Salon in the Spotlight: The Nail Box, Derby

Offering her clients a sunny spot for nail appointments, Carol-Ann Beresford used Lockdown 2.0 in November to create a new nail studio.

“I started my nail journey 12 years ago as an employed trainee nail technician,” Carol-Ann explains. “After years of hard work, I took a leap of faith to become self employed in 2013 and haven’t looked back since. The Nail Box was born almost three years ago when I rented a small ‘box room’ in a local hairdressers.

“I have always wanted a space to call my own. When me and my partner purchased our house back in June this year, I knew I wanted it to be in our beautiful back garden. Planning permission and a build later, I was set up at home.”

Offering clients a one-to-one experience, The Nail Box sees a calm and tranquil setting. “It’s also known as The Bird Hide due to our garden attracting lots of different species of birds as well as other wildlife!” smiles Carol-Ann. “It really is something you can’t find in town or city centre locations.”

The surrounding wildlife in turn has influenced the salon’s décor. “I knew from the offset with The Nail Box being located in the garden and with the building itself made out of timber, I needed to bring the outside in,” Carol-Ann states. “I opted for neutral tones, wood and rattan for a calming and natural look, while incorporating white for freshness and a pop of yellow which is my signature colour.

“I wanted to create a calm and tranquil setting so no matter what stresses my clients have been through that day, as soon as they step foot in the door they can switch off, unwind, get pampered and leave feeling peaceful.

“My favourite part of the studio is the view from the clients chair. This overlooks our pond where we have over 20 fish and our water feature. We have a west facing garden so in summer clients can take advantage of the patio area, catch some rays and listen to the running water.”

When ask her top tips for decorating salon space, Carol-Ann agrees that you have to stay true to yourself. “Before you start decorating you need to look at your brand, location and what vibe you want you want to achieve,” Carol-Ann explains. “How do you want your clients to feel when they’re in your studio? Once you’ve figured this out try and put together a mood board.

“When you have a clear picture in your mind of how you want it to look it, it makes it easier when it comes to choosing the right colours, furniture and accessories to match.”

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