Natural polish: Tenoverten brings its vision of an ethical nail salon to Austin

New York City-based nail salon Tenoverten has brought its commitment to clean air and responsible nail care practices to Austin, Texas. In its first location outside of Manhattan, the loyally followed brand has set up shop in the much-buzzed about South Congress Hotel, now calling hyper-masculine Revival Cycles and an independent women’s boutique, Sunroom, its neighbours.

‘Austin embodies much of what the Tenoverten brand represents,’ says co-founder Nadine Abramcyk, ‘It is a strong community with creative people... that enjoy the simple pleasures and a cleaner lifestyle.’ An extension of this lifestyle is Tenoverten’s 8-free, cruelty-free, vegan and gluten-free polishes, now featuring a blue jean-inspired ‘Austin’ hue. Their shelves remain stocked with curated products that share the same ethical focus.  

With polished white surfaces, exposed textures and unfinished concrete flooring, the new location, designed by Michael Hsu Office of Architecture (also responsible for the South Congress Hotel), references the brand’s refined simplicity. Tenoverten also tapped Litmus Industries to fashion custom lighting for the space, a first for a shop that typically opts for vintage illumination. Litmus integrated exhaust fans into each manicure station to increase ventilation and ensure a high air quality in the salon. The grills disappear into stark white tabletops and silently underscore each customer’s fume-free mani.

‘We hope to emulate these Austin initiatives in our future salons,' explains Abramcyk. 'Our top priority is to create a safe environment for employees and clients to provide and receive long term nail care.'