Our client, Angela Manning, originally hired us in 2014 to create interior design concepts for her waxing studio in Bothell, WA. She was thrilled with the results and worked in the space for several years until she experienced a stroke of bad luck. A fire burned down the building she was working in! She lost everything.
In 2017 she had to regroup and start over, eventually landing on this space in Mountlake Terrace. We started with a raw shell inside a brand new building. There were no walls, doors or lights – just exposed concrete and columns. We created a functional floor plan with 3 treatment rooms, a break room, a lobby/lounge, and a semi-enclosed brow waxing area.
Function and layout was just the first step in creating the ideal environment. We then had to bring in furnishings, color, and lighting. The visual concept for the interior was Global Modern. The goal was to bring clients into an international escape, with elements of Morocco, India, and other exotic locations. Each treatment room was painted a different color to create several moods throughout the space, and we focused on some key pieces of art, furniture and lighting to achieve the effect we wanted. A custom-painted henna design on the front windows finishes off the studio and becomes the first impression from the street.
The project was a balance between achieving the right function and look, and as any small business owner will tell you, budget-consciousness. We achieved cost savings in many areas but the main ways were: 1) we left the pipes and ducting in the ceiling exposed and just painted them, 2) we used a coating on the floor in lieu of tile, and 3) we sourced many of the furnishings from budget-friendly sources. However we balanced the cost-saving elements with several gorgeous investment pieces to create a beautiful interior for this business with soul.
Note from Lindsey: these photos are very meaningful to me because they were taken by Alex Haden, who died a few months after taking them. He was a very talented and kind person and is dearly missed.
