Established in 2020 at height of the pandemic as an online plant subscription company with emphasis on community and wellness, Grounded offered solace virtually. Four years later, founders Mignon Hemsley and Danuelle Doswell brought the URL shop IRL with a new three-in-one cafe, plant shop, and wellness studio in Washington, D.C.’s historic Anacostia neighborhood. The storefront allows Hemsley and Doswell to better carry out their mission to create a sanctuary and place of care for the primarily Black local community. For the new biophilic refuge in the heart of the city, Hemsley and Doswell collaborated with Black-owned, interdisciplinary design firm, Drummond Projects.
Grounded’s new 3,070-square-foot store is a flexible space that seamlessly blends from one function to the other, while also providing a welcoming third place for the community. When entering, guests are greeted with the walls and ceiling coated in a muted, dark green paint and warm wooden floors that transition to concrete. Numerous plants are strategically placed throughout the space, particularly on the beige hand-plastered terraced L-shaped bench that creates lounge seating or co-working spots. The terrace gently guides visitors through the store and cafe, offering a modern take to the conversation pit. LED light strips were attached along the bottom of the bench, accentuating the curvatures created within the terrace. Located behind the terrace is a custom wooden pegboard retail wall, allowing Grounded to easily alter the layout of products and plants.
Continuing the earthy narrative, Drummond Projects added a bendable rock wall panel to the face of the cafe counter, giving it the appearance of a boulder. This texture aligns with the intentional subtle imperfections applied to the terraced bench, delivering an organic feel that only further enhances the green and welcoming space.
When walking though Grounded, it’s clear an organic language informs both the structural layout and accents. The smooth-capped corners of the wall and overlapping circular light above the communal bench attest to this, as does the recessed ceiling in the yoga studio that Drummond Projects designed. This space differs from the rest of Grounded as it is doused in a subdued ochre hue accompanied by a sepia-toned mirror. Here the studio’s curvilinear language and earth tones create a space that invites reflection and introspection.
Grounded’s mission mirrors its name: to help people and the surrounding community be more grounded. Drummond Projects leaned on biophilic elements and flexibility to translate this ethos for the physical space, curating an atmosphere that centers different wellness needs.