Online hair brand transformed into 'soft but strong' physical store

Online hair extension brand Gleam Seamless has opened up a physical store in New York’s Soho with a design aesthetic that draws on the “pretty in pink-ness” of the Glam brand.

Designed by Sergio Mannino Studio, the salon is a cream and pale pink (the colours of the brand) and features custom-made ombre string curtains that fade from blush pink to white and define and separate the sales area from the more secluded salon itself and the private office.

View of the entryway to the hair salon area

Together with the colour scheme, the curtains contrast with the clean, modern-retro-inspired lines of the salon counters and displays. The displays are part glass, part sheer surface and part handmade pink Terrazzo tiles.

The hair display wall

“One of the design challenges we faced in this project was incorporating the pretty in pink-ness of Glam’s brand into the design – which is its main aesthetic,” explains Sergio Mannino, founder Sergio Mannino Studio.

The cash counter

“Baby pink is a difficult colour because it all too easily makes a space feel childish or just too cutesy. The light wooden floor, the subtly textured Terrazzo tiles, the glass in various places throughout the design, and the bold shapes of the lights and custom mirrors all helped to offset this. We wanted a feminine space that was soft but strong – and these design decisions came together to make it happen.”