Architect：Tom Mark Henry

Location：Barangaroo NSW, Australia; | ;

Category：Shops

California Nails is a new nail salon in Barangaroo, Sydney. Designed by Tom Mark Henry, it is a soft, feminine and dreamy design inspired by vintage imagery of Venice Beach.

“Our brief was to reinvent the California Nails brand by creating a soft and feminine environment, a far cry from the typical nail salon that tends to lack warmth and soul,” says Jade Nottage, Director of Tom Mark Henry. The design also needed to include an extensive list of nail salon requirements, positively contribute to its location and adhere to the strict Barangaroo Green Star requirements.

Having designed the News Essentials at Barangaroo, Tom Mark Henry was experienced with the design standard and level of finish expected by Barangaroo developers Lendlease. As many of the surrounding tenancies are designed with a neutral palette and Scandinavian sensibility, Tom Mark Henry embraced its retrofeminine concept to produce a space distinct from its neighbours.

Inspired by the colours of California imagery, Tom Mark Henry dusted the salon in powder pink with accents of blue-green and burgundy and lush green palm trees to enhance the vintage Golden State vibe. A specialist artisan hand rendered the walls and ceiling with a subtle pink gradient, which is matched with handmade terracotta glazed tiles, timber panelling and gold trim to add gloss, depth and texture. Mirrors have curved corners and rounded bulkheads enhance the softness of the space. Arrangements of circular wall sconces are reminiscent of those that illuminate Hollywood dressing rooms, bringing a sophisticated ambience to the space and enhancing the hand rendered texture of the wall.

Tom Mark Henry customised the chairs and stools to suit the gentle design language of the salon. The graphics applied to the front window are an abstract reference to the geometry of fingernails, and hand-painted acrylic panels evoke the craft of nail painting. These shapes and forms can be seen in custom-designed features throughout California Nails, including the reception desk, bathroom basin and base plates of the door handles.

The design and construction of California Nails meets Barangaroo’s Green Star rating requirements, minimising the salon’s carbon footprint and contributing to the development’s target to become Australia’s first large-scale carbon neutral community. The Tom Mark Henry design team also selected materials that balance the chemical component of the manicure process, using an environmentally friendly clay- based render that helps to clean the air and control humidity.

Tom Mark Henry thrives on the creative and collaborative development of unique and exceptional spaces, and its authentic and adaptable approach ensures the dynamic studio continues to push the boundaries of design and expectation with spaces such as California Nails.

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