Hove Dental Clinic

Project Overview

7-surgery practice

Interior concept: Contemporary

Murals

Bespoke reception desk & cabinetry

Belmont chair packages

Digital relocation

Project Management

Written feedback from Dimitri Mantazis

What was your motivation and inspiration for the practice as it is now?

I wanted to create a space for my staff and patients that was unique. A place where my staff would feel happy to work and a space where patients would want to come to and spend some time with us. Some of us spend so much of our time at work, and it was important to me to have a lovely working space where my staff would feel happy & comfortable, and my patients would feel calm & relaxed. Coming to the dentist can be a very stressful experience for some people; walking into a space that is serene, inviting & relaxing is important in this regard. Creating a good ‘feel’ & ‘vibe’ when you enter the practice was paramount and I think we have achieved this.

How and why did you choose Hague to help you with this special project?

I chose Hague as I felt that they had the know-how and experience to pull off such a challenging project. After my initial discussions with James (Sales Manager at Hague Dental), I felt I could trust Hague to manage this project and bring it to completion.

How did you feel during the process? Does anything in particular stand out for you?

There was a steep learning curve for me, and I learned a lot about myself during this process! We had to overcome several challenges however with the help of the excellent team at Hague we managed to get through with flying colours. The design element of the project stood out for me. Kirsty’s insight, keen eye for design & passion for the project shone through & this has been reflected in the outcome with which I am very pleased.

Now that the project is complete, how do you feel about the end result?

I’m delighted with the end result! The feedback we have had from every single person that has walked into our practice has been overwhelmingly positive.

Project Partnership with Hague Dental

(Extract from Private Dentistry Advertorial)

Kirsty Hague is the Interiors Director at Hague Dental; Daniel Kerwood is a Project Manager at Hague Dental.

Anyone who has taken on a full practice refurbishment at a pre-existing practice or developed a squat dental practice from scratch can tell you there is a lot more involved than you might imagine – and it’s tough, if not impossible, to do it without the right help in place.

Project Management is key

As Project Manager, Daniel Kerwood, says, ‘From building control liaison to Simplified Building Energy Modelling (SBEM) certification, property management liaison, planning management with consultants from the local council and IT management, plus everything in between, a squat project is a mammoth task, and we have seen people get very stressed and upset, and run out of time and money when they have tried to go it alone. On the other hand, we have the expertise to make sure everything runs to plan, and stress is minimal so that the dentist can continue to focus on what they do best – helping patients.’

Creating an appropriate space for the dental team and patients alike is a complicated process that needs careful planning – and the key to that is project management. A project manager helps bridge the gap between all the involved parties and will ensure that the project comes in on time, and on budget, with reduced stress for the client.

The Interior Design Journey

No dream practice can become a reality without a good design at its heart, which should lead patients on a pleasant journey that flows throughout. The aim is to create a style and solution to reflect the practice’s brand, the sought-after ‘vibe’, and personality. When this is achieved, what is created is a positive experience for patients, which gives them the confidence to buy into the practice’s services.

Pairing purple and red

Unusually, red and purple were the colours Dimitri wanted to see in his new, vibrant, and exciting dental practice design, and he was invited to explore what he liked and add to a Pinterest board for Hague’s design team to consider and incorporate into their ideas.

With design flow key to the patient journey, work began in earnest, culminating in the finding of a fantastic local artist who created seascape murals, beautifully accented with red and purple, which brought everything together, including an incredible 4m stairwell that was originally just concrete, with carefully placed lighting to make the most of it all.

Balancing aesthetics and function

Of course, there are elements of design that require more than just input as to the vibe the client wants. For instance, there are Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) requirements, which are, clearly, incredibly important considerations that a practice creator overlooks at their peril.

Taking the toilets as just one example, the look we wanted could be created with hexagonal tiles, however, those tiles then needed to be anti-slip for obvious reasons, and the floor and wall tiles had to be contrasting colours, to help the visually impaired. This kind of knowledge is imperative when it comes to balancing aesthetics and function.

Warmth combined with flair

It’s a common misconception that to be warm and welcoming, a dental practice requires calm, tranquil colours. We challenged this on this project, showing how bold and vibrant can also achieve a welcoming environment for patients, that additionally instills confidence.

You need that confidence, and you need flair to ‘sell’ smiles. It is a brave new world led by consumers rather than patients in many situations, and practices looking to take on a dental surgery refurbishment or reception refurbishment need to embrace that.