A wider composition of the service counter, detailing the juxtaposition of the handcrafted sage-green tile block and the sleek stainless steel basin. The rough texture of the tiles contrasts sharply with the reflective metal. Dark wood stools offer a warm, sculptural seating element, set against rich velvet curtains and the graphic texture of the silver grid ceiling above.

Mid-Century Warmth and Minimalist Clarity Define Atelier Carle’s Dermatology Clinic in Ontario

Words by Yatzer

Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Healthcare settings have long been associated with clinical sterility—bright lights, white walls, and an atmosphere more functional than comforting. In recent years, a growing number of practitioners in aesthetic medicine have sought to redefine this paradigm, favouring spa-like interiors that evoke calm and wellbeing. Designed by Montreal-based Atelier Carle, Surface Dermatology Clinic in Oakville, a leafy lakeside suburb of Toronto, exemplifies this shift with a refined, tactile environment that bridges the worlds of healthcare and hospitality. Balancing mid-century modern nostalgia with the clarity and restraint of contemporary minimalism, the project offers a composed yet welcoming environment that redefines what a medical space can feel like.

The 700-square-metre clinic sits in a distinctly unremarkable setting, a commercial complex on the outskirts of Toronto, surrounded by low-rise boxy buildings and vast parking lots. Faced with a site devoid of any architectural character and natural light, the architects approached the design as an exercise in creating an atmosphere from within, deftly manipulating brightness and scale to shape a spatial sequence that mirrors the emotional journey of a patient from the social ease of the welcome areas to the intimacy of the treatment rooms.

The reception area featuring a robust, monolithic grey terrazzo desk centered against tall, free-standing panels displaying large-scale, minimalist figurative drawings. The backdrop is composed of dark walnut paneling and a grid ceiling diffusing soft light. The juxtaposition of the raw, artistic sketches, the tactile stone, and the rich wood millwork elevates the clinical space into an intimate art gallery atmosphere.

Photography by Alex Lesage.

A dramatic perspective of the entrance and reception, framed by rhythmic walnut vertical slats and the illuminating coffered ceiling. The terrazzo floor leads the eye toward the plush, organic vermilion seating and a large-scale figurative drawing displayed on a canvas screen, underscoring the intention to fuse institutional function with the intimacy of a curated, atmospheric art space.

Photography by Alex Lesage.

A seating area showcasing plush, organic-shaped vermilion velvet modular seating that injects a bold, unexpected color moment into the otherwise Zen interior. The space is encased in the signature walnut paneling and gridded ceiling. A large, suspended, woven straw pendant light adds a warm, sculptural texture above a low side table with a striking marble base.

Photography by Alex Lesage.

At the heart of the plan lies a double-height reception hall around which the clinic unfolds. Enveloped in walnut panelling and crowned by a luminous coffer ceiling, the space offers a warm counterpoint to the exterior grey landscape. Flanking it on either side are a café and a cosmetics boutique, their translucent windows filtering daylight into soft, diffused tones. Smaller in scale, these two spaces extend the public zone, marking the project’s most open and social threshold before the architecture gradually narrows into dimly lit corridors and intimate treatment rooms.

The interplay between openness and intimacy extends into the clinic’s material and formal language. Eschewing overt luxury or spa tropes, Atelier Carle devised a restrained composition of contrasting textures and forms that fuses mid-century warmth with minimalist clarity. Warm materials such as walnut and ceramic tiles temper the cool precision of brushed metal and cement, while sculptural furnishings soften recurring grid patterns.

A view into the clinic's core defined by richly toned walnut paneling and a striking coffered wood ceiling, establishing a Japandi architectural aesthetic. Vertical wood slats and woven mesh screens create a layered, screened entry. The floor features large terrazzo squares with inset grid lines, leading the eye toward a central grey service counter with dark, cylindrical bases, grounding the warm, diffused lighting.

Photography by Alex Lesage.

  • A dramatic composition contrasting a small, intimate, curved wood seating nook with the clinical austerity of the service counter. The counter features a matte grey surface and a distressed metal apron. The wall paneling incorporates a gridded storage niche with small, reflective mosaic tiles, all bathed in soft natural light from a large, unadorned window aperture.

    Photography by Alex Lesage.

  • An extreme close-up detail capturing the smooth, continuous pour of water from a small, circular black fixture into a deep, sharp-edged basin. The focus is on the flawless, subtly patinated surface of the brushed metal backsplash, showcasing a commitment to precise, utilitarian fixtures that maintain a high degree of sophisticated and industrial material elegance.

    Photography by Alex Lesage.

  • A centralized station featuring a sleek, industrial aesthetic with a curved, polished stainless steel countertop and basin resting on two dramatic, dark cylindrical bases. The wall is clad in vast panels of patinated metal, punctuated by slender, vertical light strips and tiny square mosaic tiles in a gradient of dark greens and blues, offering a controlled, metallic, and distinctly Minimalist-Industrial utility space.

    Photography by Alex Lesage.

  • A close study of the functional sink area, emphasizing the interplay between texture and material. A vast, brushed metal wall panel rises above the dark counter, reflecting light down the length of a minimalist vertical water spout. The dark, gridded metal ceiling recedes into shadow, allowing the warm tones of the adjacent walnut paneling to provide necessary visual anchor and material richness.

    Photography by Alex Lesage.

In the reception hall for example, the curvaceous Isole seating system by Nichetto Studio and Nendo for &Tradition, upholstered in a deep crimson, offsets the rectilinear geometries of the coffered ceiling, wall panelling and stone floor inlays, as do &Tradition’s Lato LN8 round side tables and Santa & Cole’s doughnut-shaped Tekiò Circular pendant lamp. A reproduction of Edvard Munch’s “Two Women on the Shore” enriches the space with a contemplative note, while three large figurative drawings behind the terrazzo reception desk add a human presence that feels at once expressive and restrained.

Featuring brushed-metal surfaces and exposed grid ceilings, the café and boutique animate the scheme’s nostalgic warmth with industrial undertones. In the former, a pill-shaped counter, circular walnut stools, and a tubular pendant by Canadian lighting brand A-N-D soften the linear geometry of the green tilework on floors and walls, while deep green curtains diffuse the daylight and lend intimacy. In the retail space, minimalist counters, pigeonhole shelving, and striped display niches in brushed metal are juxtaposed with semicircular timber chairs and smooth cement flooring, balancing clarity with tactility.

A view through a plush, full-height dark olive velvet curtain into the wood-clad hallway, showcasing a dynamic shift in texture and color. In the foreground, built-in tile seating (in earthy greens and browns) provides a sturdy base. The flowing, dramatic curtain creates a moment of theatrical intimacy, offsetting the rectilinear precision of the walnut paneling visible in the background.

Photography by Alex Lesage.

A counter area defined by a moss-green glazed tile wall and block, laid in a stacked basketweave pattern, lending a handcrafted texture. A polished stainless steel countertop curves dramatically, housing dual minimalist faucets. Above, a cylindrical, amber glass pendant light casts a warm industrial glow, contrasting the luxurious deep green velvet curtain and the structured, utilitarian ceiling.

Photography by Alex Lesage.

A wider composition of the service counter, detailing the juxtaposition of the handcrafted sage-green tile block and the sleek stainless steel basin. The rough texture of the tiles contrasts sharply with the reflective metal. Dark wood stools offer a warm, sculptural seating element, set against rich velvet curtains and the graphic texture of the silver grid ceiling above.

Photography by Alex Lesage.

A dramatic glimpse through dark wood screens into a contrasting treatment area, highlighted by a floor-to-ceiling emerald green velvet curtain. The hallway is defined by a grid of walnut slats and a luminous coffered ceiling. A circular, brass-accented wall sconce reflects on a curved, stainless steel sink, creating a luxurious focal point against the intense, atmospheric color and material shift.

Photography by Alex Lesage.

An immersive close-up detailing the architectural rhythm of the ceiling and wall. The striking walnut coffered ceiling features deep, geometric square recessions, with squares of diffused light emanating from above. Vertical wood paneling with subtle framing lines envelops the walls, establishing a rich, warm, and distinctly Japandi atmosphere that contrasts with the simple, woven, organic oval pendant light suspended centrally.

Photography by Alex Lesage.

  • A symmetric view centered on double doors featuring textured perforated metal mesh panels framed in dark walnut, hinting at the intimate spaces beyond. The surrounding structure is pure Mid-Century Modern sensibility, utilizing vertical wood slats and a luminous coffered ceiling grid. The expansive terrazzo floor defines the foreground, emphasizing the composition's clean, rectilinear geometry.

    Photography by Alex Lesage.

  • An extreme, atmospheric close-up capturing the intersection of the structural and decorative elements. The ribbed, organic form of the suspended straw pendant light glows warmly against the deep, richly figured walnut coffered ceiling. The precise geometry of the light slots in the ceiling contrasts with the soft, tactile curves of the lighting fixture, emphasizing the clinic's thoughtful material dichotomy.

    Photography by Alex Lesage.

  • A deep, atmospheric perspective shot down a long, dark corridor. The left wall is articulated by the warm, deep-toned walnut columns and the luminous coffered ceiling of the public zone. The right wall is solid and dark, leading to a distant vanishing point beneath a black wire-mesh ceiling, creating a profound sense of material depth and dramatic, cinematic linearity.

    Photography by Alex Lesage.

Within the treatment rooms, the mid-century influences of the public spaces are distilled into a more understated language. Cream-coloured walls and custom walnut cabinetry create a soothing backdrop for the medical equipment, filtering the clinic’s overall aesthetic through a quieter, more functional lens.

With this project, Atelier Carle demonstrates how spatial clarity and material sensitivity can transform a utilitarian brief into an experience of care and composure. What could have been yet another clinical interior becomes, instead, a sequence of spaces where precision and warmth harmoniously coexist, offering a thoughtful model for the evolving language of contemporary healthcare design.

An intimate consultation nook defined by a monumental wall of gridded walnut shelving, offering a rhythm of shadow and texture. A solid, richly toned wood table extends from the shelves, providing a grounding surface. The space features a circular dark rug on a light concrete floor, contrasting the warm, structured Japandi millwork with the utilitarian, modern finishes of the adjacent hallway.

Photography by Alex Lesage.

A bright, serene treatment room where functional elements are softened by luxurious materials. A comfortable, light beige dental chair sits opposite a long counter of rich walnut millwork and a white countertop. Diffused natural light streams through full-height sheer white curtains, maintaining the clinic's atmosphere of tranquil sophistication within a strictly Minimalist and calming design palette.

Photography by Alex Lesage.

A detailed view of a compact washroom that embraces a moody aesthetic. High-gloss, vertical walnut cabinetry dominates the upper half, contrasting sharply with the lower walls and floor clad in dark, hand-glazed moss-green tiles. A white rectangular basin rests on a cantilevered walnut counter, achieving a luxurious, atmospheric blend of Mid-Century warmth and dark, handcrafted color.

Photography by Alex Lesage.