This Detroit nail salon offers so much more than manicures

Nail salons offer the opportunity to put art literally at your fingertips, whether you’re opting for a classic manicure or long acrylics. As far as their interiors go, however, design can be an afterthought, with cramped workstations, poor lighting and peeling pleather swivel chairs. Not so with Cure Nailhouse, a just-opened salon in Detroit.

Colourful feature walls, playful flourishes and a tightly-curated selection of art makes this space no ordinary beauty parlour. And so do the services on offer: there are minimal gel manis, yes, but also two and three-dimensional ‘fine art’ adornments that transform talons into ‘ephemeral sculptures.’

Detroit native Cyndia Robinson set out to establish Cure as an interdisciplinary platform, bridging beauty services with the education and professional opportunities that remain disproportionately inaccessible to Black women. Situated in the city’s burgeoning Sugar Hill district, Cure is quickly becoming a neighbourhood hub; a nail salon, yes, but also a coffee shop, a bar, a gallery and a cosmetology school.

Design was an essential ingredient in not only creating consistency across these different functions but also as a way of elevating the whole experience. ‘While Cyndia has been trying to create community in a city that she loves, I’ve been framing interior design around the idea of inclusivity,’ says Tiffany Thompson, founder of award-winning Portland, Oregon-based practice Duett Interiors. She worked closely with Robinson to dream up the interiors of Cure. ‘We came together with the goal of creating a space where people can be seen and heard — even if they’re not getting their nails done.’

Harnessing the power of colour, texture and material, Thompson developed interiors that are both refined and audacious. As she notes, visitors – and regulars – enter through Cure’s nondescript glass box exterior only to encounter a series of bold interventions. ‘We wanted them to linger longer, appreciate the design and the artists we’ve brought into the space,’ she adds.

The talents in residence don’t merely paint or decorate nails but create works of art. Clients can choose from an ever-changing list of concepts, presented in a leather-bound menu. Robinson’s mother is also a renowned nail artist and pops in every now and then.

The first focal point of Cure is the Bar. For this multifunctional area, Thompson opted for a Venetian plaster in a dusty mauve. The colour carries across from the main feature wall – with recessed display shelves – to the vaulted ceiling. The bar itself is rendered in sleek metal and is accented by Polish designer Oskar Zięta’s inflated metal Plopp Kitchen stools. Here, you can have a coffee or a glass of Champagne. You can then peruse the art or design objects on view – created by local and national talents carefully selected by Thompson and Robinson.

Though some of the nail treatments are done at the bar, most are carried out on about a dozen custom-fabricated stations in an area known as the Studio – rendered in a different tone of the same plaster-like paint. When the nail techs finish for the day, these surfaces become intimate cocktail tables at night.

Above it is a gallery wall showcasing portraits of women – track athlete Florence Griffith Joyner (aka Flo-Jo), Diana Ross and Madam C.J. Walker, an early-20th-century beauty entrepreneur who is considered America’s first woman millionaire – ‘iconic Black women I find inspirational,’ says Robinson. Pride of place among the bunch? A photo of her mother.

Further in, visitors encounter the Interlude wash-station; a large sink mounted on a curvilinear cabinet nestled within a semi-enclosed alcove. Also finished in a lime-wash texture, the custom element is adorned in handmade brass pulls. ‘It’s a place to pause and reflect before getting your nails done,’ Thompson explains.

Toward the rear of the expansive space is the Study soak room, which incorporates five bays for pedicures. Separated by curtains made out of Nordic Knots fabric, each station is covered in oxblood-red tiles. One wall features a displayed selection of rare magazines. ‘I’ve been to nail salons and all that’s on offer to read are old issues of People with Tom Cruise on the cover,’ Thompson says. ‘Nobody wants to look at that. Here, I wanted to actually celebrate good print and feature unexpected titles like vintage foot festish rags and issues of JET.’

A careful selection of art can also be found in this room. There’s a piece reconstituting a cover of the latter publication by Thompson’s boyfriend, renowned painter Julian Gaines. Like the art and design on display near the bar, everything here is for sale.

One space remains empty, but is full of fresh possibilities. With its forthcoming Nail Craft certification program, Cure will offer technical training and foster artistic development for budding nail artists. The fledgling talents can gain real world experience observing the artists in residency at work in the adjoining studio. Robinson and her team are also set to host a series of public workshops in the near future.

‘For Cure, I drew inspiration from a lot of different sources from all the places I’ve visited around the world but also Detroit,’ Robinson shares. ‘I’ve been here for a long time but never really felt there was a place for us to call home, a place where we as Black women could be celebrated and appreciated. Cure is exactly that.’