As one of the world-famous travel destinations in the world, Bali has been known for its amazing diversity and variety when it comes to design. Aside from the island’s original traditional design based on strong heritage, the island has been receiving much international design influence as well, making it one of the biggest design melting pots. One of the recent great finds that represents this melting pot is Think Pink Nails.
Established seven years ago, Think Pink Nails is one of the most famous beauty spots on the island with a legion of loyal customers from local celebrities to even Paris Hilton! Taking the concept of New York urban style, this 80 sqm nail salon in the heart of Seminyak is a one-stop beauty centre with nail treatment as their main focus. The New York style of design can already be seen from the façade, where the black and white colours serve as a canvas for the entire design theme. A striking pink coloured signboard with the words: “Think Pink Nails” is the main accent of the overall first impression.
The black and white theme continues on inside the salon, also serving as a canvas for its interior design concept. Everything from the classic stripe pattern wallpaper, the furniture to the pedicure massage spa chairs carry this black and white theme rigorously. Upon entering, the registration area can be found, and it is directly connected to the main pedicure area that features an array of luxurious massage spa chairs on a half-circle room. The centre column structure in this area is transformed into a piece-de-resistance with a camp-style mural of Audrey Hepburn surrounded with multicolour abstract flowers.
Aside from this magnificent-looking artistic column, this main area is also highlighted by a series of accents such as crystal chandeliers, a series of lightbox installations with New York city landscapes to mimic windows complete with its pretend red curtains, as well as hundreds of flying orizuru or paper cranes that are made using the Japanese origami technique. After this area comes the feature wall with glass display cabinets showcasing over 2500 nail polish colours from various renowned international brands such as OPI, Tom Ford, Christian Louboutin and many others.
The next section is a manicure bar equipped with iPads, as well as the private room that can host a pair of guests. A lavish damask-patterned wallpaper in black and white colour dominates this private room, along with a chandelier and more flying orizuru, consistent of its overall design.
Think Pink Nails founded in 2012 by Arvyanti Arief has an extensive beauty facility that offers various treatments such as hair styling, facials, waxing and threading, massages, and even eyelash extension services for both men and women. On top of that, Think Pink Nails is also known for its award-winning nail therapists and artists who can create amazing nail art designs.
Arvyanti had the vision to channel a small part of the Plaza Hotel in New York City to bring a touch of Manhattan to Bali. “The Plaza is a super old-school grand dame of a hotel with big chandeliers all over the place and I wanted to have that aspect in the salon. I also used a lot of Damask patterns, as well as black and white stripes throughout the salon, as I find them to be very old-school. Another important element is that I like to feature a lot of Audrey Hepburn. I commissioned a graffiti artist to feature Audrey Hepburn in the centre column of the salon.”
As the person who created the design, Arvyanti’s initial approach to her salon is to have curved elements, knowing that this space is mostly going to be used by women. Hence, a softer round design would be appropriate. “I didn’t want the salon to be very pink however. I prefer elements of black and white, therefore you see a lot of that in my salon. I wanted the salon to have somewhat of a campy feel, but obviously, it can’t feel like Liberace threw up in there. When dealing with a slightly campy feel, one needs to know when to stop I suppose,” added Arvyanti.
We can say that this salon showcases the true spirit of campy chic that focuses on artifice and exaggeration. The camp sensibility concept that was first introduced by Susan Sontag’s brilliant 1946 essay called “Notes on Camp” is translated into a dramatic look with a sense of theatricality and humour. However, pulling off a campy chic interior design concept needs a great understanding of balance and editing to have a harmonious result.
Think Pink Nails is more than just a nail salon. It is a place where aesthetic beauty meets New York City campy chic, surrounded by Bali’s mystical heritage.