Health & Wellness
Toronto, Canada | Completed 2022

Photographer: Jeremie Warshafsky

Known as the epicentre of upscale fashion and chic lifestyles, Yorkville is a destination for world-class shops and restaurants—a place to be seen and experience ultimate luxe. Conversely, intending to create a restrained space, pulled back from Yorkville’s ostentatious grandeur—and reflect the brand’s ethos to provide a personal and soothing experience—the design envisions a new form of luxury: one elevated to a serene oasis yet grounded in earthly textures and colours.

Minimalism in the space invokes tranquility—a space dedicated to rejuvenation.

The layout takes its cue from Morocco’s riads; interior gardens designed for privacy and protection from the weather, originally arranged symmetrically along a rectangular fountain. In echo, Beauty et Al’s different treatments—mani, pedi, hair, brow & lash—are arranged linearly along one side of the room, each under a semi arched backdrop, giving privacy for each client to relax.

Materials speak to earth’s elements: clay tiles clad the semi arched backdrops behind each treatment station (hair, brows and pedicure); translucent corian manicure table tops and cascading gauze curtains evoke the flow and fluidity of water; and bespoke foot baths are inspired by the geometry of river rocks. Wood tones in the floors and furnishings add warmth and texture to the overall natural palette.

Indirect light runs along the profiled edge of each alcove and walls, reinforcing subtle divisions between treatment areas, while gently illuminating the salon’s interior. Small spotlights are dispersed across the curved ceiling evoking a star-lit quality in the space. 

Beauty et Al’s rejuvenation salon is a respite from Toronto’s fast-paced city life. Inspired by and composed of natural elements, the spatial design subliminally reinforces the brand’s raison d’être:

Self-care is the new luxury.