The pensive elegance of the Cherish Spa & Salon House, in Himmatnagar, lies in its tactful design. This space embraces all the aspects of a modern cozy space and is distinctly modern in its avatar.
The Indian spa industry has grown by leaps and bounds. If you look at the age-old therapeutic treatments that have its strong roots in Ayurveda and the super-luxury ambiance of the modern-day luxury spa that have sprouted all over our vast country, what you get is a blend of the traditional and opulent luxury that you find only in India.
Taking this singular purpose ahead, The Cherish Spa and salon in Himmatnagar is a refurbish center which seeks to provide their clients nothing but relaxation and leisure. The owners of The Cherish parlor house were very much determined that they want a very uniquely designed building which would stand out in the administrative headquarters the taluka, Himmatnagar. As the holders of this property wished to merge the relaxation area with their home, the architects very strategically sketched the plan of this Spa-Salon Center cum Home.
The outline of this edifice was formulated in a way that it utilizes maximum land and have ample ventilation facilities. The entire structure consists of three floors, each floor dedicated to services and their habitat. There were a few restrictions regarding the amount of area available to construct the building, but it was taken care of and was modeled with a certain technique which did not compromise with the functionality of the space.
As the site is completely surrounded by residential area and commercial complex, privacy was a major concern. To resolve this issue, the outer side was mounted with window slits which would give them required seclusion from eye level where it can let in natural daylight.
The facade being developed in a unique way from all the sides gives open space to the building and it doesn’t seem congested even on the inside. As the back side faces east, it is kept open for fresh air ventilation, the west side is rather subjected to natural sunlight which causes absorption of heat, but it is treated with the fabrication of metal net and a large scale louvered screen which lets daylight in and obstructs heat. These window slits are made out of rainfall effect slate stones which enhances the looks of the facade.
The Cherish spa complex is functionally zoned in accordance with different kinds of treatments and leisure activities. It is a whole new concept which includes other facilities such as Hairstyling Salon, Special pedicure services, Exclusive bridal studio and other recreational provisions. The designers have taken care of customers’ comfort and have come up with leisure waiting zones where they can relax after of before their treatments.
The Entrance
The doorway to the entrance is a massive and tall main door with monochrome shades of tiles on it, giving a little sneak peek of what is inside. Entering the spalon leads to a heavy metal frame display for which exhibits the range of beauty products they use. Opposite to the showcase is a formal sitting arrangement with a bright green colored leather sofa on a uniquely textured wall. Before you enter into a saloon.
The Reception & Waiting Area
As reception is the entering area of the salon the owners wanted it to be welcoming. The designers gave a unique look to the table by cutting the letters of MDF, the place’s name to it with a backlight, and a background of a sophisticated onyx effect of alabaster. To add yet another element in the entrance they designed a scissor of human scale made with stainless steel inscribed with salon equipment graphics on it. The ceiling in the entrance has small triangular pieces cut in the veneer which is handmade by the carpenters.
The Exquisite Stairway & Foyer
With a building so huge they had to take care of services circulation. It was significant for the owners to be connected to all places at one time. To suffice this necessity they created a space with center foyer, where all the doors, stairs and lifts fall in the central foyer. This made the horizontal and vertical circulation much easier and approachable.
A double-height foyer was built to go with the uniquely designed stairs with many metal plates going parallel & glass treads for transparency. It has a pebbled landscaped flooring underneath and a nice stone textured lift opposite to which there is a wall which has L-shape dark wallpaper from the first floor to soffit till toilet of the ground floor which is continued by graphic paneling to hide toilet door.
When you start climbing the stairs you see an alluring Mural of a lady with open hair curved in birch wood which is highlight of the foyer. The glass flooring is made with MS plates framing on the first floor accompanied by long light fixture with handmade glass lamps hanging from the double height floor.
The Hairstyling Salon
This is the most significant area in the spa complex. This place expects the highest footfall in the hairdressing zone, hence it has five chairs for haircut services and two shampoo chairs for other treatments.
The mirrors in front of each chair are tall to give a full view to the customers. The back wall of the mirror is cladded with silver tiles and to give more edge to its looks the mirror are hung out of the frame.The rest of the platform consists of shelves with beautiful geometrical hanging lights above each chair. This area has a dark ceiling with exposed pipes for lighting & metallic tile flooring, with portrait painting on the front wall.
The Pedicure/Manicure Room
Every ceiling in this complex are unique and are well suited to each room. This room has a ceiling with Kutch mirror and mud work which can be enjoyed by the clients while they are in the rejuvenation stage. It also has a green bamboo planter on backdrop & stone texture on basin wall which adds to aesthetics of the room.
The Wax Room
This section demands privacy so the designers have completely concealed it. It has a huge mirror installed on one of the walls to expand the visual dimensions.
The Facial Room
This room has an elegant ceiling which is a handmade masterpiece. It is made of wood strips going through the length of the ceiling with profile light running in between & ending randomly on walls with a spotlight creating spectacular visual drama.
This room is kept a little dark with low height and indirect-lit walls to give the clients a soothing experience. The designers have kept the tiniest details in mind for this room, they have given a spotlight right above the serving bed so that the face cleaning becomes convenient for the staff. There is also a provision for preparation table with a basin in all rooms, so even this room has a preparation table with nano white stone top and a stone texture backdrop.
The Bridal Room
The bridal room in itself requires a lot of storage and easy access to material which are used to get the bride ready. So the designers took the liberty of space and planned a storage as the main backdrop in the overall interior of the room and prepared a distinctive design with boxes arranged in and out with plenty of storage in it. It is covered with textured non-tearable wallpaper and SS handle.
The preparation table spots a mirror which is lit with profile light on sides which has drawers of bronze glass finishing adding spark to the furniture. Attached to this room is a mirror room with silver wallpaper ceiling, which has mirrors on all four sides of its walls where the bride can get ready.
The Nail Art Station
A dedicated Nail art area has been designed which consists of a collapsible table to utilize it for any activity or otherwise it’s an extended foyer providing storage. To enhance looks of this zone the designer put some colorful PU MDF cut in nail polish bottle shapes on cabinet shutter.
The Spa Area
Moving on to the second floor it is an area dedicated to spa and residence. The spa zone consists of spa waiting room, spa room, and spa washroom. On entering the spa room you are welcomed with elements which are put up with an intention to give an atmosphere of peace and zen. A barrier is built which is made of a metal frame with glass planter filled with stone chips near foyer after backlit alabaster wall. The looks of the waiting area of the spa are amplified as it has a Buddha statue alcove wall & painting in blue hues on Buddha with three wooden blocks which also acts as a table when they are not used for sitting.
The walls are separated with Veneer paneling lit from top & bottom with a gap. The main spa room has a spa bed sited on a platform with pebbles around the bed and wooden deck. The ceiling is cladded with the significant sign of balance that is with a huge cane element.
The pebble flooring leads towards spa washroom which has spa unit and opens to sky court with shower located beneath it. The spa toilet tiles are of a golden touch on floor & wall & stone cladding on skylight wall.
The Lavish Living Room
As mentioned, the second floor is a combination of spa zone and habitat space. The living room inherits a C-shape sofa and lounger which makes enough sitting space in the drawing area. The patterns and colors of the sofa and curtain material are chosen which matches the overall aesthetics of the room. To play with the background of the wall the designers have mounted an element of a dragonfly on a textured wall and a suspended light at the corner. The living room part also has their dining room and to match with the theme whole area there has paintings of birds, insects, and flowers installed in it The whole area was given this completely filled treatment so the TV Background is kept simple with veneer finish.
The Modern Kitchen
The Kitchen was given a very sophisticated treatment by wooden effect tile dado and with nano white platform which spots grey PU drawers.
The Mega-Master Bedroom
The master bedroom is designed in a big area which has TV suspended from the ceiling to give the best view while laying on the bed. The background of the bed is covered by a geometrical curtain with bed backrest made in a wooden square grid. This backdrop completes with a geometrical suspended light fixture at corner.
The room offers a wardrobe which is kept simple and elegant in white PU color with wooden handles on it, along with a study table with a tagboard which is kept floating from the wall. A full mirror is mounted on the wall with a vertical storage unit, accompanied by painting on a textured wall which just makes the space perfect.
The Study Room
A Study room situated on this floor is study room cum guest room. It is a lengthwise extended and narrow space but yet the designers have tried to make it functional. It is merely a passage on one side the architects have created an extension bed which can be extended to make a double bed when required, with a beautiful backdrop of green and yellow fabric. A long platform is running through the wall which turns into a study table towards the end. The furniture is kept white PU color to match the aesthetics of other rooms, with wooden handle detail.
The Extra Room
This room is small in area but it is well ventilated and well lit with a full window which opens to terrace. It is simply furnished only veneer paneling and it is done in “l” shape which gives an opulent look to space. All this residency flooring is done in ivory matte tile. The toilets are constructed in a theme of light, dark and bright colors.
This spa mansion is very strategically planned and designed. The architects have made the best use of the available space and have delivered functionality to the significant areas. The ceilings of all the rooms are vibrant and treated differently in each room. They have given ample storage area in all the rooms without compromising with design and functionality. All the spaces have relevant art installations to amplify the look and feel of the particular zone. They have used maximum shades of green to make all the spaces look connected.
Right from minute design details to major accessibility requirements, all are met in the conceptual structure. Building this structure was a task in itself because the designers had to take care of accessibility and functionality. With none of them jeopardized they managed to fashion a space where every requirement of the owner is fulfilled.
Working on the project, designers wanted to maximally integrate the spa into the habitat environment. As a result, they created an area where simplicity and functionality prevails. Here aesthetics and accessibility are at the forefront, and nothing distracts from a good rest.
Project facts –
Project Name: Cherish spa and Saloon
Location: Himmatnagar, Dist: sabarkantha
Services offered: Architecture + Interior
Design team: Shweta Pandya, Krishna Patel
Project timeline: Oct 2015 – Sep 2017
Plot Area: 2230 sqft
Built Up Area: 4575sqft
Text: Priya Trivedi
