Small is beautiful and minimal is just perfect. It is always great to see retail design that has definite character yet lets the service or product be the star. Of course this is true in all design, not just retail. So often we see design that looks perfect only when everything is set up for the PR photography. No people, no activity, no life, no customers, just the “perfect” shell.
It requires us, the viewers, then to imagine what the space might look like in real life when the house is lived in, when the store is full of merchandise, staff and customers, and the hair salon busy with stylists, clients and all of the tools and products of the trade. And too often, that’s when the design starts to fail.
The Trim is a 32-square-metre (344 sq.ft) hair salon at 219 Šaldova Street in the Karlín district of Prague. It was designed for local hair stylist Daniel Pašek by architect, designer and photographer Kryštof Blažek of studio minio. And although the images here show no clients or staff, the space is so well defined that it is easy to imagine it retaining its character even when full of activity.
Karlin is Prague’s former harbor and industrial district with a rough reputation that gradually has been taken over by residences, shops, restaurants, breweries, wineries and services. The Trim is located in a converted 19th century factory building in a ground-level space featuring high ceilings that give the tiny salon its impressive volume, and two large windows facing the street.
The industrial heritage vibe is justified but not over-done. The raw concrete walls and floors, black metal accents and dividing screens are perfect for the location with the cool lighting, some of it custom-created by minio, emphasizing the height of the space. Tuija Seipell