IKM Architecture

For Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re highlighting the growing need to integrate wellness into interior design. Across many of the sectors we serve, spaces like quiet rooms, mothers’ rooms, and prayer rooms respond to the increased demand for privacy and emotional support in busy environments.

These spaces are designed to foster a calming connection between users and their surroundings. Strategies we often use include tile mosaics as artwork, finishes with cohesive tonal values, and acoustic wall treatments - all contributing to a sense of comfort, privacy, and restorative calm.

This flat lay features a selection of interior finishes inspired by these principles:
Upholstery: Momentum Textiles & Wallcovering Deka in Copper
Ceramic Tile: Cancos Tile & Stone Reiki in N**e and Audrey Lane Tile Brick & Brush collection, Protea
Luxury Vinyl Tile: Shaw Contract Crossing Paths 5.0 in Thatch
Laminate: Wilsonart Serene Wave
Terrazzo Counter Slab: Concrete Collaborative Pacifica in Alabaster lyc + myc
Paint: Sherwin-Williams Roycroft Rose and Greek Villa
Acoustical Wood Slats: The Wood Veneer Hub Natural Oak with Grey Felt
Hardware: Baldwin Hardware Raised Appliance Pull in Polished Brass
Lighting: Schoolhouse Caldera Flush Mount and Caldera Table Lamp

With Earth Day just around the corner, we’re celebrating sustainable design – starting with the materials we choose. 🌏

We believe wellness and performance shouldn’t come at the cost of the environment. While it's easy to gravitate toward vinyl flooring for its durability and versatility across various environments, we’re highlighting resilient options that are PVC-free, helping us avoid harmful chemicals without compromising on performance.

🌱 Teknoflor's Naturescapes HPD in Jasper Oak Baywood is a bio-polyurethane based. chlorine-free resilient sheet product.

♻️ Shaw Contract's Art+ Science Experiment in Natural gives us a terrazzo visual, resilient tile utilizing Shaw's Ecoworx formula, making it PVC-free and fully recyclable.

🌿 Biophilic elements also helped shape this earth-inspired palette. Biophilia refers to the innate human connection to nature, and we’ve incorporated indirect references through our finish selections.

⛰️ Interface’s Beaumont Range Collection—Eben Tile in Moss—is inspired by “the ever-changing beauty of mountain trails and our renewed connection with nature.” From their Lost Palms Collection, Cap Rock Tile in Oat recalls the look of volcanic rocks in desert landscapes. These carpet tiles contribute to a low carbon footprint and incorporate recycled content.

🌳 For our upholstery, we selected Red List chemical-free, PVC-free, and PFAS-free options to support healthier interiors and reduce long-lasting environmental impact.

🌸 Carnegie Fabrics selections include Acapella in the shade 6, Botanic Print in the shade 5, Bouquet Print in the shade 2, Hinge in the shade 7, and Petal in the shade 6.

🍃 To reduce VOCs (volatile organic compounds), we turn to Sherwin-Williams ProMar 200 Zero VOC paint. VOCs are emitted as gases from certain materials and can negatively affect indoor air quality and occupant health. Featured paint colors include: Dried Edamame, Oakmoss, Sagey, and Wheat Penny.

Renderings aren’t just about showing what a space will look like – they’re about sparking emotion.

At IKM Architecture, we’ve learned that when people feel the impact of a design before it’s built, everything changes - decisions come faster, stakeholder alignment strengthens, and momentum builds early.

We integrate photorealistic renderings early in the design process because they help clients and communities emotionally connect with the future of a space. Whether it’s a school board envisioning a better learning environment, hospital leadership feeling confident in a refreshed facility, or a community seeing their future take shape—emotion drives progress.

Here’s how renderings have moved projects forward:
• Clarity for Decision-Making: At West Hills Primary School, renderings helped the district visualize interior finishes, enabling the project team to make confident decisions for the installation of a new demountable wall system. As a result, the project stayed on track, and renovations were completed in just one summer.

• Stronger Community Support: For Allegheny Health Network’s Cancer Institute, renderings and animations for the addition to the historic AGH South Tower helped tell a compelling story of clinical excellence and care. As a result, this earned support from community groups and local leaders.

• Leadership Buy-In: At UPMC Passavant, early renderings for the Centers of Excellence captured the vision of a refreshed space. The design garnered enthusiasm from leadership, leading to project approval and funding for the next phase.

Swipe to see five examples where our renderings closely matched the final built environment.