Salon and Spa Retreat Designed with Simplicity and Grace : Myst | Urban Narratives
Situated in a crowded and cluttered neighbourhood in the Northern District of the City of Hyderabad, Myst Salon offers an inviting experience that detaches the customer from the commotion of everyday life. Designed as a Salon and Spa retreat, it functions as a getaway place to take time off for self-care and enjoy afternoon tea. Myst treats hairstyling as a creative discipline, incorporating simplicity and grace into its works, taking away the flashy decor. Our goal was to translate their philosophy into tangible concepts, and their pedagogy flows into every aspect of our design.
Visit : Urban Narratives
As we approached our site, the space hosted existing foundations for a much larger salon; however, our client envisioned a more intimate space nestled amid the dense foliage and wanted to dedicate a section of the site to act as a retreat for relaxation. Recycling part of the existing foundations to create an outdoor space that could serve as an event space, we maximised the sense of spaciousness by seamlessly blending the indoors with the outdoors.
The main entrance, framed by mild steel, is designed with landscaped setbacks to create a circulatory framework that transitions visitors from the urban context to the salon’s tranquil ambience. Within the salon, the design of private and semi-private spaces is done by alternating fluted and plain glass. The colour palette is simple, employing black furnishings, white fixtures, and different shades of green for landscaping and art.
In Hyderabad’s history, the early barbers nailed mirrors to dense trees in public spaces and groomed their clients in the shade. Inspired by their approach’s simplicity, our design preserves the natural environment and leverages the existing foliage on site. Additionally, once seated, a combination of reflecting mirrors and plain glass create a sense of transparency, blurring the lines between the indoor spaces and the outdoor landscape. This reflectivity is amplified by the make-up room walled by a ribbon mirror that further integrates the spaces.
A vital feature of the strategic pockets designed to enhance the user experience hosts bird of paradises, peace lilies and lush Monsteras. Inspired by Henri Matisse’s studio, murals dominate seating nooks that reflect the indoor planters. We adorned the outdoor space with Raphy’s palms, plumerias, and areca palms offset with tabebuia roses to add a feminine tone to further our designer’s reverence.
The rugged concrete flooring is juxtaposed with marble to combine a utilitarian function with an ideology that imbues elegance. The corridor leading to the outdoor space is flanked on one side by an exposed brick wall to allow users to visualise the new space’s extent gradually. After the salon experience, clients can move through the rotating panels that form the back wall into the outdoor recuperation zone.
FACT FILE:
Designed by : Urban Narratives
Project Type : Commercial Building
Project Name : Myst Salon and Spa
Location : Kompally, Hyderabad
Year built : 2020
Size: sq feet: 4100 sq ft
Project Cost Appx: 60 lac
Principal Architects : Shashank Rao, Anmisha Reddy
Team Design Credits : Shashank Rao, Anmisha Reddy
Photograph Courtesy: volumes._
Materials and Products: Bathroom Fittings : Kohler | Fluted Glass Saint Gobain | Wall Finishings Asian Paints | Lighting Fixtures : Futura
Firm’s Website Link : https://urbannarratives.in
Firm’s Instagram Tag : urbannarratives_
Firm’s Facebook Page : Urban Narratives
Set within a lush expanse of land, this sculptural house by Pranav Patel Design Studio is a poetic exploration of light, landscape, and living. Designed as a contemporary haven rooted deeply in Indian sensibilities, the project brings together sculptural architecture, organic landscape planning, and vernacular craftsmanship to create a space that is both immersive and […]
Paati Veedu, located in southern India, began with the vision of an elderly grandmother (Paati) with Terminal Cancer, whose wish was to rebuild her ancestral home and spend herfinal years in a space she could call her own. The Site is located in the outskirts of Mayiladuthurai, in Southern India. Paati set the 1200 sq […]
Modern tropical residential architecture approach that balances openness, functionality, natural ventilation, and visual connectivity. The concept focuses on creating a warm family-oriented home with a strong connection to nature through courtyards, double-height volumes, and open planning. Natural materials, wooden textures, and soft neutral tones enhance the sense of comfort, while carefully planned spatial zoning ensures […]
Project Perch is a playschool that sits along a busy secondary road in a rapidly growing urban neighbourhood, where noise, traffic and constant movement dominate the surroundings. Designing a playschool in such a setting required the architects to prioritise safety, privacy, and controlled exposure for young children. This informed an inward-facing planning strategy that shields […]
Vault House is conceived as a contemporary tropical residence that balances raw materiality with warmth, openness, and family-centric living. Designed for a multi-generational family comprising a couple, their daughter, and parents, the house responds to a clear client vision: a home that is unique, user-friendly, and deeply connected to natural light, ventilation, and greenery. This […]
Tucked into a corner of a lush 2 acre plantation off the Kanchipuram highway, this farmhouse is a quiet ode to sustainability and serenity. Surrounded by thriving groves of coconut, mango, and orange trees, the site offered a natural canvas for a home that would dissolve gently into its surroundings of rural landscapes—grounded in place […]
Located in Udaipur– Rajasthan, this residential project enjoys a unique setting with panoramic views of Roop Sagar on one side and surrounding hills on the remaining three sides. The design brief focused on creating a modern and minimalist residence that exudes serenity and understated luxury. “The designers thoughtfully planned the house to include premium lifestyle […]
This residence is a sincere exploration of how architecture can remain simple, climate sensitive, cost-effective, and emotionally grounded, without compromising on spatial quality or design intent. Conceived as a 3BHK modest home for a small family, the project stands as a testament to what is possible when thoughtful planning, craft-oriented construction, and material intelligence come […]
Located in HMT Layout, Bangalore, Isha_Srinidhi Nilaya stands as a multi-generational home designed on a compact 60×40 ft (2400 sq. ft) East facing plot, with a total built-up area of 8000 sq. ft. East Facing a lush public park, the residence responds to its urban setting through a layered design that balances privacy with a […]
Timeless architectural features, such as courtyards, are always associated with bringing the naturally public forms to the world’s heart, building the most peaceful, secluded outdoor areas. These outdoor spaces maximize the living experience with their private space feature, which gives one the option for leisurely relaxation, recreation, or gardening. Furthermore, it has also been a […]