Natural Smiles by Phil: Small But Mighty

The 850-sq-ft space was a mess, with holes in the walls, rolled up carpeting and wires hanging everywhere, but Phil Smith could see its potential for his one-man C&B laboratory. A 40-year veteran, Smith had experience designing and building his own labs and he liked the size, large front windows and proximity to his home in Eugene, OR.

He signed the lease on New Year’s Eve 2010 and, within three days, a contractor was gutting the space and putting up new walls. Smith hired an electrician and a plumber, but did almost everything else himself—with help from his son—to get Natural Smiles by Phil up and running in three weeks.

He used IKEA’s online Home Planning Tool to plug in the dimensions of the lab, design the layout and select the benches and cabinets. He then assembled the furniture and custom built his own countertops, laying Formica laminate over plywood to create a sturdy workspace. He also painted the walls and laid industrial linoleum...