Design Detail: One Blowdry Bar

Concept: Part Hollywood Regency, part midcentury modern, and just a hint industrial, this blowout salon on Macy’s Herald Square’s basement-level “millennial floor” serves up a club-like aesthetic while pampering shoppers before a night out on the town.

1 STATEMENT PIECE

More than a thousand aluminum tubes, in eight varying lengths, make up the attention-grabbing sculptural ceiling feature at the salon’s entrance. Upon crossing the threshold, “it feels like you’ve arrived somewhere that has a real drama to it,” says Norman Roberts, vp, managing creative director of FRCH Design Worldwide (Cincinnati), the firm responsible for the salon’s design.

2 ON BRAND

A focal wall of stacked walnut planks creates movement and lends to the interior’s eclectic vibe. A subtle wash of light plays up the texture to add depth, while the rich tones of the wood contrast with the LED-backlit logo to make the branding pop.

3 PREPPED AND PRIMED

Stylists’ tools are neatly stored behind the bar, while tablets line the front. Guests are encouraged to use the tech just as they would at home: to shop, browse, or perhaps, plan their evening, while they get selfie-ready with hair, nail and makeup treatments. “They can keep their lives going and not be ‘held captive’ during the process,” Roberts says.

4 BOLD AND BRIGHT

Abundant cove lighting and task pendants work in tandem with the salon’s all-white floor and ceiling – a departure from the rest of the basement level’s scheme – to make the space stand out and act as a “beacon,” explains Roberts. “They really wanted this space to glow.”

5 METICULOUS MANEUVERING

Wash stations are concealed by a retro-chic partition for privacy. And unique to this Macy’s shop-in-shop, their installation required careful coordination with neighboring merchants. “We had to pass two floors down through two subbasements to bring the ductwork back up,” says Roberts, in addition to configuring the plumbing for the wash stations.

Project Suppliers

Retailer
One Blowdry Bar, Red Bank, N.J.

Design
FRCH Design Worldwide, Cincinnati: Norman Roberts, Liz Dang, Randall Ng, Mike Magee.

Architecture
Highland Associates, New York

Outside Design Consultants and Lighting
Lighting Workshop, New York

General Contractor
J. Phelan Construction Co., Huntington, N.Y.

Ceiling Sculpture
Stylmark, Fridley, Minn.

Fixtures
Van Stry, Malden, Mass.

Wall Tile
KPGD (Stone and Tile), New York

Furniture
Jonatan Adler, New York

Signage/Graphics
Colite, Columbia, S.C.

Materials/Wallcoverings
Materials Inc., Hackensack, N.J. 

Photography: Max Bolzonella, New York