Studio Taylor expands on Fairmount

Debuting a 1,500 square-foot space for manicures, pedicures and keratin relaxer treatments, Studio Taylor owner, Nancy Taylor, said her staff looks forward to pampering clients in the newly expanded Fairmount Boulevard salon.  

Tall windows next to manicure stations allow clients to peer out at passersby, while spherical chandeliers, poised above the new area, are reflected in large mirrors. Pops of red accent a new seating area with a couch and director chairs. Shampooing sinks and makeup stations have been shifted to give everyone a little more “elbow room,” Taylor noted. 

"The staff is incredibly enthusiastic about the space, especially all the natural light,” she said, “and the clients love it. We’re also seeing a return of clients we haven’t seen in a long time because the space has improved.” 

Designer Judy Kushner developed the concept for the chic, welcoming space, and architect Todd Mayher was instrumental in constructing it.

Studio Taylor opened in 1996 with two manicure stations and four chairs for cutting and styling hair. Today, 11 hairdressing stations line the walls of the 3,580 square-foot facility. Four complete manicure stations and a few pedicure chairs are available, and the salon continues to update services, with spray tanning under consideration for the future. 

The studio is the first in the area to go almost completely ammonia-free, which is better for customers and for the environment, Taylor explained.

Clients seem pleased with the service–and the new digs. Curtains on either side of each pedicure station can be drawn for privacy or pulled away for groups, according to Taylor, who remembered: “We once had three women in here for pedicures, and they were all expecting babies at the same time.” 

All generations are welcome at Studio Taylor, from children to their mothers and grandmothers, Taylor said, noting her clients are friendly and eclectic. The salon’s new look, she said, aims to please them all. 

“We wanted to maintain a connection with the neighborhood,” she explained. “If they’re finishing up working out or walking their dog or coming from work, we want them to feel comfortable in what they have on.”

Kelli Fontenot is a journalist living in Cleveland Heights.