Patients tend to wait for an average of just over eighteen minutes in waiting rooms for their medical appointments. That means they spend a fair amount of time, sometimes longer than the actual appointment length, in the waiting room. 

Is your waiting room comfortable enough for your patients?

Trying to make the most of a small waiting room design is a challenge. How can you make it visually appealing and comfortable? We're here to talk about it.

Read on to learn some of the top trends in small waiting room interior design and how you can implement them. 

Comfortable Seating Pods

At one point, it was commonplace to have rows of seats all facing forward. While this may maximize space, it's not good for the overall comfort of your patients. We recommend switching up your waiting room interior design and creating seating pods instead.

Seating pods are comfortable seating areas where people can sit either alone or with the people they arrived with. Having several of these "pods" will give patients more privacy and make their waiting experience more enjoyable. 

Couches and comfortable chairs are suitable for modern seating pods. 

Local Art

Local art is huge in modern waiting room design. 

First, it's a great way to add pops of color and visual interest to your waiting room. It's also a great way to show your support for your local community.

You can cycle through art pieces seasonally or keep them consistent. 

Home-Like Designs

While a sterile and "boring" waiting room is standard for medical practices, it's not the most popular option nowadays. People want to feel comfortable and at ease when they arrive for their appointments. Create a home-like atmosphere to do this.

Use comfortable furniture like couches and chairs. Add small decor items on coffee tables. Try to make the atmosphere as cozy as possible.

Some medical practices have home-like items such as essential oil diffusers and coffee makers in the waiting room for even more comfort.

Bright and Light Colors

When you have a small waiting room, you need to make it feel as large as possible. Did you know your waiting room colors can make it look larger or smaller? 

Dark colors, while cozy, will make a small space look even smaller. Instead, opt for bright and light colors.

Too much white can make a space look sterile, but it will make it seem larger. If you choose to use an all-white space, add pops of color in the furniture and artwork to make the space seem more inviting. 

Mirrors and Windows

If you're still in the waiting room construction phase, we recommend adding windows. Natural light will open up a room and make it look larger. It's also aesthetically pleasing. 

If you can't add windows, add mirrors. Incorporate them into your waiting room design. 

Mirrors bounce light around and also make rooms look larger. They also make great additions to the rest of the art on the walls of the waiting room.

Upgrade Your Small Waiting Room Design With These Trends

Your small waiting room design doesn't have to feel restrictive. Use these tips and trends to make the waiting room feel larger than it is so your patients can be comfortable while they wait for their appointments. 

At Arminco Inc, we offer the finest medical office design services around. Contact us so we can start working together on your waiting room design today.