When you step inside Get Well Soon, a woman-owned wellness studio in Norfolk, Virginia, the feeling of serenity overwhelms you as you’re greeted by warm mint-hued walls which permeate the core of the space. Founders Zahra Ahmad and Virginia Thornton created this space to fulfill a need within themselves as well as the community—by imagining a wellness oasis where everyone could practice self-care and indulge in holistic health, healing and normalize self-care as a form of recreation.
“1 in 4 Americans is on anti-depressants and while medication can help and I’m not against it, some people really need it. It’s just a tool, like a tool in a tool box, the stuff that’s gonna sustain a lasting change in your life is doing self-care type rituals whether it is massage, infrared sauna, meditation, and yoga,” declares Zahra, who once suffered from anxiety and depression and raises awareness for other women in her community going through similar hardships. She also works to de-stigmatize suffering out loud, and assists in creating solutions to overcome mental illness with many of the services that Get Well Soon offers: massage therapy, yoga, meditation sessions, facial treatments and a social club which creates and nurtures sisterhood and community.
As design aficionados who possess an impeccable eye for detail and a love for contemporary art and design, Zahra and Virginia aspired their wellness studio to maintain a punchy yet simplistic approach, so it was imperative to keep the spatial design as minimalistic, modern, and open as possible – utilizing minimal shelf space to highlight the beautiful curation of products they sell.
“We do our own merch and we designed all of it ourselves. We try and keep that moderately priced too and we’re really conscious of that,” says Zahra. Their in-store as well as online gift shop includes an artfully curated assortment of skincare products, including Virginia’s mom’s organic skincare line ‘Winnie’, animated pop culture greeting cards, Moon Juice skincare products and other goodies such as natural hand-poured candles, pastel-hued mugs, and stunning ceramic monochrome display objects.
With Virginia pioneering much of the design selections in the space, the two worked together quite well and pretty much agreed on all major aesthetic choices—such as the ‘Get Well Soon’ neon wall logo you see when you first step in the studio. “When we were getting our logo done they would send us six mock ups and we wouldn’t even have to discuss; we picked the same of the six all the time.” The creative synergy between the pair is evident, which made working together a seamless, enjoyable, and rewarding experience. Additional complements to the space include modern wall art, vases, cabinetry, mirrors and lighting.
Zahra and Virginia also tested 33 different colors on the studio’s walls before settling with the mint hue that now adorns the space. This illustrates how meticulous they were about selecting and finalizing interior details. With some furniture purchased from high-end furniture retailers and a table sourced from Home Goods, Zahra and Virginia also believe in the juxtaposition of high and low and acknowledge the two can co-exist without sacrificing overall quality within one’s space. They also believe it’s essential to be super crafty and resourceful as the pair also engaged in many DIY projects around the studio, such as painting the bathroom into a playful black and white geometric design.
Founders Zahra Ahmad and Virginia Thornton
Learn more at getwellsoonxo.com.
Tiffany Harrison is a multifaceted creative who is skilled in visual + literary storytelling. She immerses herself in artful endeavors within photography, prop styling, product design and creative writing. Tiffany’s work is very conceptual and is inspired by contemporary art and design, which she is truly passionate about. You can connect with Tiffany on her website and Instagram.
