How the right artwork can transform your facility

“Who said healthcare facilities have to be bland and boring? If anything, they need as much personality and life as possible. And that’s where the artwork comes in. Professional designers and architects will tell you that artwork does wonders in bringing life to a room- and it can be especially effective in healthcare settings. That said, here are 4 ways you can use artwork to transform your healthcare facility.

Focus On the Reception Area

As we all know, first impressions are everything. What do people say when they walk into your facility? Is it just a bland environment with no personality? Most likely, if your office or healthcare facility lacks artwork, it will give off this vibe. The reception area is your patients’ first impression of the facility, so you want to make sure it’s a good one. You can incorporate your brand colors and maybe even use images of nature to create a calming effect.

Add Some Character

When you walk into a room filled with gorgeous paintings and wonderfully balanced colors, it’s evident that someone put thought into the design. Adding some artwork such as a large painting or a few well-placed pieces can really help to add character to a room. Additionally, it is a great way to show your patients or clients that you care about them and their experience in your facility.
Take this example from Northeast Animal Clinic, where the use of artwork in the hallway adds color, character and interest to what would be an otherwise very neutral color palette. While the décor without the artwork is beautiful and clean, the colorful portrait just adds so much character to the space.

Create a More Relaxed Atmosphere

If you have patients or clients visiting your facility, beautiful art can help create a calm atmosphere. This is especially beneficial for those undergoing treatment or who may be anxious. For instance, a landscape in a dental office can set a calming mood to an otherwise stressful environment.

This also applies to our four-legged friends. Some animals may not enjoy their vet visits, soothing colors have been shown to have a calming effect on overly stressed animals. The beautiful large-scale abstract mural at the Broadway Animal Clinic below can also ease emotions for anxious animals or anxious owners.

Vet Artwork

Add A Personal Touch

Today, most people associate artwork with personal expression. So, if you’re looking to add a more personal touch to your animal care or healthcare facility, choose designs that reflect your practice or your patients. For instance, if you deal with children, you can have colorful prints and pictures that will engage them and make them feel welcome.

With animal care facilities, personal artwork pieces can serve as an introduction to the practice as well as an inviting welcome for pets and pet owners. All Creatures Great and Small in Downers Grove is an amazing example of how to do this. They had a custom piece of artwork created by a local artist that shows not only the evolution of their practice, but also features the practice owners personal pets in the painting. This painting flows with their existing feel of the office, and it tells a story about the practice while adding visual appeal.

Vet Artwork

Now that you know how adding artwork can transform your healthcare facility, the next question is, how do you select the right pieces?

Tips for Choosing the Right Artwork

Well, choosing the right artwork for your space can be a daunting task. However, if you keep the following things in mind, it can be a little easier:

Match the Artwork to the Environment

It is imperative that you choose appropriate artwork for the demographic. This means that if you have a more formal office, you will want a design that reflects this and vice-versa. Also, note the colors you paint in any room play a part in the overall look and feel of the room. Bright colors, for instance, are more stimulating and should be used in areas where you want to stimulate activity.

Lauren DiCristina the director of design at RWE provided her thoughts on how she helps clients match artwork, “I recommend to either pull from design elements in the existing room to have art that compliments what is currently in the space, or go the complete opposite direction and select some art that contrasts the existing colors/finishes in the room”

Think About the Mood You Want to Create

You need to think about the mood you want to create with your artwork. If you want to create a more relaxed atmosphere, you may want to choose more abstract pieces. However, if you want to create a more professional atmosphere, choose more structure and detailed designs.

To make sure you’re considering the appropriate scale for the artwork, Lauren recommends, “Do not put an 8” x 10” piece of art on a large wall. Larger scale artwork such as a 24” x 36” piece will read much nicer and help to fill the space.” She also feels it helps to pick a theme and stick with it, “art does not need to be a perfect match to other finishes and colors in the space, a cohesive look will be a cleaner feel and emphasize that thought was put into selecting the artwork.”

Spruce up Your Facility!

Sometimes all you need is something on the walls to make a difference in the look and feel of your healthcare facility. You can trust RWE designers to make your place look incredible and set the perfect tone for your patients and clients. Contact us today to get started. Our design team is ready to work with you to transform your space.”

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