The Polar Express

Holiday Design & Styling | Ascension Saint Thomas Heart Hospital

The holidays can feel different when you’re waiting for answers about your health. For this project, the intention was to transform the hospital’s waiting environment into a moment of warmth, wonder, and distraction for patients navigating medical challenges.

Inspired by The Polar Express, the design brought the familiar magic of the holiday story into the space. Every element was selected with the patient experience in mind—to offer something unexpected to look at, something to smile about, and, even if only for a moment, a reason to think beyond the next test result.

This project was especially meaningful to me. My mother was a heart patient, and her doctor practices at Ascension Saint Thomas. Returning to a heart hospital after her passing in 2021 was bittersweet. It gave this work a personal significance I carried with me throughout the design process.

This was more than a holiday transformation. It was an opportunity to use design to offer a moment of joy in a place where so many people are waiting, hoping, and believing for good news..