Comfort is the Rx

“If it’s your first time, don’t cry,” reads the chalkboard near the entry to pediatrician Robert Landaw’s office.

It is hard to imagine any tears in this waiting room, though. Brightly colored, oversized vinyl blocks in the center of the room create an irresistible distraction from a pesky virus or the prospect of getting poked by needles. An orange sunburst and fun house mirror on the walls add mod splashes to the fun and funky vibe, while an aquarium gives the room more warmth.

Has Dr. Bob been shopping at Modernseed? No, he left the look to designer Lara Fishman, who brings her two daughters to the Brentwood office. “I didn’t want anything that was scary,” Fishman says, reclining on the space’s original banquettes, which she reupholstered in graphic blue and white vinyl. Working with her own children in mind, Fishman wanted to create a waiting room that was “timeless with functionality and longevity.”

The doctor has fun describing himself as “relatively unaware of my surroundings -- I’m a guy after all.” He had only one request: a mural to entertain the children. Fishman crafted the cheerful wall treatment with the help of Van Nuys-based Astek Wallcoverings, which created a custom vinyl screen from pictures of monkeys, elephants, birds and dinosaurs that Fishman scanned from books. The designer then had the animals translated into Benjamin Moore colors.

Not surprisingly, the self-deprecating Landaw approves. “I love it. It’s fresh and eye-comforting,” he says. “Now the kids don’t start screaming until they come to the back and see me.”

-- Lisa Boone