Therapy rooms designed to feel calm, welcoming and reassuring

Designing a home is one thing. Designing a space where people come to share their thoughts, worries and emotions is something quite different.

For this Oxfordshire project, I was asked to redesign two adjoining therapy rooms within a former warehouse building. Although separated by a stud wall, the rooms needed to feel visually connected while allowing different practitioners to work independently with clients of all ages.

The brief wasn't to create rooms that felt clinical or overly designed. Instead, the aim was to create spaces that felt calm, welcoming and quietly reassuring from the moment someone walked through the door.

Gentle, layered colour became the foundation of the scheme, with subtle pattern and natural textures adding warmth and depth without competing for attention. Every decision was considered in terms of how the room would feel, not simply how it would look.

The entire project was designed remotely, making it especially rewarding to finally visit Oxfordshire and see the finished rooms in person. More than anything, it reinforced something I return to in every project: our surroundings influence how we feel, often in ways we barely notice. Thoughtful use of colour, pattern and texture won't solve our problems, but it can help create spaces where people feel calmer, safer and more able to simply be themselves.