OFFICE DESIGN TRENDS 2009

Totally Digital Office
New offices will have computerized diagnostic equipment and office management software all linked together to provide quick access to information from just about anywhere in the office. In the optical every styling table will have it's own computer. Multiple data collection rooms and multiple check out stations are a must to prevent bottlenecks and keep patient flow running smoothly even in a small office.

Design for Patient Experience
In economically difficult times the best way to make your practice stand out from the competition is to provide a great experience for the patient. The newest and most successful retail store designs take all of the senses into account. Hearing, smell, taste and touch are incorporated into the visual environment to create a sense of comfort. Optical offices can use a similar strategy to create a unique and memorable experience for the patient that makes them tell their friends about you and keep coming back.

Sustainability
The volume of sustainable materials for office interiors continues to expand, making it easier to find paint, furniture, fabrics and finishes free of unhealthy chemicals. Many commercial carpets now contain yarns made from recycled fibers. Being green is becoming mainstream.

Energy-conscious Lighting
LED (light-emitting diode) lighting technology improves by leaps and bounds. Prices have come down some but initial costs are still higher than for conventional fluorescent or halogen fixtures. However, LED's prove their worth over time with long lamp life and 60% or better reductions in electrical bills. Getting good color rendition for retail applications is still an issue. Most LED's are too cool (color temperature 5500K) or too warm (2700K). Some are available now in a 4200K lamp that gives a good balanced white.

Nature-inspired Colors and Patterns
The greening of America extends to colors inspired by natural materials. Greens are great for health care environments because of their calming quality. Dark brown and walnut wood tones are increasingly popular and work well with greens or blues. Spice tones provide warm but toned down accent colors like curry or nutmeg.

Gray is returning after a long run of tan and beige tone nuetrals. The newest grays are warm (pink undertone) rather than cool (blue undertone) and look great paired with walnut wood.



Dark walnut and medium cherry wood tones are paired with a touch of lime green for a warm invitation to the latest Morgenthal-Fredericks Opticians in Manhattan's Plaza Hotel upscale retail mall.



The two-toned wood floor in the Peter Lik Gallery (in the same mall) is so incredible it nearly upstages the amazing art photos. It certainly got my attention. I don't think I'd put a floor quite this bold in an optical because it would take attention away from the frames that should be the stars of the show. But it works for this gallery.

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Design Blunders: Display Background Color

Optical design and theatrical design have much in common. Both have a stage (background)
upon which the star (merchandise) is presented. Both rely on strong lighting to bring the audience’s attention to the star.

To make your frames into star performers, show them on a white or very light-colored background with the best lighting you can afford. Frames displayed against a dark background or mirrored surface are not seen as well because the background absorbs the lighting. There is too little contrast between eyewear and background.

Light backgrounds make the light bounce and reflect off the delicate details and subtle colors of the frames. It’s easier to bring out the jewel-like qualities of the frames on a light background.

Fortunately this can be an easy problem to fix. If your frame backgrounds are dark, simply paint them white. If your frame backgrounds are mirrored have a contractor install white panels over most of the mirrors, leaving an adequate amount of try-on mirror space exposed.

Color Scheme Struggle

From Ask The Expert:

Q. I am struggling with my selection of a color scheme and time is running out. I have purchased used mahogany frame boards and I like classic design features. Would a selection of earth tones be in my best interest? I am considering a sand neutral for the majority of the public areas and white for the exam rooms. I am also considering a brick red to compliment the sand on one wall in the dispensing area.

What do you think? I am also concerned because my contractor wants me to go ahead and paint before selecting counter tops and floor coverings and I think I should do it the opposite due to the fact that you can always match paint up to your other selections.

Your book has helped me immensely! Thanks! Chris

A. The professional way to create a color scheme is to start with the carpet. Choosing a multi-hued carpet with an overall pattern or texture is the easiest path to a good color scheme because the carpet designer has already chosen colors that look great togther. Once you have a carpet that you love, you can pick out colors from the carpet to match or blend your plastic laminates (Formica) , paint, wallcoverings and other floor coverings like tile or vinyl.

Selecting paint first and then trying to find a carpet later is a recipe for disaster. Your idea of a sand neutral and brick red accents with mahogany cabinets can work very nicely, but I strongly recommend that you find a carpet that has the sand and brick colors in it first. Then you can match up the paint to the colors in the carpet and it will all look good together.

White is a color that can be very tricky to work with. There is a wide range of shades of white with subtle differences that the untrained eye may not pick up from looking at a paint chip. There are warm whites, cool whites, creamy whites, greyed whites and more. With your sand and brick color scheme you will have to be careful to stay on the warm side of the spectrum with your sand tone. I'd recommend going with a cream or ivory shade of white.

The wrong shade of white could make your office look harsh and cold. You would benefit from getting some professional assistance in putting together your color scheme. Don't let the contractor bully you into putting paint colors on the walls before you have selected your carpet and other elements (plastic laminates, tile, vinyl, wall covering, etc.)

Paint colors are the LAST thing to select because you must be sure you get the exact shade that will blend with all your other choices.

How To Pick Exterior Color for a Building

From Ask The Expert:

Q. I own a small (2,800 square foot) professional building. We remodeled the interior last year and I want to repaint the outside, which is stucco. How do I pick a color for the outside? I want something that's a little bit different than the typical beige, but I don't want it to turn out looking too bright or too dark. Can you help?

A. Selecting an exterior color is a two step process. First you need to select three or four colors that appeal to you. You may want to get some professional advice at the paint store to help you your select your possible colors. Buy a small can of each color.

Next pick a wall that can be seen from a distance and paint a good size swatch of each color (3' x 6' or 4' x 8') on the wall with some space between the colors. Let it dry and look at the colors several times over the next few days. Check how they look at different times of the day: morning, noon, dusk. Look at them on a bright, sunny day and on a cloudy day.

You'll be amazed at how different a color can look from one day to another or from one time of day to another. Make sure you look at the colors from a distance, the way people driving by will. After a few days of observation you will be able to decide which one looks the best to you.