Behind the Red Door

Sheila Kim-Jamet -- Interior Design, 10/1/2004 12:00:00 AM

For nearly a century, the Elizabeth Arden brand has been defined by red—the color of the door to the cosmetics pioneer's first shop, which opened in New York in 1910. Today, the scarlet-accented interior at the city's new Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon and Spa is the work of Brennan Beer Gorman Monk/ Interiors.

Elevators tucked behind a ground-level retail space in Midtown bring clients to the sixth-floor salon, where BBGM partner Christina Hart conceived the 5,500-square-foot interior as a group of four wedge-shape zones radiating from a "keyhole." The circle at the top of the keyhole houses the reception area, its floor clad in red quartzite tile. "It's our way of signaling that you've stepped inside the red door," explains Hart.

Shades of scarlet reappear in the vinyl covering the manicure zone's bench as well as the hair salon's padded chairs in the mode of Charles and Ray Eames. Another repeating element, veneer of cerused oak, was considered the epitome of luxury in the 1920's, says Hart. With white glaze rubbed into the oak grain to update the look, the veneer makes a first appearance on the 10-foot-long reception desk and the curved wall directly behind.

The wall is inset with rectangular acrylic panels that owe their vertical striations to embedded reeds. A similar treatment appears with bear grass embedded in the doors to the private room where resident hairstylist Raul Vega holds court. "It's like stepping into an oasis," says Nancy Mah, the BBGM associate who worked with Hart on the project.

Most clients, however, have their hair washed and colored in an open zone delineated by walls surfaced in cool blue back-painted glass. White Corian tops the 16 double-sided styling stations, their mirrors separated by strips of backlit acrylic, but flooring is considerably darker: Hart chose chocolate-brown porcelain tile, which is impervious to staining from hair dyes.

Flooring in the adjacent styling area is brown acrylic-impregnated walnut, able to camouflage any stray stains that might occur. For the manicure and pedicure zones, Hart opted for celery-green quartzite tile. "It's a happy color that can go both ways—young and energetic, yet calming," she explains.

The green quartzite complements the gray polypropylene shells of Philippe Starck's swivel chairs, set on castors, and the gray aluminum and polyurethane of Maarten van Severen's swivel chairs—paired at the 10 manicure stations. Nearby, a freestanding 15-foot-long cubby system of cerused oak gives staff access to clean towels.

In the pedicure zone, a Damien Hirst–inspired backlit acetate screen displays a composition of dots in Elizabeth Arden nail-polish colors, and a cluster of Achille Castiglioni's Fucsia glass pendant fixtures hangs above a four-sided banquette, a modern interpretation of the round velvet-covered one that appointed Arden's first salon. Here, the upholstery is vinyl and, of course, lipstick red.

From left: Enclosing a private styling room at the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon and Spa in New York, sliding double doors frame panels of resin embedded with bear grass. The pedicure zone's Achille Castiglioni glass pendant fixtures illuminate a custom vinyl-covered banquette, while a backlit acetate screen displays nail-polish colors.

From top: David Weeks's custom stainless-steel ceiling fixture hangs above manicure stations with cast-resin counters; Philippe Starck designed the polypropylene Hula Hoop chairs on castors, Maarten van Severen the .04 swivel chairs in aluminum and polyurethane. A custom desk in cerused-oak veneer and 1-foot-square quartzite tiles appoint the reception area. The styling area features vinyl-padded chairs, Corian-topped custom stations, and flooring of acrylic-impregnated walnut.

ACRYLIC PANELS (PRIVATE ROOM, MANICURE ZONE, RECEPTION): 3FORM. CHAIRS (PRIVATE ROOM, STYLING AREA): TAKARA BELMONT. CARTS (PEDICURE ZONE): CAPPELLINI. CUSTOM BANQUETTE: COSMOPRO. CUSTOM WALL SCREEN: DUGGAL. WALL TILE: ANN SACKS TILE STONE. WALL COVERING: MAHARAM. FLOORING (PEDICURE, MANICURE ZONES, RECEPTION): THROUGH STONE SOURCE. PENDANT FIXTURES (PEDICURE ZONE, STYLING AREA): FLOS. SWIVEL CHAIRS (MANICURE ZONE): VITRA. CEILING FIXTURE: RALPH PUCCI INTERNATIONAL. STATION TOPS: KINON. CUSTOM BENCH: JP DECORATORS. FLOORING (STYLING AREA): GAMMAPAR. STATION CORIAN: DUPONT. MILLWORK: GALE WOODWORKING. GENERAL CONTRACTOR: STRUCTURE TONE.