massage therapy journal

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Floors

The easiest and quickest way to turn around a room is paint, and not necessarily only on the walls, says Molony. If the floor is cement, paint it white and cover it with pretty rugs and runners that you can collect at bargain stores.

The principle of using a monochromatic scheme with your paint selections to make a room look more open also applies to the floor. Create harmony in a room by using a similar wall and carpet color. This creates flowing and unbroken lines that will make your room appear larger.

You’ll want to select a commercial grade carpet, or take a shot at customizing your own flooring with carpet tiles that come in a variety of sizes, patterns and textures. On sale, they can run as cheap as $4.99 per square. “The best part about using tiles is, if one gets stained or ruined you can replace it,” says Molony, who recommends FLOR (www.florcatalog.com). The carpet tiles are 19.7x19.7 inches square, and the site has a tile calculator to help you determine how many squares you’ll need.

If noise is an issue, carpet also helps to soundproof your space. Since your clients may be barefoot, carpet makes perfect sense as a flooring option.

Ceilings

Ceiling treatments are sometimes overlooked, but when you’re on your back looking up, the last thing you want to do is see fluorescent lighting—and you never want to stare directly into a bare light bulb, says Miller. Try adding some texture or go a step further and add some depth. One way to do that is through lighting.

Natural lighting is critical, says Miller. Skylights or “light tubes” can aid with that indoors. There is no rule that says ceilings have to go all the way up, which is why Miller likes to construct walls that are 12 inches from the ceiling finished off at the top with a panel of glass to let in light. It is also a trick for making smaller spaces appear larger, he says.

For a massage therapy setting, privacy is extremely important. If you are working out of your house, you may be dealing with how to best conceal windows in a room. This is where you may want to splurge on window treatments with blackout or semi-opaque shades, says Molony. “There are great silhouette shades available that give you total light control and privacy with a thick layer of fabric between each blind that allows light to filter in and soften images.

Recessed canned lighting is a cost effective way to throw more shadows and make your space more visually appealing, Molony says, and it can be done with your budget in mind. “Try four-inch cans, flush with the ceiling and make sure that they’re on a dimmer.”

Walls

Lack of balance in a room comes off looking and feeling very spontaneous, which can be distracting to clients. You can create balance in a room, says Miller, by correctly using a single element like color, or with the combination of several elements such as pattern, texture, layout and what you put on the walls.

Mirrors

If done correctly, wall-to-wall mirrors are a stylish way of opening up a small (or large) space. In feng shui, mirrors are good because they maximize the flow of energy, says Miller. New ones are pricey, so try looking for deals at flea markets and garage sales. To brighten up and enlarge your space, place mirrors on a wall opposite the windows to increase light, as well as reflecting the outdoors, inside. You could also try mirroring the top half of a wall, says Molony. Take a mirror from ceiling to 42 inches high; where the mirror hits on the wall, hang a simple shelf and then line it with four vases, each with a flower.

Artwork

Images are nice. No matter how small, every item in a room has to fall under a main goal. For a massage therapy practice that goal is relaxation, as well as sending the message that the client is in good hands.

Choose artwork that has some depth to it, like rolling meadows or vast stretches of ocean and beach—and absolutely no photos of traffic or corporate logos, says Olson. Stay clear of abstract art deco pieces, cartoons or personal photographs, too, says Molony.

If you have the confidence and creativity, try making your own artwork. It’s easy to buy some acrylic paints and a pre-treated, ready-to-hang framed canvas in any art supply store.

Olson agrees that pre-made art is a definite no-no. “Buy a canvas and paint it a solid color and it will look more fabulous—very surreal, very simple—than something you could buy.” You can also make high-end looking collages by getting a nice framed matte at someplace inexpensive, such as IKEA, he says, then downloading images online and printing them out on photo paper. “Park photographs work really, really well.”

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