So what is a physician doing, working with an interior design and home decorating firm? The short answer… home design should be just as much about function as it is form! So, while our principle Interior Designer, Doreen, takes the lead on all projects, when it comes to creating highly productive home offices, stunning and safe home gyms or accommodating a client’s specific physical need, she calls in her expert… me!

A practicing physician with more than 19 years of clinical experience in the areas of occupational safety, sports medicine and disability rehabilitation, I have been personally responsible for helping thousands of individuals lead more productive and joyful lives. I’ve dedicated my life to understanding the functional needs of people and then translating those findings into unique solutions. It was thus a natural fit for me to join Sorell Interiors to consult on the interior design renovations in need of my specialized expertise. But what I do is about so much more than just helping those currently living with physical limitations, like neck and low back pain or carpal tunnel syndrome. More importantly, it’s just as much about preventing injury.

So, “What is Ergonomic Design?”

Simply stated… Ergonomic Design is the creation of environments and living spaces that are comfortable, efficient and safe for someone to use. In the den, it means keeping the television at a proper height to prevent neck strain and headaches. I remember one client who called Doreen to redecorate his family room. The first and foremost thing I recommended was to relocate the client’s TV from above the fireplace, where it had been installed just “one inch” below the ceiling, to a more ergonomically-friendly height on the wall based on the size of the TV and viewing distance from the new seating area.

In the home office, it’s about getting all the individual components to work well together. This means not only buying a thousand-way adjustable desk chair, comfortable wrist rest and multi-positional monitor, but more about properly setting them up to get the most out of the features they can potentially provide. A keyboard rest won’t help prevent repetitive strain at the wrist, if your elbows aren’t properly supported. Spend all you want on the latest ergonomic desk chair with all the bells and whistles, but it’ll do nothing to prevent backache if your legs aren’t properly positioned in relation to your back alignment.