Nailed it!

Muted colours, curved forms, striking elements… IE Design hits upon the right sensual mix of ingredients for The Nail Project, a nail bar in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.

Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: Ricken Desai; courtesy IE Design

The site

The salon is located in Tony Jubilee Hills and overlooks the famous KBR National Park. It functioned earlier as a salon as well, but it was in extremely poor shape with no natural ventilation. 

The brief

The client wanted the space to be a warm and welcoming experience for every client. Personalised service being their main aim, the design sought to segregate the areas of usage. The aesthetics — which would follow a soft, feminine route — were planned to ensure that this nail salon stood apart from its ilk.

The design intent

“Maximising the given space using the right materials, textures and colours has always been our mantra while designing,” says architect Shreya Anand. “At such a place, a client tends to spend anywhere between an hour to three. So every corner has been designed and looked into differently.” A warm, cosy narrative, spun using soothing materials and colours, creates a space that grows on you. This understated base was energised using spatial pauses by way of material applications, forms and accessories. 

The civil intervention

Given the condition of the existing site, the false ceiling, lighting, walls and flooring had to be changed. “Once we ripped apart the place,” reminisces the architect, “we discovered that the view from the windows was stunning. We took advantage of this and placed the pedicure area so that clients could watch the sun setting over the luscious greens.”

The spatial configuration

The entry is through a small reception block that leads to a short corridor which opens into the main space. To the left, by the windows and demarcated by partitions, is the pedicure section. Straight ahead lies the nail extension area. Ancillary functions  like the washroom and a cabin are placed along the perpendicular wall. The manicure stations are tucked away in a corner. 

The visual vocabulary

Shifts in floor levels along with flooring materials are used to demarcate sections. For instance, the reception floor is lined with terrazzo, which gives way to grey cements tiles in the nail extension area. The pedicure and manicure sections are lined in printed tiles. The rest of the material palettes includes brick, stone laminate and handmade tiles (reception); Ms partitions with fluted glass in different angles; textured wall with gold beading (pedicure area); wallpaper, mirror with gold beading, and hand sculptures in fibreglass (nail extension area). Mirror panelling has been used to make the space look bigger, and spatial modulation has been achieved by using light-as-lace MS partitions.

Colours — pink and green — stick to the pastel end of the spectrum. Curved forms dominate: circular and obround mirrors, arched niches and extrusions imbue the space with gentleness. Other elements such as a neon light in the shape of a lady’s hands and face, ceiling mirrors and sculptures of hands emerging from the wall infuse the right amount of oomph. “My personal favourite is the circular mirror on top of the pedicure area,” says Shreya. “As the nail salon is on the third floor, the mirror on the ceiling gives a glimpse of the salon to the passersby, making them curious about the interiors and ambience.”

Fact file

Project: The Nail Project
Location: Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad
Area: 1,500 sq ft
Principal architect: Shreya Anand
Design team: Jesal Ved and Yaser Hussain