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Monroe Community Church Starts a New Chapter

Monroe Community Church Starts a New Chapter

When architect and church leader Steve Fridsma of Elevate Studio asked r.o.i. Design to collaborate on the interior design of their new church space, we knew from the start it was going to look more like an art gallery than a church. 

The project converted a former manufacturing warehouse space into a place of worship, learning, and love. Engaging a variety of people, Monroe Community Church had planning and design committees composed of church members, Elevate Studio, GDK Construction, and r.o.i. Design for the interiors. 

The entrance of the building opens into the Gallery, which is the largest space of the facility. It holds a prayer shelter, a café, lounge seating, and a play area just outside of the kid’s ministry rooms. It has maple plywood walls, open ceilings, concrete floors, and lots of light walls and windows.  

The Worship Space is open to the Gallery but in contrast to that room, is focused on a darker wall with theatrical lighting used during services and presentations. It has a calming presence. 

Kids areas use more color and the committee agreed to use graphic stripes in subtle ways to create interest and indicate different age groups. 

The project’s budget was challenging and while compromises were made, the outcome was not compromised. 

Monroe Community Church has a tradition of loving art and the urban community they serve. Their ministry is celebrated in part by their engagement with the city of Grand Rapids as being a venue for ArtPrize. In the fall of 2021, they opened their new facility, welcomed members and guests to their new space the same week that ArtPrize opened. The church, filled with art, met its design and community goals.

Hundreds of people will visit Monroe Community Church and get a glimpse of how they Love God, Love People, Love the City, and Love Art.  

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Darley Village Active Senior Living 

Darley Village Active Senior Living 

Returning customer Denis Johnson, of Johnson Newhof & Associates, reached out to r.o.i. Design for support with the final phase of design of their multifamily project, Darley Village, a full-service senior living community in Muskegon, adjacent to Chestnut Hills Retirement Community.  

Denis was looking for a fresh eye on finishes and assistance procuring common area furnishings.  

The call came in March 2020, at the beginning of the COVID pandemic, so we carefully engaged to review finishes and furniture. We ended up with a neutral palette that is warm and respectful of being close to Lake Michigan. We spiced it up with flooring options that create more of a high-end hospitality look without the cost. 

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Wellspring Church Reinvents Their Youth and Staff Spaces 

Wellspring Church Reinvents Their Youth and Staff Spaces 

Steve Fridsma, our friend at Elevate Studio, introduced us to Dan Bolkema, Executive Director, and Tanya Bolkema of Wellspring Church who was redesigning several spaces within their facility. They were looking for our help with interior finish selections, lighting design, and selections of furnishings for youth ministry areas and staff offices.

They have a strong young adult program, attracting visitors from regional colleges and their community is multi-generational with a large children’s program. This remodel was intended to create needed improvements to support these programs.

Dan’s background in the construction industry led to great insight into the feasibility and he offered the “can-do” spirit for creative details. His and Tanya’s interest and understanding of colors and materials made this a fun project for r.o.i. Design.

This vibrant destination community in Hudsonville Michigan has opened its doors carefully during COVID and the remodel was recently completed. r.o.i. Design was happy to supply a variety of contract furnishings to complete the look.

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Grand River Pediatric Dentistry Opens in Jenison

Grand River Pediatric Dentistry Opens in Jenison

Photo © First Companies

Doctors Meghan Condit and Christine Vollmar have a heart for kids, and as mothers themselves, they understand the importance of personalized care. That focus and vision was a key ingredient in their decision to establish Grand River Pediatric Dentistry.

Newly opened in February, Meghan and Christine are celebrating a more-than-two-year journey in planning, and they couldn’t be happier with their new home in Jenison.

r.o.i. Design was introduced to Grand River Pediatric Dentistry by Todd Schaal of Estes Group. We worked with them to create a friendly and calming environment that includes touches of kid-like whimsy while remaining a total reflection of their brand. Once again, we joined the design team that included First Companies and Dixon Architecture.

Jenison is close to the Grand River, a symbol of local pride in the Greater Grand Rapids Area, and drawing from the river imagery, the interior of the new space is dappled with blues and sandy neutrals. Borrowing from West Michigan cottages, r.o.i. Design included shiplap and beams in the space. Additionally, we selected and provided lobby furniture that boasted patterns and shapes that support the sailboat theme of their logo. Like other pediatric spaces, we relied on large ottomans as benches to provide a mobile and kid-friendly seating option.

For more about Grand River Pediatric Dentistry and Drs. Condit and Vollmar, please visit their website.

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West Michigan Pediatric Dentistry’s New Office

West Michigan Pediatric Dentistry’s New Office

Doctors Daniel Bolt and Thomas Bouwens

Doctors Daniel Bolt and Thomas Bouwens had outgrown their existing Holland, Michigan office. With the help of Dixon Architecture and T2 Construction, they agreed to design a new building. r.o.i. Design was invited to the project by Ken Dixon, and we set out to create a space that met the needs of both doctors and patients.

When r.o.i Design learned that, between patients and family members, the practice could see up to 500 people a day, we began to understand their energetic approach to dental care. We also learned that they wanted to remain a “kid and family-friendly” environment yet avoid a theme-park-like feel.

Many pediatric dentists overlook the opportunity to create a calming and comfortable space for busy families. With these factors in mind, our goal was to take their West Michigan caring brand forward, which meant keeping a more “Montessori-approach”. This calming approach intentionally included a plan to create smaller, focused areas of interest for young patients. r.o.i. Design happily developed the interior design, lighting design, and furnishing finishes for the new location.

In addition to the interior finishes, we assisted in introducing the practice to an experienced Lionel train expert, who designed the new miniature train that winds throughout the space on a raised track.

We also designed their new logo and provided many of the key furnishings.

Some of our favorite details include:

  • Decorative acrylic at the reception and checkout desks
  • Dark blue board and batten wall treatments
  • Accent carpet and painted wall “stripes”
  • Fun light fixtures throughout the space
  • Acoustic wall panels in the open exam area
  • Lit ceiling details at the checkout

We are grateful for the opportunity to work on this project and wish West Michigan Pediatric Dentistry the best as they settle into their new space, which opened on February 3, 2020.

For more about this practice, please visit their new website!

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New Logo for West Michigan Pediatric Dentistry

New Logo for West Michigan Pediatric Dentistry

West Michigan Pediatric Dentistry’s New Logo

West Michigan Pediatric Dentistry provides specialized dentistry for infants, children, and adolescents, including those with special needs. As their practice grew, so did the need for a new dental office. Currently located in Holland, MI, at 844 Washington Avenue, their new location is being built on 16th Street near Lighthouse Insurance. r.o.i Design was brought on to design the interiors of the new building, along with the project’s architects, Dixon Architecture.

At the beginning of the design process, the suggestion was made to also look at redesigning the practice’s logo. We offered our graphic design services, and West Michigan Pediatric Dentistry asked us to create some concepts.

Through the graphic design process, we supplied them with a few ideas that they narrowed down for further development. One of the featured elements of the new office design is a scale model train and track which winds throughout the waiting area, hallway and open operatory spaces. They decided that it would be fun to incorporate a train into the logo. We went back and forth a few times with ideas and finally landed on a simple, but fun, circular logomark with the train motif.

The construction of the new office will be wrapping up soon, and we are excited to see how the whole space comes together. Be sure to look for a post with photos of the space in the near future!

Old Logo

For more information about West Michigan Pediatric Dentistry, please visit westmipeddent.com.