Under Pressure

Imagine you have a client who is a fascinating mixture of energy, strength, and raw beauty. She dreams of opening her own massage therapy practice where she can serve others in a way that best reflects her intentions to help and heal. And you get to be the one to come alongside her and make it happen… What’s first?!

The location. Nestled right in the heart of Downtown Dallas, GA… this historic home turned office has become a hub for those seeking professional, holistic health for their minds and bodies. A grouping of women-owned practices fill this charming older house and as soon as you walk in- you feel like you’re supposed to be there. The space is flawless. Actually, it’s filled with plenty of ‘flaws’ because of its age… but isn’t that what makes it all the more charming?? Look at the paneling on the walls! The original hardwoods… it’s all such a great foundation to start building on. So that’s what we did!

The rug. Our client loves deep teal and brown and had a rug that contained the most perfect colors and pattern. So we started with nothing but an empty room and an inspirational rug… And from there- it grew!

COLOR. She’s a woman that knows what ‘surroundings’ make her feel strong and empowered and she knew she wanted it to feel moody, deep (with the ability to let in light as needed), comforting, stylish and unique! So we infused the entire space with a color-blocking technique for the walls/ceiling that ends up giving off a tri-toned “teal” look when viewed all together (with the curtain panels). The ‘brown’ we knew would be incorporated through all the wood/furniture that would be brought in.

**COLORS USED:

• Walls: Sherwin Williams Still Water (SW 6223)

• Ceiling: Sherwin Williams Cascades (SW 7623)

FUNCTION: Considering what this space would be used for took precedence when it came to finding larger ‘furniture’ pieces. A massage bed/table would be the focal point in the center of the room, so how do we build “strength” off of a bed with no headboard/footboard or pillows?? We bring in structured, strong (maybe even more ‘masculine’ in terms of style) pieces to surround it! Accented, of course, by some great gold + rose gold metalics. And the wood chests/cabinets bring a ‘rawness’ into such an otherwise ‘pretty’ room. Plus they serve as storage! The chairs are set up to be intentionally easy for conversations to flow, which can sometimes feel stifled in a “healthcare” setting. And the lighting/greenery are spaced out so that each area feels ‘seen’ but doesn’t demand attention.

STYLE. Finally, we got to really bring everything together!! Here are some of the ways we talked about wanting it to ‘feel’:

• Classy

• Steampunk chic

• Moody

• Inviting

• Pretty and Unique

• Industrialized Victorian

• Commercial space meets “I want to go hang out with my massage therapist in her office”!

The lighting alone stands apart as something that’s rarely seen in a commercial space. Edison bulbs and salt lamps give off a vibe that makes the viewer feel like they’ve been transported to some other really awesome place in time where they can just forget everything else and focus on being THERE.

The greenery/floral arrangements are all customized completely to this space. We used some real natural elements (like magnolia pods) so that there would be dimension and texture within all the ‘green’ tones. And we put them at all different levels so that they never feel ‘out of sight’ (even if the client is lying on the table).

The rest of the styling is just almost too ‘intimate’ to go into detail for the space. Favorite quotes that jump-started the launching of her business… antique mirrors and special mementos. Everything works together to create an incredibly beautiful, unlike-any-other massage therapy space where customers/clients are sure to want to come back and be well cared for.

*To take a video tour of the space and watch our client see it for the first time: Click here and it will take you to our YouTube channel.

If you’re interested in Under Pressure Massage Therapy, feel free to reach out to the owner, Marissa!

@underpressuremassagetherapy333

underpressuremassage333@gmail.com