Teeny Tiny office

[skydog]

I have recently moved into my own professional office downtown. The office itself however is probably less that 300 square feet (treatment room + small waiting area in a long rectangular shape). Has anyone else here used an office this small and what kind of issues did you find or that you overcame? Did or do you enjoy it?

I have some interest in helping the persons experience of the space How do I make a small space inviting to someone who may be a little claustrophobic? Is there anything I need to keep in mind when interacting with the client in such a small space (teaching stretching, etc)?

 

[GSD PAL]

Teeny Tiny office

I have recently moved into my own professional office downtown. The office itself however is probably less that 300 square feet (treatment room + small waiting area in a long rectangular shape). Has anyone else here used an office this small and what kind of issues did you find or that you overcame? Did or do you enjoy it?

I have some interest in helping the persons experience of the space How do I make a small space inviting to someone who may be a little claustrophobic? Is there anything I need to keep in mind when interacting with the client in such a small space (teaching stretching, etc)?

I was in a small space at the Tanning Salon where I first worked. I used my 2 drawer filing cabinet as a table where we did intake and had a mint dish with my brochures fanned out in a half circle around the dish. My computer (which was password protected) was facing the client as they sat in the chair for intake. My stool doubled as my computer chair. Right behind the cabinet to separate that section from the treatment area, I placed a 3-sectioned, hinged wall with one of the sections folded in (to save space) and placed a tall fake plant within that space. The bed was on the other side. Just helped to break up the room so it had the image of an office side before they step into the treatment side. Also, for those who are claustrophobic, it helped to put one of those lighted picture scenes on the wall that you can turn the wave sounds on or off. It was calming and now that we are in our new space, it is in my son's treatment room since that is where we do couples massage. Many of my clients asked me where it was when they first came here because they liked it so much. I encouraged them to get a couples massage or to book with my son. :grin:

As for as the stretches go... that is tough in such a small space. Sometimes you can find pictures online of stretches that you can give to them to do at home. For plantar fasc issues, there is a great thread on this board about massage techniques & great stretches that I tweaked and printed, to give to the clients for self-help.

 

[LilyEll?]

Teeny Tiny office

My office is about 300 sq ft and my husband (who's great with design) helped create the space. The office is also a long rectangular shape and took some getting used to after the larger room I had been working in. The hardest part was organizing the furniture in a way that made the space look uncluttered. Having a reflexology chair made it difficult, but when I do reflexology, I move the table against the wall and pull out the chair. I also move the table against the wall to demo stretches for the client or do them on the massage table.

We used all light colors and he built a screen to separate the area where the massage table is from the seating area. The furniture I need (cabinets) are all a light color and match. I found a thin, tall standing wardrobe from IKEA that I use to store sheets and also separates the seating from working room.

I do have a couple plants in the corners and found some nice looking folding chairs for seating. Light colors will make the space look bigger. Fortunately my clients find it cozy and no one has mentioned feeling claustrophobic. I don't have any clutter only the furniture I need for storage. I also make room sprays to add a light scent and use a UV light air purifier to keep the room from getting stuffy.

Here's two links to photos of my space from my business FB page.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/album.php?aid=178696&id=200430530739

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=153349&id=200430530739&saved

And here's a link to the UV air purifier I use. You only have to change out the bulb every 8 mo to a year, no filters.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=uv+light+air+purifier&oe=UTF-8&cid=581503527007901257&ei=sp1ZTLuaNYH8iQTy7bjuCA&sa=title&ved=0CHMQ8wIwCDgA#p

 

[Agent: Yip]

Teeny Tiny office

Oh, guess you'll have to log into your FB account (if you have one) in order to access the links I provided.

 

[Stephen K]

Teeny Tiny office

Very nice! You really utilized your space well, and it looks nice and comfy. Thanks for sharing that link with us too for the purifier.

 

[Lester]

Teeny Tiny office

kathryn, you did a great job with your space. I love your photo of the seagrass, and it sure looks like a very welcoming space! You've worked hard to make it comfy and it shows!

 

[karla]

Teeny Tiny office

Thanks for the compliments!

 

[sunnyD]

Teeny Tiny office

Thanks for posting your pics Kathryn! I am currently looking at spaces to lease and they are running in the 300 sf range. I was concerned that the space would be too small, but looking at your pics gave me a sense of what you can do with that size space.

Thanks!
Angie