Mona’s Beauty Clinic and Hair Studio wanted to open a new studio in Seven Sea’s Mall, Fatehgunj with the idea of expanding her client base and making the studio’s brand presence felt in a new location. Mona the owner of the beauty chain, approached her close friend Dipen to come up with a design for the studio.
Dipen in turn enlisted, Darshana Vora, a young Baroda based designer to act as principal designer on the project. Darshana used to be a full time designer for DGA and now works as a freelance designer. Dipen also collaborated with Mayur Thakkar & Associates, who over saw the project co-ordination.
The brief was simple - to target a more youthful type of client. She gave Darshana a complete free hand except when it came to the budget which had to be kept to a minimum.
The Concept
The concept was basically to create a spa type environment exclusively for women, that had a warm intimate feel. The studio would offer its female customers an ambience that no other beauty saloon in the area offered. It was decided early on that dark, rich colours, mood lighting and sensuous fabrics would be used to achieve this theme.
Design Constraints
With a carpet area of only 630sqft it was difficult task to fit in all the requirements of the saloon while still maintaining a sense of exclusiveness and intimacy. The time frame was also very tight and the entire project needed to be completed within 45 days.
The Design
The main design element is the colour effect, which is an effect of 3 shades of green, gold and rust. This dark moss base colour sets the tone for the entire space and all other colours tie into this, from the gold faux leather used in the sofa, the gold painted doors and partitions and the black tile flooring.
Low height partitions are used to demarcate the various areas like the reception, hair-washing section, the waiting area, the cutting area, facial area and the manicure area. The partitions also serve as storage and display for beauty products. These partitions are painted in a copper-gold colour and have rich fabric paneling. A motif, created by the Darshana, has been used in the partitions to add a delicate feminine element and give a sense of screening.
The main cutting area has a continuous counter a departure from the usual individual counters seen in most saloons today. The reason behind this was to ensure greater functionality when it came to the use and storage of equipment. Each cutting station has an individual circular mirror. Simple bulbs on either side of the mirrors provide lighting and add a retro feel.
The private facial area is enclosed within a partition so that the customer can feel comfortable and relaxed. This space has a calming meditative feel with candles occupying the niches and an oil painting personally selected by the designer.
The Lighting
In keeping with the spa like theme, the lighting is of a very low intensity. This is achieved by dimmable halogen lights in the ceiling which is also painted in the same moss green tone. Spot lights are used to highlight products and graphics. “We have used 150 W CDMT lights to spot illuminate the cutting stations. LED lights have been used as cove lighting. This acts as a softer lighting that also saves energy,” says Dipen.
by Dipen Gada & Associates
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