From a futuristic space sheathed in green to a tranquil, subdued haven, these luxurious salons and spas are a far cry from your grandmother’s beauty parlor.

iO Beauty Gallery

Appropriate for a moment when self-care is at a premium, iO Beauty Gallery’s sophisticated and minimalist design comes courtesy of local and New York studio Asthetíque. Residing in Moscow’s affluent Khamovniki district, the beauty salon and spa juxtaposes the neighborhood’s Brutalist architecture with an organic design that celebrates the female form. Gradient glass, brass accents, fine ceramics, oak paneling, precious stones, and bas relief plaster shapes on walls (of leaves and female figures) enhance the restrained interiors while also highlighting the area’s vernacular.

“[The design] demonstrates how an elegantly modern aesthetic can be combined with a genuine sense of luxury, illustrating how well-branded a spa can be, yet refined enough not to lose the elevated feel,” says Asthetíque managing partner Julien Albertini.

A calming ambiance pervades the space, thanks to a natural material and color palette. From a sinuous banquette in moss green to micro-cement walls, “we designed the [salon] to be soft and curvaceous,” Albertini says. Light fixtures, like those found in the entry waiting area, “are meant to feel like jewels that add a beautiful glow,” he adds. And suspended above the second-floor waiting area, light-diffusing, organically shaped blades recall clouds that float from the ceiling.

However, it’s the curve motif that is striking for its subtlety. Resembling the waves of the ocean, “they are powerful, yet serene and calming,” Albertini says. “It’s a perfect balance.” It appears again in the staircase railing designed in a ripple effect, rounded velvet furniture, and undulating walls that match the custom oak reception desk, all of which pay respect to the strength and movement of women. “Self-care sometimes takes a backseat because of work, children, stress, etc.,” Albertini says. “We believe that you should find a place in which you are drawn back in.”

GoodBody

When Black businesswoman Brittany Barnes was ready to translate her vision for a salon dedicated to women with textured hair into a reality, she turned to Susan and Ben Work of San Francisco firm Homework. The design-savvy Barnes had already established a strong brand and color story. The Works took it from there, transforming her idea into a destination where women can “luxuriate in comfort, style, and community,” says Susan.

“We wanted this space to empower femininity and elevate the ritual of self-care,” adds Ben. To that end, a palette of blush pink, emerald, and shimmering gold (found on curtains) creates intimate and inviting moments for patrons, while archways and curving millwork snake around the 1,400-square-foot salon for an added sense of drama. After stripping out the acoustic tile ceilings and other existing clutter, Susan and Ben discovered a double-height space “that adds so much grandeur to the modern hall,” he says.

Concrete floors were unearthed and retained—buffed and polished to juxtapose the feminine interiors. Lighting, of course, plays a crucial role. Dimmable LEDs are tucked behind the mirrors and bounce light off the painted wood, making it more even, diffused, and flattering.

“This is a modern-day beauty salon for women with specifically textured hair—a demographic that is largely underrepresented in the beauty space, yet are the biggest spenders on beauty products,” Susan points out. “Representation matters, and we wanted this space to be comfortable and inviting, like you are someplace uplifting.”

Shen Beauty

Shen Beauty‘s new outpost in Brooklyn, New York offers a refreshing respite for shoppers exhausted by the overstimulating stores of bigger-box competitors. To transform the space into a laidback community haunt befitting of the poised vernacular of its Cobble Hill neighborhood, the Shen team enlisted design studio Mythology, which boasts a portfolio of unique retail environments. Beyond retail, Shen Beauty is home to four treatment rooms, a full-service makeup and brow bar, and a rear event space dedicated to exclusive programming. “There’s a lot of tired tropes of what a beauty store looks like, what a beauty brand looks like, what things marketed toward women look like,” says Ted Galperin, partner and director of retail for Mythology. “We wanted to do something that felt a little fresh.”

Baltic birch establishes a humble, uniform backdrop for extensive product displays and utilitarian flooring whose subtle angles naturally guide shoppers toward displays and away from service stations. “The plywood stands out because it takes a space that would otherwise be chaotic and really makes it a bit more soothing,” Galperin adds. Large storefront windows also infuse ample daylight, while full-length “glamcore” mirrors and gender-neutral abstract portraits colorfully soften surfaces as they amplify the brand’s inclusive new vision of beauty.

Ego Hair Salon

The recently opened Ego Hair Salon in Beijing elevates the conventional salon experience with a futuristic-inspired narrative influenced by nature. Locally based firm IS Architecture & Design also drew inspiration from the Space Age to create an abstract environment with forms that reference the cosmos and earth. “These two ideal worlds that seem to be alternative in reality, in their figurative aspects, have formal elements that unite them,” says the firm’s founder Fabrizio Gurrado. “They both prefer rounded shapes and use colors that are reminiscent of nature, and they both use organic organizational systems.”

The circular floorplan of the space, which was formerly home to a gym, was adapted to convey an openness representative of, as Gurrado puts it, a “diffused enthusiasm and faith for the new era.” Greenery, including palms and cacti, populate the interior, complementing the avocado green hue that decks Ego Hair Salon’s walls and ceilings. “In this project, we opted to propose a world of the future in which artifice and nature coexist in a serene and clean balance,” he adds.

More from HD:
3 Next-Level Hybrid Spaces that Push the Envelope
Buxton Crescent Hotel Revives Its Status As a Wellness Destination
IRTH Landscape Hotel and Spa Showcases Its Surroundings