Fear, Death, and a Plant at the Dentist

Some Halloween thoughts on what scares us, what surrounds us, and what we can do about it.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve visited some magnificent places in my life, and a few that were decidedly less magnificent.

And then there’s the dentist.

I realize dentists are lovely people who perform an enormously valuable service. But somehow, reclining in a chair under a bright light while someone approaches your mouth with mysterious instruments doesn’t always bring out one’s most relaxed and philosophical self.

So I have a solution.

I bring a plant.

Yes, a real plant, to the dentist’s office.

You might think this is a little eccentric. You may be right. I’ll come back to the plant.

Happy Halloween!

Isn’t it interesting that we have an entire holiday dedicated to celebrating things we’re usually trying to avoid?

Fear. Death. The unknown. Ghosts. Skeletons. Things jumping out from dark corners.

We dress up as the dead, decorate our homes with cobwebs (which, incidentally, most of us spend the rest of the year trying to eliminate), and invite people to be frightened in the name of entertainment.

And we call it fun!

Fear is such an interesting part of being human. Some fears help keep us alive. Others seem to take on lives of their own, growing far beyond whatever inspired them in the first place.

And death? Well, there’s a subject we don’t tend to bring up at cocktail parties! Yet it’s the one experience none of us will ultimately avoid.

Maybe Halloween is our annual opportunity to laugh a little at the things that usually make us uncomfortable

The Haunted House Is a Brilliant Design Exercise

Think about what makes a haunted house frightening.

Lighting, of course. Strange sounds. Unexpected movement. Dark corners. Unfamiliar textures. Something you can’t quite identify.

As an interior designer, I have to admire the effectiveness of it all.

Someone has intentionally curated an environment to make you feel something.

And it works!

Your heart races, your imagination takes over, and suddenly you’re questioning whether you really want to walk through that doorway.

Now imagine if we applied that same level of intention to making people feel peaceful, joyful, inspired, creative, or deeply comfortable.

What would that look like?

It’s something I’ve spent much of my career exploring.

At The Interior Edge, we consider how every element in a space contributes to the overall experience. Lighting, acoustics, color, texture, proportion, natural materials, even the subtle relationships between objects.

And, most importantly, how those elements affect the particular people experiencing them.

Because the very same room that makes one person feel wonderfully expansive might make another feel completely exposed.

Interior design isn’t just about what we see. It’s about what we experience, and what that experience encourages us to think and feel.

So, About That Plant

The plant doesn’t travel alone. I also bring geo stones that have meaning to me, earbuds or a bone speaker with meditation or calming music, and a small portable air purifier.

But here’s my reasoning.

The plant brings nature, oxygen and life into the space. My stones are familiar objects from the earth that help me feel grounded. And my music or frequencies give me something beautiful to listen to instead of the rather imaginative collection of sounds coming from the dental equipment.

I’m not redesigning the office. I’m simply redesigning my experience of being there.

I find that these small choices help me feel more comfortable, more centered, and less inclined to invent catastrophic stories about what’s happening.

The actual situation hasn’t necessarily changed. But my internal conversation has.

I Designed a Dentist’s Office Once

I designed a dentist’s office about 25 years ago and we made a media room “movie theatre” for the reception. No one had big-screen TVs at home or surround sound, so it was very popular and their business did well.

I have been to beautifully designed and curated dentists’ offices, yet have had the same fear, or a new fear, because the people are new to me.

The room, it turns out, is not the whole story.

The Haunted House You Build Yourself

Sometimes the places that frighten us aren’t filled with ghosts or skeletons.

They’re doctors’ offices, hospital waiting rooms, unfamiliar hotel rooms, or places where we simply don’t know what to expect.

And sometimes the haunted house isn’t a place at all.

It’s the one we’ve constructed in our minds.

We imagine what might happen, what could go wrong, or what someone else might think. Before long, we’re experiencing an entire story that hasn’t actually occurred.

Our surroundings can contribute to those stories, or they can help us interrupt them.

Of course, we can’t control everything around us, nor can a beautiful room solve every problem. But we can become more conscious of what supports our sense of well-being.

When I travel somewhere unfamiliar, I like the idea of bringing a little of my own environment with me. Perhaps it’s music, a meaningful object, something from nature, or a favorite texture.

I also pack similar items for traveling to places that may not be the level of accommodations I am used to, or for times when I may not be feeling my level best.

It doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive.

It simply has to mean something to you.

Designing for the Living

Which brings me back to Halloween, and that rather unavoidable subject of death.

For all the time we spend worrying about the future, anticipating difficulties, and trying to control the uncontrollable, isn’t it remarkable how easily we can forget to enjoy the experience we’re having right now?

We have these extraordinary senses. We can experience the warmth of sunlight, the softness of a beautiful fabric, the sound of music, the fragrance of flowers, the pleasure of being surrounded by people and things we love.

Our spaces can help us become more aware of those experiences.

This is really at the heart of what we do at The Interior Edge and Inner Home, Outer Home. Not simply rooms that photograph beautifully, but environments that encourage us to feel fully present in our own lives and create health.

Because while none of us knows exactly how much time we have, we do get to make choices about how we experience the time we’re here.

We spend so much time being afraid of dying. What if we gave a little more attention to the art of living?

So enjoy the costumes, the skeletons, the deliciously ridiculous decorations, and maybe a little harmless fright.

And the next time you find yourself somewhere that makes you uncomfortable, remember that you may have more influence over your experience than you think.

Sometimes all it takes is changing the lighting, putting on some music, introducing something from nature, or surrounding yourself with an object that makes you smile.

And sometimes you simply need to bring a plant to the dentist.

Happy Halloween!

With love and a little mischief,

Joanne Riley, ASID
Founder & Principal, The Interior Edge
Interior Design Through Energetics
Alignment Beyond Expectation

P.S. Now I’m curious. What’s the most unusual thing you bring with you to feel comfortable in unfamiliar places? And what scares you more—a haunted house or a dental appointment? I’d love to hear your answers!