Large orange and gold botanical yoga studio mural in the Rajas Room

The completed Rajas room mural, bringing warmth and dynamism to the industrial bones of the space.

Case Study: Designing the Felt Experience of a Yoga Studio

This case study follows the design of a series of yoga studio murals for The Still Point Yoga in Clarksville, Maryland, created ahead of the studio’s 2011 opening.

The Brief

Co-owners Tori and Marla were expanding their wellness spa into a dedicated yoga studio, and they knew exactly how they wanted people to feel when they walked through the door. “We want a wow experience,” Tori told me. “Attention to detail. Doing everything mindfully.” Marla wanted clients to feel the warmth and community of the place, and to talk about what a special yoga studio it was.

Tori also put the deeper intention into words: “The Stillpoint is an energy that people feel.” My job was to make that energy visible and tangible in the architecture itself.

The Space

The building was new, with 12-foot ceilings, a lofty industrial feel, generous natural light, and a view of greenery. Marla said the space felt like home the moment she walked in. The challenge was keeping that warmth while softening the industrial shell (the owners were not fans of the drop ceiling or the cement floors) and giving each room a distinct purpose.

Approach

The project began with an in-depth consultation with both owners about how they wanted clients, teachers, and staff to feel in the space, what the business stood for, and what “complete” would look like to them. From that conversation I developed a design theme, warmth, care, grounding, growth, community, and a color plan built on a single base color (Sherwin-Williams Gardenia) so the whole studio would read as one environment.

Each room then got its own intention and palette. The front room was designed for community and harmony, in greens and yellows. The large studio was for energizing, grounding, and growth, in orange, gold, red, and yellow. The small studio was for turning inward, in deep reds, purple, and blue.

Deep red, purple, and blue meditation room mural in the Sattva Room

The Sattva room doorway opens into the hallway with a subtle floral element, providing continuity between the murals and the transitions between spaces.

Rajas room mural in progress with a floral element on the side wall that is illuminated by the light coming through the window.

The Work

Three primary murals anchored the studio, with subtle painted elements connecting them.

The reception mural sat directly behind the front desk and served as the first impression, soft greens and warm yellows setting a welcoming tone the moment someone entered.

The Rajas Room mural, the largest in the series, supported dynamic, movement-based classes with saturated oranges, golds, and reds, using flowing botanical forms that carried the eye across the full height of the wall.

The Sattva Room mural supported meditation and smaller, quieter classes, with deeper, more inward tones.

The hallway elements were restrained decorative accents that guided visitors between rooms and kept the studio feeling cohesive without competing with the main pieces.

Throughout, I worked with scale, sightlines, and soft color transitions so the walls would feel atmospheric rather than decorative, supporting the practice happening in each room instead of distracting from it.

Reception mural in soft greens and warm yellows behind the front desk at The Still Point Yoga

Reception area mural in progress, designed for community harmony with green and pastel colors.

A section of the completed Sattva room mural.

The Outcome

A year after opening, Marla wrote:

“The transitions, use of color and depth create a sense of the walls breathing… what a perfect sensation for a yoga studio. We just celebrated our one year anniversary and not a day goes by without someone commenting on the beauty and warmth of our walls. Thank you Yohanna, you saw our vision and helped others experience it on a daily basis.”
— Marla Peoples, Co-Owner, The Still Point Yoga

The owners had asked for a space people would feel and talk about. A year later, visitors were doing exactly that, every day.

Why This Matters for Your Clients

This project shows how I work with any space meant to hold people: listen closely to what the client wants people to feel, translate that into color, form, and placement specific to each room’s function, and create work that keeps delivering that experience long after installation. The same process now guides my commissioned paintings and site-specific installations for wellness centers, retreat spaces, and healthcare environments.

Project: The Still Point Yoga, Clarksville, Maryland
Scope: Pre-opening consultation and site-specific mural series (three rooms plus connecting hallways)
Timeline: October 2011, completed ahead of the studio’s opening on October 22