Your teeth and your soul should rejoice since there is now a total wellness Dentistry serving Kansas City in the corazon of downtown, River Market Dental! This dental group have been giving my teeth and smile life for the past three to four year in their original location located in the Plaza. Since then they have expanded into five different locations to include the River Market area. OK, now back to me, after all this website is all about me *winky face*. When the doctors approached me about working with them to give this particular location a little “zhuzhuing” I couldn’t say no. I mean, they are in-charge of my teeth! When they acquired this location they did a full rehab constructionally prior to me coming on. In full transparency I have never enjoyed going to the dentist or any doctor for that matter. I’m sure y’all share the same sentiment. For me one of the reasons, is because they always feel so sterile (as they should be sterile) but also welcoming. Let’s be real, going to the dentist is stressful. So I suggested to my clients to bring a sense of peace and tranquility to their patients when they walk down this long hallway to one of their five patient rooms.

The first thing that popped into my head was knowing that I had to soften visually and acoustically the long beautiful wooden hallway. I needed to think of a way to soften it without completely covering this newly installed flooring. As I looked around, I noticed the marble formica countertops. I immediately thought of finding a marble patterned runner to compliment the countertops without it being too matchy-matchy. ZEN, was definitely the word that came up a few times as we walked the space. Bringing ZEN principles into this dentistry is associated with calm, neutral and minimalist features. I aimed to bring the colors of nature. A touch of green always adds that sense of tranquility and calmness but I knew it was going to take more than just a touch. I gave my friends over at The Fat Plant Society a call to get the ball rolling in helping me with this project. Other minimal details that needed to be implemented to give maximum impact was changing out the metal coat hangers. I added simple yet sophisticated white coat hangers to flow beautifully with the white walls. In true 1DL fashion, in the bathroom I wanted to add a little whimsy. While chatting with the doctors I learned that they are very dog friendly so I thought I would add a couple of adorable doggie tails in the bathroom for coat hangers. Just a little something to bring a smile to your face. Always keep in mind, ZEN is about creating an environment of tranquility and peace from the stresses and strains of life and the dentist chair *winky face*.

Moss Art: The Fat Plant Society

Runner: Area Rug Dimensions

Leather Chairs and Table: Nebraska Furniture Mart

Coat Hooks: IKEA

Images and video: Grate Productions