In toothsome color

Monica Geran -- Interior Design, 11/1/2003 12:00:00 AM

In the dental world, offices assembled by equipment suppliers—rather than trained designers—are the industry norm, and the resulting interiors range from bizarre to bland. Neither of which inspires confidence in patients aged 1 to 16. To avoid such a scenario, Dr. Maryam Mohammadi, a pediatric dentist based in McLean, Virginia, hired architect Andreas Charalambous of Forma Design in Washington, D.C.

Charalambous charted a tasteful course for the 1,300-square-foot space. Equally appealing to youthful patients and their various escorts, his scheme engages right from the start—deflecting any uneasiness about a visit to the dentist. In the entry corridor, Stefano Giovannoni's Bombo stools pull up to two stainless-steel counters. One bar offers self-serve tea and coffee for grown-ups; the other features computer stations for Web-surfing teens.

The waiting room provides still more entertainment, in the form of a boxy sofa with a stainless-steel base, facing a 50-inch plasma-screen TV. Behind the reception desk, also in stainless steel, Mohammadi administers routine check-ups and prophylaxes in an open treatment area. (She performs serious surgical procedures in a sound-insulated room beyond.) To the far side of reception is a playroom with colorful painted-wood tables and chairs. Thanks to a glass wall in between, though, boisterous activity is seen but not heard.

An upbeat color scheme also does its part to encourage a positive frame of mind. Charalambous chose a tasty tangerine for the lobby's carpet and walls, skimmed in Venetian plaster. In reception, the walls are striped in alternating shades of apple-green plaster. The treatment then wraps around a corner and into Mohammadi's office; bands of translucent white film extend the stripes onto a glass wall separating her office from the main corridor. After all, staff appreciate an attractive environment, too.

From top: Dr. Maryam Mohammadi's treatment room in McLean, Virginia, features plastic-covered dental chairs and rubber flooring. Her office is screened by a glass wall treated with foot-wide bands of translucent film, extending the stripes of the Venetian-plaster walls. Stefano Giovannoni's Bombo stools pull up to a beverage bar in reception; the custom desk is stainless steel.

DENTAL CHAIRS, OVERHEAD LIGHTS (TREATMENT ROOM): DENTALEZ. CABINETRY: STROHM + MAIER. FLOORING: JOHNSONITE. CHAIRS, DESK (OFFICE): DAVIS FURNITURE INDUSTRIES. STOOLS (RECEPTION): MAGIS. CHAIR: STYLEX. WALL LIGHTS: BUSCHFELD. CUSTOM DESK, COFFEE BAR: INTERIOR BUILDING SYSTEMS CORPORATION. CEILING TILE: USG. CARPET: LEES CARPETS. PLASTERING: ANDREA NICHOLE.