When Tokyo designer Yusuke Seki set out to create the interior of a nail salon, he began with a color palette inspired by skin tones and nail polish colors.
Kolimo+LIM salon in Osaka is an extension of the Less Is More (LIM) hair salons in the area, and offers basic nail and eyelash beauty services. Kolimo means triangle in Finnish, and references the wall with a triangular opening that Seki created to connect the two sections of the salon. "The store layout of basic wood and white has been designed to reflect the essential color of natural skin tones, and the space itself is intended to symbolize the process of nail coloring," Seki says.
Beyond the neutral tones, subtle pastels and neons can be seen painted on ventilation screens and single walls—these color blocks reference not only nail lacquer but the colorful buildings of the surrounding neighborhood. Join us on a tour.
Photography by Takumi Ota for Yusuke Seki.
Above: The zigzag triangular wall is made from white-painted wood that looks as though its been crimped. Seki points out that the design refracts sun streaming in through the back windows in much the same way that glitter nail polish catches light.
Above: Curtains of metallic gold fabric separate treatment chairs in the back of the shop.
Above: A pale pink minimalist corner is designed as a place to sit while polished nails dry.
Above: Painting stations are furnished with chairs by Hee Welling for Hay in dove gray on a veneered oak frame. Hay's About a Chair is $360 from Huset.
Above: A lineup of nail stations beneath an industrial vent is where most of the work is done. The custom-built tables are kitted out with plenty of storage for manicure tools; a cutout beneath the surface is for resting the hand that's not being worked on. The puzzle-like wood floor was hand laid.
Above: The palette of the room, Seki says, is an expression of the Japanese proverb, "Diverse men, diverse minds," which also translates as "ten people have ten different colors"—or to each his own nail polish.
Above: Next to a trio of stools in the reception area, floating wooden shelves intersect the crimped wall.
Above: Color is applied sparingly and artfully: here, pale blue meets soft pink on a back wall, and a single ventilation screen is painted neon yellow.
Have some extra nail polish in shades you'd like to live with? Put it to use with our DIY: Easy, Colorful Switch Plate Covers. For more pale shades and paint inspirations, rummage through our Pastels Image Gallery.
Location of Kolmio + LIM Nail Salon in Osaka:
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