A one-stop shop, Nails Icon in Montclair, Calif., boasts a bustling retail area, clean, affordable services, and isn’t afraid to stay open ’til 1 a.m. for mani-pedi parties. The owner credits the salon’s customer service as key to surviving the recession.
Designing an exceptional pedicure area for your salon takes instincts and resources. These innovative salons use both to create pedi areas that are functional, comfortable, and draw you in with captivating salon decor.
There is nothing that can more quickly relax a client (or tech) than a beautifully designed pedicure area. Peruse these pedicure areas for ideas on chair placement, ergonomics, decor, color schemes, and furniture choices.
If you’re like many nail techs, you go home after a long day with aches and pain in your hands, shoulders, and back. Proper posture and improved ergonomics can help reduce these symptoms that are often viewed as an unavoidable side effect of being a nail tech.
When Shauni Kelly was creating Hot Heads Barbershop and Cool Claws Nails in Albuquerque, N.M., she wanted to take the “rock star pedicure” service to the extreme — by tying the entire pedicure room decor into the “rock star” theme.
It’s sometimes instructive to take a look at the nail salon industry from the other side of the chair: the client’s side. That’s why it can be especially insightful to chat with a select breed of nail salon owner: the client-turned-salon entrepreneur.
Pedicures can be quite tough on a nail tech’s body. Holding legs while clipping toenails, massaging calves and ankles, and scrubbing down thick callus can all quickly lead to sore backs and arms — and cranky dispositions. Here’s what some techs have done to keep their poise during strenuous pedicures.
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.