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OF THEA TASTE

VINEYARDTO DESIGN THEIR NEW PRACTICE, DRS. CHIP AND JENNIFER PARRISH DREW INSPIRATION FROM THE PICTURESQUE GRAPEVINES AND COZY TASTING ROOMS DEEP IN THE HEART OF THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY, WHERE THEY SPENT SOME OF THEIR EARLIEST DATES BACK IN DENTAL SCHOOL. THE RESULT? WARM, INVITING “TEXAS TUSCAN” STYLE.

BY KRISTIE CERUTI PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMIE CHRISTOPHER

EVERYONE KNOWS A HANDFUL OF couples who were high-school sweethearts. Drs. Chip and Jennifer Parrish did one better: They were dental-school sweethearts, having met at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and realizing that they wanted the same thing out of life: to run a family practice in the beautiful, bucolic Hill Country of central Texas. When they decided to build their new practice, Parrish Dentistry, in the town of Llano, 75 miles northwest of Austin, they were well-prepared for the task. “Between us, we’ve worked in group PPO-type practices, Medicaid practices, high-end esthetic practices and public-health settings,” Chip says. “We’ve worked with a lot of office designs and knew what we wanted in our own.” A trip to Benco Dental’s CenterPoint facility in Pittston, Pennsylvania (and an assist from Benco equipment specialist Ron Fernandez) helped the Parrishes sharpen their preferences. “The opportunity to see so many colors and styles of operatories and equipment was amazing,” Chip says. “The open, candid experience was refreshing.” Both Parrishes were deeply immersed in the design — as was their staff, whose input greatly influenced the final look of the practice, for which ground was broken in summer 2011. The prevailing design sensibility? A style they call “Texas Tuscan” — a sort of rustic southwestern aesthetic that nods to the burgeoning wine industry in the Hill Country, a picturesque region in which tasting rooms are becoming as common a sight (well, almost) as cattle ranches. The finished office is a beautiful space geared toward the comfort of patients and office personnel alike. The Parrishes even installed an outdoor kitchen, where they cook meals for monthly staff meetings. In all, Parrish Dentistry shows that with due diligence and careful attention to detail, world-class facilities can emerge in even the tiniest towns. “We recently had as a patient a businessman who travels the world,” Chip says. “He has been in dental offices from New York to Dubai to Australia, and he claims that our office is hands-down the best experience he’s ever had. That’s quite a compliment for a practice in Llano, Texas.” n

IE: DESIGN

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“We’re most proud of the overall attention to detail. We thought out the high ceilings, interior masonry and unique wall coverings to add a level of comfort to the practice.”

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The large, centralized sterilization area is func-tional, clean, comfortable and attractive to patients who get a glimpse as they walk through the office.

An ottoman lends a living-room feel to the reception area, while the pairing of the floor coverings, countertops and cabinets with the stone walls exudes what the Parrishes call “Texas Tuscan” style.

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“We designed with the future in mind. From the practice-management side, we have computers in every operatory to allow for digital charting, appointment notes, intra-office messaging and treatment planning.”

To make the practice feel more welcoming than clinical, the recep-tion area boasts earthy hues that add warmth. There’s a fully stocked refrigerator to ease the wait, and a children’s nook offers a fun place for kids to unwind.

The textures and tones of the Parrishes’ private office, alongside the configurations of the workstations, make the space highly practical yet comfortable, complete with interior-design touches that evoke home.

The cozy surgical operatory has artwork and personal décor, as do the practice’s other operatories. Ample windows permit plenty of natural light.

PROJECT DESIGN TEAM: Builder: Beau Walker of Westridge Construction Architects/Design: Dr. Jeff and Pat Carter with Practice Design Group of Buda, Texas Equipment Specialist: Ron Fernandez

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The exterior of the practice is a blend of Texan and Mediterranean style. Numerous textures (wood, stucco, stone and metal) are eye-catching; the accent wood used all over the building is Texas cedar.

The layout began with thoughts of patient flow and clinical efficiency. The rest of the floor plan grew from there. Among the considerations: What would patients see from the operatory windows? How would they move throughout their appointments? The goal was to make every phase of a patient visit as welcoming and comfortable as possible.

“We constantly asked for input from our team,” Chip Parrish says. “We incorporated all their requests — break room, private bathroom, larger lab, staff lockers — into the final plans. We even in-stalled this outdoor kitchen for monthly meetings.”