Conscious Tranquillity – Buff Nail Studios by GOLDEN

Words by Bronwyn Marshall
Photography by Sharyn Cairns
Styling by GOLDEN
Branding CIP Studio

Defying its genre, Buff Nail Studios is the essence of calm. Instead of leaning in the same direction as other offerings, GOLDEN has made a deliberate choice to pare back from the excessive detail usually associated with nail salons and instead focus on creating cool.

In its hidden location below street level, behind a pale blue door, clients are ushered into the cave-like space, stirring a curiosity from the outset. Although you’d likely be expecting a chaotic scene, the opposite is true. Wanting to pave its own path, the focus of the studio is directed towards a more conscious core, with a tranquil atmosphere and low toxin, vegan-friendly and cruelty-free products on offer.

Wanting to pave its own path, the focus of the studio is directed towards a more conscious core, with a tranquil atmosphere and low toxin, vegan-friendly and cruelty-free products on offer.

A similar approach inspires the colours and materiality, which embody an overarching restraint. Custom features help to define the space, with thin linear lighting arms, concealed lighting, polished plaster walls and a concave ceiling, to name a few. While sunken, a vertical garden remains as the natural connection.

The result is a space that could easily be mistaken for a retreat or spa. Herein lies the delight – a take on the classic nail salon that firmly places it in the company of the new breed of design-focused wellness retreats.