

The kitchenette had a bit of a transformation between design and install. The building plans changed (communal accessible bathroom in hallway removed) and so what was supposed to be the kitchen became an accessible bathroom. We pivoted to a smaller bar-style kitchen in the hallway.