Nestled in a modern maze of suites, Well Manicured, Melanie McCulley's Hermosa Beach-based manicure and pedicure salon makes the most of every inch. Two generous manicure tables are next to a small reception counter and shelves filled with beautifully curated retail items (think incredible cashmere throws; not that I was tempted...)

On Sunday we visited McCully and her staff Tin Bui, Pamela Watson, and Karen Ho for a holiday open house. Salon Republic houses Well Manicured as well as about 61 other beauty-related studios, from makeup artistry, to eyelash/eyebrow services, hairstyling, and barbering.

The party began with a raffle benefiting Farm Sanctuary. All of Well Manicured products are organic and toxin-free. They use SpaRitual hand treatments and begin each service by allowing clients to choose from four incredible fragrances. I chose Infinitely Loving, which has Chinese Jasmine essential oil as its base.

We've all seen our share of pedicure chairs, but the two at Well Manicured are truly special.

These chairs were custom made for McCulley by Living Earth Crafts. Clients sink into the plush upholstered seat, then the chair moves back to reveal the foot bath. Another clever element is a table surface that is stored behind the chair. It fits over the chair in case additional manicure space is needed on busy days.

"This is a very affluent area, and yet there are few if any nail salons raising manicure and pedicure services to a high level of service," McCulley says. She took inspiration from her extensive spa and customer service background and tapped her own brilliant design aesthetic to bring about this truly extraordinary salon.

Services take time at Well Manicured, but the experienced team make them oh, so worth it. Manicures range from the 30-minute Mindful Manicure ($30) to the Slow Beauty Manicure ($45) to the Perfect, Whole & Complete Manicure ($65).

Guess which one I'll be coming back for?