“It’s hard to see what the little tiny tabs of color are going to look like on a bigger scale, so it helped to see it in the room,” she said. “You could get a better idea for the theme and feel you wanted, and the round versus square countertops. I also had never seen the LED lights in person before, and you can’t see that from a catalog. It’s a giant head and it focuses it to the size of a mouth. A catalog doesn’t do it justice. You need to be in person to see that.”

By moving, Garwood Dental jumped in size from 2,000 square feet to 3,500, and that allowed for growth in almost every area. From the waiting room to the break room and throughout all the operatories, there is more space than before. It’s particularly noticeable when team members are having conversations with patients in the operatories.

“Our old office was really open, and you could hear every conversation everyone was having in any chair,” Garwood said. “This is so much quieter, more relaxed, and more private. Patients tell us they feel more comfortable because they felt like people could hear everything they were saying in the old office.”

In addition to the soothing layout, the view of Mount Si can be a calming influence for the practice’s patients. The layout has also made a difference for Garwood’s team members. She knew dual-entry operatories and a focus on left-handed workflow would make things smoother, but it’s also made her staff more comfortable. An improved ergonomic structure means Garwood’s team says their bodies feel better at the end of the day.

Of course, Garwood herself reaps some of the benefits of the new space – she added a private office that she didn’t have in her old space. She has surprised herself by not taking advantage of the private office, though she said it’s with good reason.

“It’s really nice to come to work,” she said. “It’s so pretty. I have this brand new private office, which I’ve never had before, but I never use it because I sit at the extra space we have at the front desk. From there, I can look out at the mountain. It’s lovely for me, too. I’m really glad we did it.”