This post is in a series where we talk to healthcare interior designers about their work in the healthcare market.
Krysia Lynch is a Senior Interior Designer at HMC Architects.
What is one book, person, or talk that has been most influential in your career?
So many people have influenced me, starting with my parents instilling the love of design in me from a young age – we would drive around Oak Park, Illinois on Sundays looking at all the beautiful houses. My mom was always rearranging furniture and objects within our home. She’d ask my opinion, and I’d feel like the most important person in the world! Then in my college years, my professors opened my eyes to all the layers of design. Then in my first job, my mentor, who I had the luck of working with for a decade, taught me all those things you just don’t learn in school. So much of what he taught me still directs me to this day!
What products have you been excited about recently?
There are so many unique products coming out all the time – it’s hard to pick! We recently finalized a pediatric project where we were able to incorporate some custom liquid floor tiles by Jockimo. Adults are wowed by them, so I’m really excited to see how the kids interact with them. We also recently specified furniture for a higher ed project where the client truly trusted us and went for some unique pieces. We feature the Naughtone Rhyme modular seating within their multi-story lobby spaces. And last but not least is a custom light art piece we designed for a healthcare client that Yellow Goat Design is building for us! It will be one of the main features of a two-story lobby space. At 15’-0” x 30’-0” it should be a showstopper!
Do you have any go-to design solutions or techniques for creating healing environments?
The biggest technique I employ is trying to put myself in the patient’s place. We design healthcare spaces that support hope and resolve, so it’s important to me to create spaces for patients, families, and staff that reduce stress and promote healing. How can I make a patient’s healthcare journey a positive one? What would I want to see from my bed, how do I get to the bathroom, how do I make my way around, during the day or at night, how do I control my environment from heating to lighting? Nothing jarring, nothing too trendy – I take a lot of inspiration from spa/wellness centers and balance that with added elements of interest.
If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?
To not worry as much, that you will get to where you want to be, and to make sure you enjoy all the steps along the way.
What is one product that doesn't exist but should?
At HMC, we strive to create buildings and interiors that positively impact society and the environment. In that respect I’d love to see 100 % recycled and 100% recyclable healthcare grade interior finish products. I think Interface is really leading the charge here, and they are close to it. From a purely aesthetic point of view, I’d love to see more products with color changing/altering abilities.
We've also talked to Shelby Frye (Pulse Design Group), Elisha Lorenzi (EML Interiors), Sarah Tetens (Baskervill), Becky Trybus (Forum Architecture & Interior Design), Kari Allen (Guidon Design), Crystal McCauley (CallisonRTKL), Jennifer Bahan (Hoefer Wysocki), Char Hawkins (DesignGroup), Pete Agnew (Perkins Eastman), Deirdre Pio (Gawron Turgeon Architects), Jessica Whitlock (RS&H), Amber Williams (KDA Architecture), Jenny Manansala (Stantec), Andrea Kingsbury (FreemanWhite), and more.
