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      Snarkitecture designs Manifest “self-care” club in Washington DC

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      Design studio Snarkitecture incorporated tiled walls and arches into a club in the US capital that offers a barbershop, a coffee bar, a boutique and a speakeasy.

      Open to the public, the Manifest club occupies a slender, four-story building in Washington DC’s Adams Morgan neighbourhood.
      Manifest is entered through a courtyard lined with wooden wallsMeant to put “a sophisticated spin on self-care”, the club was conceived by the entrepreneur KJ Hughes, along with his partners Brian Merritt and Susan Morgan.
      The aim was to create a distinctive location where people could get a haircut or beard trim, grab an espresso, buy upscale streetwear and enjoy a cocktail.
      Tiled walls and arches were incorporated into the clubThe owners turned to New York’s Snarkitecture to design the project.

      “When we set out to design Manifest, it needed to be a new kind of barbershop, inviting to all people,” said Alex Mustonen, a firm partner.
      Snarkitecture added a barbershop to the project”Simultaneously, we wanted to create a sanctuary, a community space, an institution, a one-of-a-kind experience that still feels like home,” he said.
      Set back from the street, the Manifest building is entered through a courtyard lined with wooden walls.
      The studio used a largely restrained palette of materialsThe outdoor space is adorned with pockets of greenery and curved concrete benches. At the base of the benches are illuminated reveals made of LED strips with an acrylic diffuser.
      Inside, walls are clad in white tiles, and the floor is covered in large-format cement squares. For the millwork, the team used white oak with a natural finish.
      White oak was used for the millworkThe barbershop – which encompasses four stations and an area for washing hair – is fitted with chairs wrapped in buttery leather. The coffee bar features a counter with a fluted wooden base and a terrazzo top.
      In the retail zone, clothing by brands such as Engineered Garments and Homme Pliseé is displayed within arched, wooden niches. The store also sells apparel from Manifest’s own line, Of US.
      Chairs wrapped in leather feature in the barbershopStretching across the ceiling are wooden beams with embedded LED strips – a design element that contributes to the interplay of straight and curved lines in the space.
      “Unifying details throughout the space include archways – which are meant to represent the sloughing off of the old and moving into a new phase of life – while linear elements symbolise a sense of community and connection,” the designers said.

      Snark Park provides Snarkitecture with permanent exhibition space at Hudson Yards

      A “secret staircase” leads up to the speakeasy, which seats up to 30 guests. In contrast with the lower-level space, the bar has a moody atmosphere.
      Walls are sheathed in a custom green plaster, and floors are finished with dark-stained oak. Seating areas are adorned with green velvet banquettes and leather chairs from Nikari.
      The speakeasy has a moody atmosphereOverhead are arched forms that help create a sense of intimacy while also drawing a visual connection to the arches in the lower level. The arches are finished with mosaic green tile and safety glass with wire mesh.
      Throughout the club, Snarkitecture aspired to create an environment that was both comfortable and stimulating.
      Walls are sheathed in a custom green plaster”Every single element was designed to create a welcoming, intimate atmosphere that will invoke conversation and appeal to all the senses,” the team said.
      Later this spring, Manifest will expand to include a rentable apartment with a retractable glass roof and a terrace.
      Throughout the club, the atmosphere was designed to be both comfortable and stimulatingThis is not the first project in Washington DC by Snarkitecture. In 2018, the firm created a Fun House installation in the National Building Museum’s great hall that featured a white gabled house and a kidney-shaped ball pit.
      Other projects by the studio include a shop for streetwear brand Kith within a Parisian mansion, and an installation in a Manhattan gallery that consisted of 168 white spherical orbs that changed colours when touched.
      The photography is by Michael Grant.

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      Pastel colours and textured concrete decorate Stockholm hair salon

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      Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor has designed the interior for a minimalist hair salon that was informed by architect Carlo Scarpa’s geometric designs and the muted colours of 1920s swimming baths.

      Called Little Faktory, the salon was designed and renovated by the local architecture studio for hairdresser Sofia Geideby and is located in a former office in Stockholm, Sweden.
      Circle and square shapes define Little FaktoryWestblom Krasse Arkitektkontor overhauled the 220-square-metre basement space, which is over one hundred years old, to reveal its original textured concrete walls and exposed steel structure.
      As the salon is located underground, the studio explained that it also had to be “very careful working with artificial light”.
      Round mirrors hang above black chairsIts design for Little Faktory was intended to be minimalist and streamlined.

      “Our aim was to declutter the former office and create one big open space, making its four pillars the heroes of the main room again,” studio co-founder Jesper Westblom told Dezeen. “The challenge was to reduce, rather than to add things.”
      The salon features four original pillarsIn line with this pared-back approach, the firm painted the salon’s walls in a delicate, light yellow hue that intends to brighten its basement setting and maintain but soften the space’s industrial feel.
      Circles and squares are dotted throughout the salon in the form of mirrors and furniture. According to Westblom, they were informed by the geometric shapes seen in the late Italian architect Scarpa’s designs.
      The studio also drew on Scarpa’s use of contrasting colours.
      A washing station is located behind a perforated metal screenFreestanding haircutting stations are arranged in the centre of the salon’s main studio. These feature thick side tables shaped like plus-signs, as well as round mirrors mounted on powder-coated steel tubes.
      On one side of the main space, black leather chairs sit opposite a floating table that lines the concrete wall, above which embellished circular mirrors and square-shaped display shelves are positioned.
      Gustaf Westman recreated one of his mirrors in a bespoke colour for the projectA washing station can be found on the other side of the room, which is subtly separated from the rest of the area by a cloverleaf perforated metal screen that echoes the plus-shape used elsewhere.
      “The customer and the hairstylist represent one square each, on both sides, resulting in the plus shape,” Westblom explained.

      Nordic functionalism informs Stockholm beauty clinic by ASKA

      A colour lab, VIP area and private office space are located behind bespoke, glazed double doors, while the entrance stairwell is illuminated with spidery neon lights by designer Josefin Eklund.
      Also among the salon’s bespoke elements is a rectilinear mirror with a bulbous blue frame by Gustaf Westman, a design that the Swedish artist recreated in a custom colour specifically for the project.
      LED lights illuminate the stairwell in neonAll of Little Faktory’s interiors are created in a muted combination of the primary colours of red, yellow and blue, which Westblom explained is an ode to the salon’s slogan, “the colourful kind”.
      “We looked at some early, inspirational images that set the tone of the project,” he said.
      “One image, in particular, was of 1920s public baths with beautiful cream-coloured tiles, orange and red details and, of course, a blue swimming pool. This ended up forming our main colour scheme.”
      Mirrors shaped like paint splashes liven up the customer toiletThe project’s emphasis on colour is repeated in the customer toilet, where playful mirrors shaped like paint splashes are arranged opposite each other in an attempt to create an infinity effect.
      Little Faktory’s material palette includes rubber flooring, reeded glass and dyed fibreboard, which intend to complement the salon’s existing elements and provide functional solutions to its customers’ needs.
      Little Faktory is a basement hair salonJesper Westblom and Robin Krasse founded their eponymous Stockholm-based architecture firm in January 2021.
      Other recent hair salon designs that have colour and texture at their core include Danielle Brustman’s Mitch Studio – a Melbourne salon that features yellow accents and glass partitions – and Mood, a hair studio by Casa Antillón in Madrid with bold mint-green ceilings sprayed with insulation foam.
      The photography is by Mikael Olsson.

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      Casa Antillón pairs foam and steel in design of Madrid's Mood hair salon

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      Spanish studio Casa Antillón has incorporated galvanised steel elements throughout this hair salon in Madrid, which features bold mint-green ceilings sprayed with insulation foam.

      Prior to becoming the Mood hair salon, the five-by-ten-metre unit was an empty shell with barely finished walls and floors.
      Mood’s interior incorporates galvanised steel panelsCasa Antillón was tasked with finding a simple yet effective way to make this blank space more visually impactful.
      The studio, which is led by Marta Ochoa, Ismael López, Emmanuel Álvarez and Yosi Negrín, responded by completely covering the facade of the salon and large swathes of its interior with sheets of galvanised steel.
      Styling is done in front of large arched mirrors”It was the client’s proposal to work with an old friend of their family who is a construction expert in metallic solutions,” Casa Antillón told Dezeen.

      “The project aims for a maximum exploitation of the resources to build an iconic and quality space.”
      Insulation foam was sprayed onto the ceiling to create a bumpy finishSteel was used to line the salon’s street-facing wall and a deep-set box seat that was constructed around the front window.
      Metal panels also cover the rear wall, camouflaging a pair of silver-coloured doors that lead to the staff office and customer toilet.

      Danielle Brustman creates yellow highlights in sunny Melbourne hair salon

      Most of Mood’s remaining surfaces are finished in a complementary shade of light grey, while the ceiling was sprayed with insulation foam to create a bumpy texture and painted mint green.
      Casa Antillón applied the same colour to the salon’s support columns and the thick ceiling beam that runs along the length of the interior in order to “accentuate its longitudinal axis”.
      Silver doors blend into the salon’s rear wallSectioned off from the rest of the floor plan by curved steel screens, one side of the salon is given over to a dye lab where staff can mix up unique hair colours.
      The other side of the room houses a trio of arched backlit mirrors, each accompanied by a black styling chair.
      The street-facing wall and window seat are also lined with steel panelsJust behind are a couple of hair washing stations and a slim steel shelf that holds shampoos and conditioners.
      Towards the front of the salon there’s also a small waiting area, dressed with shapely black armchairs and a metal-framed coffee table.
      Black armchairs feature in the waiting areaOther striking hair salons include Qali in Vancouver, which was designed by Studio Roslyn to evoke the mood of 1980s Miami, and Mitch Studio in Melbourne, which designer Danielle Brustman outfitted with sunny yellow interiors.
      The photography is by Imagen Subliminal.

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      Nordic functionalism informs Stockholm beauty clinic by ASKA

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      Swedish architecture studio ASKA has drawn on the existing 1930s architecture for its refurbishment of Stockholm beauty salon MBS by Malika, adding arched shapes and oak veneer panelling.

      The beauty clinic in central Stockholm is located in a building designed in the Scandinavian modernist style known as Nordic functionalism – or simply funkis in Swedish.
      Doorways were given subtle arched shapesASKA, which is led by Polina Sandström and Madeleine Klingspor, made a number of structural changes to the space as part of the refurbishment, but wanted to keep the interior design both functional and stylish.
      The studio tore down most of the interior walls in the 70-square-metre salon to make more space for private rooms for its beauty therapists.
      The designers used oak veneer in reference to modernist designsAdditional walls were designed with the building’s modernist architecture in mind.

      “The new walls were designed in a way so they would go hand in hand with the rest of the architecture with oak detailing and structured glass, which also helps the daylight to get through the whole space,” Klingspor told Dezeen.
      “The centrally-placed dividing wall with the pseudo three arch was also an addition by us,” Sandström added.
      “From a functional aspect, it helps separate the public part of the clinic from the more private one.”
      A pale blue shade lines doorways and skirting boardsWood was used throughout the space, with oak veneer chosen as it was popular during the era when the building was constructed.
      The material added “the right nostalgic association” to the interior, while balancing out the otherwise clinical aesthetics and the salon’s cool colour scheme.
      ASKA aimed to create a light, clean atmosphere for the salon and chose to work with blue and white hues, with a pale blue shade lining the wooden skirting boards and door frames for a stylish contrasting detail.
      Colour was used to contrast against the abundant wood”We chose to add the popping blue colour because it works as a good contrast against the warm oak adding a fresh and clinical touch, while at the same time being a somewhat unusual choice for a beauty salon – adding a surprising element to the design,” Klingspor explained.
      In addition to changing the layout of the space, the studio also created a new showpiece for the salon, a tile-clad reception desk that greets visitors and references Finnish modernist architect Alvar Aalto.

      ASKA draws on Wes Anderson films for pastel-coloured Cafe Banacado design

      “The reception desk is something of a key element that captures the essence of the concept in one piece – a homage to the functionalist era with a modern twist,” Sandström said.
      “The white tiles were inspired by Aalvar Alto’s interior designs and help define the shape of the desk-corners thanks to their slightly rounded aesthetic.”
      A tiled desk with a contrasting laminate tabletop was designed for the receptionBoth the shape of the desk and the materials were also chosen to evoke the era.
      “The compact laminate was also a material choice that is true to the mid-century design era, whilst the blue colour and dark blue grout add a bold, unique element to the expression,” Sandström added.
      “The different heights of the desk helps to create two different areas in a true ‘form follows function’ manner.”
      Cream-coloured manicure tables are dotted throughout the spaceASKA also designed cream-coloured lounge tables and nail manicure stations for the salon.
      The studio has previously created a hair salon in Stockholm that features an undulating ceiling installation that looks like dripping shampoo, as well as a pastel-coloured cafe that references Wes Anderson’s film aesthetic.
      The photography is by Mikael Lundblad.

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      Danielle Brustman creates yellow highlights in sunny Melbourne hair salon

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      Yellow-tinted glass partitions and droplet-shaped mirrors give a unique personality to Australian hair salon Mitch Studio, renovated by interior designer Danielle Brustman.

      Mitch Studio is located in a double-storey 1950s building in the Melbourne suburb of Ashburton, in a shopfront that had already operated as a hairdressers for a number of years.
      Danielle Brustman wanted to use Mitch Studio’s brand colour, yellow, in the interior designBrustman’s client wanted to update the space to reflect their brand, which uses yellow as its signature colour. The designer set out to give the space a fresh and modern feel while using the sunny hue as a key part of the colour palette.
      The designer started by gutting the space entirely, leaving only the original concrete floor, which has been polished to achieve its final look.
      The reception area includes a custom-built retail display shelf and a six-globe chandelier by EntlerShe reconfigured the layout across two floors: on the ground floor is the reception and waiting area along with hair washing and cutting stations – the latter separated with the distinctive yellow glass partitions.

      The partitions create privacy and personal space while also, Brustman points out, proving useful when social distancing is required.
      The ground floor area includes hair washing and cutting stationsThe droplet-shaped mirrors at these stations were chosen to give the salon a bespoke touch, while referencing ideas of water and washing.
      “There is something lovely about the way the droplet mirrors create an infinity effect in the space, adding to the spaciousness,” Brustman told Dezeen.
      The space is designed to facilitate an easy flow of movement for the stylists throughout the dayAll the joinery on the ground floor is bespoke, including a reception desk clad in mustard-yellow glass mosaic tiles and a retail display shelf with similar white tiles.
      Most of the surfaces and finishes are in white, as is the sculptural six-arm chandelier by US design studio Entler.

      Qali hair salon by Studio Roslyn is “the lovechild of art deco and Cyndi Lauper”

      Upstairs, there are additional haircutting stations along with bathrooms, a kitchen and a small worktable – meant for customers who want to pull out their laptops while waiting for their hair treatments to take effect.
      The haircutting stations here have a different configuration, facing each other but divided by mirrors. Completed with pale moulded plywood chairs, they give the space an almost cafe-like appearance.
      The upstairs haircutting stations have a different configuration”We wanted to keep the spaces light and airy with a great deal of airflow and enough room for the clients and staff to feel spacious and comfortable in their surrounds,” Brustman said.
      She also paid attention to the employees’ workflow and aimed to design the space to be intuitive and relaxing for them. For instance, there are hair-recycling bins integrated into the joinery, so that stylists can dispose of waste on the spot.
      There is also a worktable that customers can use while they wait for their hair dye to takeBrustman is a Melbourne-based interior designer whose previous work has included the Brighton Street Early Learning Centre – a childcare centre with a different bright colour palette in every room.
      The photography is by Nicole England.

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