The Hideout is a beauty salon recently designed by Ménard Dworkind architecture and design. It is built in the rapidly evolving Griffin town neighbourhood of Montreal. The salon is inserted into a small commercial space at the base of a new condo building. The goal of the Hideout was to design a warm communal environment on a tight budget that had strong experiential impact. A significant element in the existing unit was a large concrete column that occupied the centre of the space. The layout revolved around this column as a central organizing element for the reception, manicure, makeup and pedicure stations.
The limited budget forced MRDK to get creative and invest in strategic places. The central column was dressed with a CNC cut floral form that grows up and onto the ceiling. This central structure was designed to contain nail polish displays, make up stations and storage. The pedicure station consists of IKEA sinks and Structube chairs taken off their legs and installed on a tiled plinth.
To further keep costs low, the team coordinated the CAD cut sheets for the laser cut steel counter tops and CNCed structure. At the reception, the steel counter folds over the front of the cabinetry recalling a painted nail. Warmth was given to the space by covering the walls around the main-space in Douglas Fir panelling. This warmth contrasts with the raw concrete floor, which still has construction notes and markings.
