In a somewhat depressingly predictable trend, hair studios have – on the whole – spent the last ten years or so, slowly merging into an indecipherable blend of stark white interiors, clinical furnishings, and general soullessness… The reason being, we’re told, is to accommodate the stylist’s perfect working environment… light, spacious and devoid of distraction. But what of the customer’s desire for a more engaging experience… warm, inviting and visually stimulating? Well, it would seem Swiss designers, Zmik, in collaboration with SÜDQUAI patente.unikate, have the answer… a stark, dramatic fusion of the two.

The reception of Basel’s Hairstyling Nafi has ceilings and walls that are entirely covered with vintage cuttings from Vogue, photocopied onto packaging paper for a added aged appeal, the wooden floor precisely matching their earthy tones. The studio, however, is the spectacular antithesis… minimal, metallic furnishings and the aforementioned stylists dream. The border between the starkly contrasting spaces is equally dazzling with it’s exact, sharp lines separating the two ‘fit for purpose’ spaces… if only all dilemmas could be solved with this level of clear thinking…