A Tag-Team Duo
San Franciscan couple Howard Hines and Maria Tan take a very hands-on approach to managing their salon, Tiptoes Nail Spa, despite juggling another full-time job and two kids.
by Thi Dao
ROB|B Earns LEED Certification
ROB|B: An OPI Concept Salon in Studio City, Calif., was awarded the highly coveted LEED certification, which provides independent, third-party verification that a building project meets the highest green building and performance measures.
Treats for Everyone
At Sundrops Nail Spot, salon client-turned-owner Stephanie Coulston provides the services she remembers as a child.
by Thi Dao
On the Road: Chi Nail Bar & Organic Spa, Beverly Hills, Calif.
Chi Nail Bar, located right off the well-known shopping mecca that is Rodeo Drive, opened this February. I think we can all admit that it’s not exactly the ideal time to open up a new business, what with the economic crisis and all. But that didn’t stop Ton, a second generation nail tech, from opening up her newest salon. In the business for 10 years, Ton owned several other salons before coming across the space in chic Beverly Hills.
by Hannah Lee
15 Minutes of Frame
Clients of Illusions Nail Salon in Johnson City, Tenn., get an eyeful when they walk into the salon. Owners Thomasina Alexander and Wendy Allen have decorated the space with a Nail Art Wall of Fame, a framed, regularly updated assortment of 12 of their artistic creations.
by Sree Roy
Putting on a Smile
The first kids’ spa has arrived in New York, and owner and former model Daria Einhorn is using it to teach wee ones about caring for themselves.
Eye Candy
Part of the appeal of the old-fashioned candy counter was the brilliant display methods, says Julie Shepperly, director of education for Milady. “They put everything front and center, bold and beautiful."
Designer Sterilizer Jars
Sanitize in style with a designer series of sterilizer jars that complement your salon decor.
All the Right Ingredients
Julie Nguyen, owner and founder of Blu Water Day Spa, has plenty of experience in the beauty industry. Coming to the United States when she was 16 and building on the beauty training she received in Vietnam, she worked in hair, then nails and cosmetics, and was quickly able to purchase her own salon.
by Thi Dao
Park It at Lady La’s
Lady La’s Too Nail and Hair Salon in Highland, Mich., draws clients due to its unique location. Built in the LaFontaine Buick Pontiac GMC Cadillac dealership as a convenience to customers, it gets 95% of its clients from the dealership. Although only open for a few months, the salon already has repeat clients coming just for its services.
by Judy Lessin
You’re So Vain
The newly opened Vanity Beauty Lounge in San Francisco is part sexy boudoir, part Manhattan lounge, and all nails-focused glamour. The design of the manicure-pedicure area of the 1,400-sq.-ft. salon makes it the ideal place for bachelorette parties and a dramatic escape from the pressures of the Financial District where the salon is located.
by Sree Roy
A Dot Disaster Averted
“It’s amazing how something so small can totally change your work life,” says G Elizondo, a nail tech at D’Hair To Be Different in Las Vegas, who until recently did what everybody else does: She placed a colored dot on the lids of the jars housing her colored acrylic and glitter mixes.
by Judy Lessin
Zen-ith of Design
The salon experience is always supposed to be relaxing for clients, but Skin Deep — The Body Spa took this idea a step further by creating a “Zen Garden” room inside of the Huntington Beach, Calif.-based salon.
by Sree Roy
On the Road: Panache Salon + Spa, Bowling Green, Ky.
Salons of this caliber generally are months, if not years, in the making. Panache Salon+Spa was created in eight days!
Zero-VOC Paints Now in 3,500 Colors
You switch out your nail color every week (or maybe two); but how long has it been since you updated the polish, er, paint, on your salon walls? If it’s been a while, the new year will be a great time to change up your salon’s decor.
Pride and Joi
Joi Nail Spa in Berkeley, Calif., enriches its community with a unique assortment of services, including authentic Chinese reflexology.
Signature Collection of Fragrance Candles
Zensual’s Signature Collection of Fragrance Candles uses only natural ingredients and premium botanicals, and the candles are hand-poured into 100% recycled glassware.