Clinic Design on a Budget with Renee Tong
From the moment Renee Tong graduated, she knew it was time to pack her bags.
The native Torontonian had grown tired of her routine at home and yearned for something new. The west coast, with all its natural beauty, was calling — so, she answered.
Her first stop was Vancouver, where she began practicing as a registered massage therapist in a few multidisciplinary clinics. Then, she made her way to Victoria, deciding it was high time to start working for herself. Eventually, it was time for a rebrand. “It [started to] feel too self-promotional,” she says, of practicing under her own name.
And so it was there that her clinic, Revel Health, was born.
Unlike the stark, industrial aesthetic common among sports practitioners, Renee went for something bold and bright, emphasizing the nature and community she had found in British Columbia.
On her website you’ll find an earthy green color palette and photos of people hiking, running, moving. Not the typical set-up for a massage therapist.
“My vision is to exceed the expectations patients have of massage therapy as primarily relaxation-based,” Renee shares. What she wants is to empower people to actively take care of themselves, and she intends to make that known through every aspect of her brand— including the design.
When Renee decided to expand Revel to a second location, she took over the lease of another practitioner. The only problem?
The new space did not match the vibe. Limited storage, an old and peeling countertop, and bright turquoise wall paint were chief among Renee’s concerns.
But Renee saw its potential. She liked that it was street-level and had a large window. She was drawn to the unique cork flooring. And the curved corners of the room lent a fluidity to the space that she couldn’t help but love.
“There’s so many bits that are awesome and almost unusual for a healthcare office," she says.
As luck would have it, Renee didn’t have to update the new location alone.
The recipient of a Jane x Articulate Design giveaway, she got the chance to consult with clinic design experts Neena Folliott and Meg MacPherson (you might remember them from our first-ever issue of Front Desk!) on how to transform her single-room treatment space on a budget.
The plan
Paint
Green remains the primary color with three shades represented in the palette: an olive green, a forest green, and a minty green for a pop of something bright and unexpected. Neena and Meg suggested using the paint in a novel way — color blocking that wraps around the natural curves of the room in olive green, eventually swirling into Revel’s logo.
Storage
One limitation of Renee’s lease is that any immovable fixtures she adds will become property of the landlord. As a result, Meg and Neena focused on storage solutions that can move with her.
They carefully selected IKEA cabinetry to line the walls, suggesting that she paint them in the same color for a cohesive, monochromatic effect. The result looks more like a custom built-in than an off-the-rack purchase.
The design duo also suggested leaving one of the cabinets doorless, giving Renee the opportunity to display some of her nicer tools – Pilates balls, bottles of lotion — with intention, while the more utilitarian stuff remains hidden.
Fun pieces
Inside the clinic, Meg and Neena initially chose a beautiful surfing portrait to hang on the walls. But one of Renee’s patients offered her some original photography — and the two designers encouraged her to use it instead.
When it comes to things like art, both women agree that the more personal it is, the better! “It’s an immediate way to connect with people… who are sharing very intimate details with you,” Meg notes, adding that part of their work is giving their clients’ permission to infuse more of who they are into their space.
Lighting
Neena and Meg wanted to make sure Renee didn’t have to rely on harsh pot lights, so they provided several workarounds with hanging plug-ins and soft desk lighting. The intention was to provide enough light without having to worry about hard-wiring a rental.
The process
“I was very naive walking into this and, therefore, wildly ambitious,” Renee laughs, noting that she had planned to undertake this project by herself over the course of a couple of weekends. “I very quickly realized, no. I cannot do this all by myself.”
Thankfully, Renee had the help of her boyfriend and a very handy pal, and together, the three got to work. Yet even with the extra hands, the project was challenging. Tasks Renee had initially written off as simple, like painting the walls, surprised her. She hadn’t factored in steps like prepping the drywall or taping the baseboards, for example.
Beyond the complexity of the labor itself, Renee found that redoing her clinic was ultimately an exercise in confidence. She remembers feeling self-conscious using a power drill to remove signage outside: “I was like, what if people on the street see me using the drill wrong?” she muses.
But despite a few setbacks, she ultimately enjoyed learning new skills.
“If you had asked me last week, ‘How do you enjoy this project?’ I might’ve [said], ‘I can’t handle it.’ But I think in retrospect, despite the sleep deprivation, I really enjoyed learning new things,” Renee says. “It felt really nice being capable.”
The after
At the time of this interview, Renee’s shelves are built and the walls are painted. Most of the furniture has arrived, save for a pair of pendant lights. Her open house is only a few days away.
What does she wish for people to feel when they walk in?
“I really want people to be impressed by the space and feel drawn to it separate from the fact that they are here for treatment,” Renee says. “I hope it can be a [place] people would think ‘Oh, I wouldn’t mind just hanging out here.’”
I have a sneaking suspicion that they will.
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