Bringing a Dream to Life
Alla Moda Med Spa, Austin, TX - 2011
The Challenge
A couple opening the day spa of their dreams needed the physical space to actually embody the business they'd been building – professional, tranquil, serene – while still feeling genuinely theirs, not a generic spa template.
The Approach
Starting small, earning the rest. The project began with a single mural on one wall in the facial treatment room – my entry point into their space. The owners liked the result enough to keep expanding my scope, room by room, until I'd touched nearly every space in the practice.
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The lobby as first impression. A purple tufted fabric accent wall anchored the reception area, paired with product displays designed to feel like part of the room rather than a retail afterthought – the first thing a client saw needed to say "calm and considered" before anyone spoke a word.
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Four treatment rooms, one shared language. Each of the four treatment rooms received its own custom artistic treatment – distinct enough to feel individually considered, but sharing a common palette and mood so the whole practice read as one cohesive experience, room to room.
The spa's grand opening showcased the full transformation – lobby, product displays, and treatment rooms – as the physical realization of a vision the owners had spent years working toward. The trust they placed in expanding my role after just one wall speaks to how well the space matched what they'd been imagining.
