Salon in the Spotlight: Candy Claws, Birmingham

Millie Mills modelled Candy Claws salon’s decor around her personality and style, creating a salon space with inclusivity, artistry and creativity at its core.

“I wanted my clients to know who I am when they walk through the door. Candy Claws is a safe space which is fun and playful, with nostalgic elements and a cool girl edge,” she tells Scratch.

Millie Mills

Millie dropped out of university in 2019, determined to pursue her dream of becoming a nail artist. “I have always been interested in art and fashion, and a career in nails gives me the chance to explore both,” she shares. “I trained with the Little Beauty School in Birmingham and on qualifying, I purchased a set of nail brushes and continued to practice my application skills.”

Supported by her parents and partner, Millie converted her parents’ garage into the Candy Claws nail studio in 2021. However, in late 2023, she was forced to find a new premises when they decided to sell the house. “I found a space quite quickly, but it needed a lot of work. I swapped my nail art brushes for paintbrushes, and spent two weeks tearing out burgundy carpet and adding colour to magnolia walls,” she reveals.

The former office space is within a Georgian building, and directly opposite a train station: just 15 minutes from Birmingham city centre. “The décor of my studio reflects my personality and style, and is a mix of cool and vintage features,” Millie continues. “I bought an old locker from Facebook Marketplace and added a lick of paint and some artwork to create a Mean Girls vibe.

“Being the thrifty queen I am, I managed to secure a beautiful chesterfield sofa. The worn-out leather contrasts with my choice of zebra and flower-shaped cushions,” she smiles. Millie also hand-made her nail desk, recalling hours spent cutting and tiling to create her dream design.

“There’s so much colour and life injected into the salon, using different tones and textures.”

She specialises in nail artistry, and loves working with chrome powders, charms and 3D elements. “Builder gel with detailed nail art is my most popular treatment, and clients tend to let me have full creative freedom.

“I love to create designs that catch people’s eye, so I wanted Candy Claws to be a safe, inclusive space for clients to express themselves through nail art and creativity,” Millie notes.

“I’ve created a workspace I love, which is happy, relaxing and exciting all at once. It’s my own space for me to invite clients into, and they love it in here as much as I do. Many clients have commented on how comfortable they are in the salon.”

Millie hopes to one day create a warehouse-style setup featuring nail pros alongside tattoo artists, tooth gem specialists and hairdressers: ‘a one-stop-shop for everything!’

Follow Candy Claws salon on Instagram, here.