Designing a Destination Practice for a Growing Brand
When Dr. Ashley Joves set out to open a second Smile & Company location in Roseville, California, the goal was not simply to create another dental office. Her existing practice had become busy, and the new location offered an opportunity to serve more families while expanding the Smile & Company brand in a meaningful way.
Dr. Joves is deeply focused on patient experience. Her approach to dentistry is compassionate, personal, and trust-centered, and she wanted the physical environment to reflect that same philosophy. Rather than a traditional clinic, she envisioned a space that felt like a chic boutique home or calming spa, somewhere patients could feel at ease, comfortable, and cared for from the moment they arrived.
For JoeArchitect, the project became an opportunity to merge beauty, function, coordination, and value into one cohesive environment.
A Complex Existing Shell
The selected suite had previously been used as an event space. While it offered tall volumes and double-height windows, it also presented significant architectural and technical challenges.
The building had an irregular footprint with multiple bumpouts, existing shear walls, floor structure that needed to be infilled, and exterior doors and windows that required modification. The suite also needed to accommodate a fully functional 10-chair dental practice, including open hygiene areas, enclosed operatories, and a separate private treatment wing with its own secondary reception.
The challenge was not simply to apply beautiful finishes to a difficult space. JoeArchitect had to sculpt the existing shell into a highly functional dental environment where circulation, privacy, natural light, patient comfort, and clinical workflow all worked together.
Sculpting the Patient Experience
The design concept centered on a chic boutique residential feel with a spa-like, calming atmosphere. The space needed to feel open and welcoming while still offering more private and intimate areas for specific procedures.
Natural light and views from the double-height windows played an important role in offsetting some of the darker tones and materials used throughout the office. Circulation was also critical. JoeArchitect designed the patient journey so that different portions of the office reveal themselves as patients move through the space, creating moments of openness, discovery, and visual interest without making the layout feel confusing.
Different nodes of the practice were given their own design features, yet the office still reads as one cohesive whole. The result is a space that feels intentional from entry to treatment room — not generic, not clinical, and not simply decorative.
A Layout Built Around Workflow
The floor plan was one of the most important parts of the project. JoeArchitect worked through numerous layout iterations with Dr. Joves until the plan met her goals.
The process was highly collaborative. JoeArchitect presented layouts, explained the design logic, code requirements, accessibility considerations, and planning opportunities, then listened carefully to Dr. Joves’ feedback as both a dentist and practice owner. The final plan reflects both JoeArchitect’s design expertise and Dr. Joves’ intimate understanding of how her team and patients needed to use the space.
Several planning decisions were especially important. Sterilization and lab were designed not only for their clinical functions, but also to serve as a staff circulation path, allowing quicker access to the staff lounge. Entry and exit doors were relocated to create a more efficient check-in and check-out experience. Window locations helped determine where patients would sit in clinical areas, reinforcing comfort through access to light and views.
The final layout accommodates 10 dental chairs while balancing open hygiene areas, more private operatories, and a dedicated private treatment wing.
Materials With Purpose
The material palette was developed to support Dr. Joves’ brand and the patient experience she wanted to create. Her black and white brand colors were balanced with warm wood elements, brass accents, organic textures, and refined modern details.
Real wood paneling and slats bring warmth and scale to the large volumes. Bold veined quartz adds a luxurious quality to key cabinetry moments. Two LVT flooring materials help define circulation and accentuate specific rooms: one wood-look option in a herringbone pattern and one stone-look option with inlaid brass trim.
Glass with black metal trim creates openness and visibility while preserving privacy. Brass appears throughout the space in light fixtures, desk trim, flooring details, and cabinetry hardware. Organic wall tile with a light, sand-like texture adds softness and calm. Black ceiling tile helps define lower ceiling planes in the hallways, making the space feel more dynamic while supporting acoustics.
Every material decision was tied to the desired experience: calm, comfort, boutique hospitality, residential warmth, and clinical confidence.
Custom Cabinetry and Technical Coordination
Custom cabinetry was a major part of the design and coordination effort. Because the office included different types of treatment rooms, JoeArchitect developed multiple cabinetry configurations to support different levels of openness, privacy, equipment needs, and workflow.
In the open hygiene areas, cabinetry was placed to the side of the chair and paired with angled partitions to provide privacy while maintaining an open feel. In windowless operatories located farther back in the suite, floating shelves helped the rooms feel less clinical. Fully enclosed operatories included slightly larger cabinetry configurations suited to their specific function.
Each cabinetry condition had to coordinate with dental equipment, utilities, IT requirements, and clinical workflow. Sterilization and lab were also generously sized to support current needs and provide flexibility for future equipment changes.
The staff lounge received the same level of care as the patient-facing spaces, with built-ins and a spacious kitchenette designed to elevate the team experience. The custom reception area included a floating bench that wraps into the adjacent consult room, reinforcing the sense that the office was carefully crafted rather than simply furnished.
Collaboration From Design Through Construction
Dr. Joves was deeply involved throughout the process. JoeArchitect guided the design, selected finishes, sculpted the space, and coordinated the technical details, but the project was always grounded in her vision, brand, and patient-care philosophy.
Most communication happened digitally through Microsoft Teams and email, allowing the team to track decisions, markups, and discussions clearly. JoeArchitect also held an in-person design meeting in Denver, where Dr. Joves saw the design holistically for the first time through 3D renderings, materials, and spatial concepts. That meeting became a major turning point: the design aligned strongly with her vision and helped her see how the former event space could become the open, airy, inviting practice she imagined.
During construction, JoeArchitect remained highly involved. The team answered contractor and subcontractor questions, reviewed submittals, coordinated details, and helped resolve unforeseen existing conditions. JoeArchitect also flew to California for two critical construction meetings.
One of these was the box walk, held after framing but before drywall. JoeArchitect walked the site with Dr. Joves, the contractor, dental vendor, and IT vendor to verify outlets, data drops, compressed air lines, vacuum lines, water lines, and wall blocking. Making adjustments at this stage helped avoid far more expensive changes later.
A final punch walk helped confirm that the completed work aligned with the construction documents and design intent. This construction-phase involvement protected both the budget and the vision.
The completed Smile & Company office delivers on Dr. Joves’ goals: a 10-chair dental practice with a separate private treatment wing, a cohesive brand experience, a strong sense of calm, and a highly functional clinical workflow.
The space reflects her personality and practice philosophy — compassionate, modern, patient-focused, and welcoming. JoeArchitect heard from her team that patients are blown away by the design and feel more at ease in the practice. Her team also loves the space, which matters in an industry where staff retention is a serious challenge.
Most importantly, Dr. Joves saw her vision come to life.
“My dream practice brought to life! Thank you for your extraordinary vision, attention to detail and dedication to see this masterpiece to completion. I’m in LOVE with my new space!”
— Dr. Ashley Joves
The Final Outcome
Smile & Company demonstrates what is possible when architecture is treated as a strategic tool rather than a finishing touch. The tall volumes, double-height windows, irregular footprint, and existing constraints became design opportunities. The result is more than a beautiful dental office — it is a carefully coordinated, brand-driven environment designed around patient comfort, staff experience, clinical performance, and practice growth.
For growth-minded dental owners planning a new location, expansion, or relocation, Smile & Company shows how intentional design can help transform a practice into a destination.
