During the first month of the pandemic lockdown, my aesthetician, Kyle, asked me to pick a couple paint colors for his day spa. I tried to do just that, but a flood of inspiration came over me. And fair warning: I’m not good at picking “just a few paint colors.”
Obviously, his line of business was completely shut down by the State orders during the initial quarantine. During 2020, he was closed for about nine months.
So, while closed the first time in Spring 2020, Kyle thought he would do a little updating to his space by painting some walls. He didn't have much budget -- but he had time.
I had a little extra time, too. So I couldn’t help myself but to design an entirely new “look” for his space.
You know that I believe in the power of design. The power of design to transform our moods. The power of design to influence our behaviors. The power of design to level-up a business, and change a life in the process.
My team and I volunteered to come up with a plan for Kyle that included a complete redesign and even new branding. With a lot of sweat equity from Kyle, his parents, and my own team – the vision was brought to life!
Several companies that I work with also opened up their hearts and wallets to support this local business. PlanIt Reprographics, who does all my plan printing, generously printed the incredible photo mural for me. My good pal Lenny Vainberg, of Living Décor, donated the show-stopping NaturaPlank wood panels that adorn the lobby. Thank you, thank you!
It's almost a cliche to say that giving back is really selfish, because it makes you feel so good. But in this case, it was absolutely true for me. Even though our design firm stayed busy during the pandemic, focusing on helping someone else kept my mind busy and my thoughts positive.
Re-inventing this space for Kyle was one of the bright spots of 2020 for me, and really helped get me through the stressful time that was the initial lockdown.
Welcome to the new GROOM!
THE BACKSTORY
I have known Kyle for about 15 years, since shortly after I moved to Palm Springs. We were both in our 20s! I have always gone to him for facials and other personal grooming needs. He moved away about 10 years ago and we lost touch. He moved back to the desert a few years ago, and since then I have been visiting his new day spa location.
Before + After (use arrows for a full tour!)
Before + After
For sanitary and aesthetic reasons, we swapped out the carpeting for sheet vinyl from Lowe's. His clients keep telling him that they can't believe it's not tile! It has a cement tile look, for a fraction of the price.
More than a Makeover
Kyle already carried a luxury line of skin care products, Eminence. Since most of his clientele is men, the entrepreneur in me thought it would be a good idea to diversify his product assortment and offer a more mid-priced product targeted at a male clientele. The beard oil has been especially popular!
I think the Pandemic has made all of us realize that diversifying our business is a good idea!
In the treatment room, a photo of Albert Frey's iconic 1965 gas station strikes a graphic note; bold, but not too bright. This piece is my own collection of artwork for Wendover Art Group. Full details here.
The paint color is Desert Sage by Dunn-Edwards. See below for full sources.
Before + After
Before + After
Wall Treatment
In the lobby, wood planking from my friends at NaturaPlank created a sense of warmth and escape. These planks are available online and are super easy to install. Since we were mixing shades of brown and grey throughout the space, I ordered mostly the Chocolate Hazel Browns colorway, but mixed in a few of their grey planks to tie the space together. You can get the look here.
Peel-and-stick wood panels from NaturaPlank transport you the minute you walk in the door. Get the look here.
"Very Open" is part of the Christopher Kennedy Collection for Wendover Art Group. $222 and available online.
After six months of being closed, I know that GROOM is excited to be "Very Open!"
If you love the "Very Open" artwork, you can shop it here.
Shop the look:
I hope you enjoyed this transformation!
xo
CK