Salon in the Spotlight: SKETCHED by J-A Nails, Larkfield, Kent

“I originally opened SKETCHED four years ago after having worked as a resident nail tech in a hair salon for four years,” Julie-Anne Lariviere explains. “I was expecting my son at the time and found it was the right time to convert my garage into a nail salon so I could work from home with more flexible hours.”

Julie-Anne Lariviere

While she had to close her doors to clients, Julie-Anne decided to use her time in lockdown wisely and refurbish the salon. “I really wanted to give it a trendy yet more fun and personal feel,” she explains. “I wanted my clients to feel like they were visiting a trendy high street salon rather than just a regular home salon.

“I love art and my new place reflects this since most of the things in it have been customised or handmade. I had been dreaming of having a very unique worktop for years and I achieved it using an acrylic pour technique which was then coated in resin. The artworks on the wall are my own as well. My love for painting doesn’t just stop at nails so my new place has a little of everything I am passionate about… even a Disney quote on the wall!”

The result sees a bold workspace for Julie-Anne to welcome clients to. “I wanted the new salon to be bold and eye catching,” Julie-Anne smiles. “I like retro, contemporary yet modern styles –  all mashed up into one! I did lots and lots of ‘Pinteresting’ over lockdown and saved a million ideas but they were all so different from one another.

“I decided to embrace the fact I can never stick to one particular style and have just picked every item in my salon because I fell in love with it, rather than because it fitted a certain style.

“The marble effect top on desk was actually an accident. It was not meant to look like the end result, but I got carried away with the paint and it turned out even better than I anticipated.

“The salon lifts up my mood. When I walk into it, I just smile. It really is now the perfect place for me to be creative and for my clients to feel cosy!”

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