Pedicure area ideas

I recently had a new esthetician contact me about setting up a pedicure station.  She was trying to figure out how she was going to set up the room she was renting but was having a tough time picking chairs and bowls. I forgot how tough it can be to make big decisions on key business items.  The choices for pedicure area setups are overwhelming!

I’m so glad she reached out to ask for help!  This is so important when you are new to the industry.  Surround yourself with others who want to help you succeed.  Learn from their mistakes and triumphs.

I hope this blog post helps others navigate the process of choosing a pedicure set up.

Questions to ask before purchasing pedicure furniture.

There are many things you need to take into consideration:

•Are you going to be solo, or will you be doing more than one person’s pedicure at a time?

•What are the regulations or health requirements for your city?

•Do you have access to plumbing?

•What is the size of the space you are working in?

•Does your pedicure area need to be used for other services?

Designing the pedicure area

One website that I found helpful when I was trying to design my space was the Online Room Planner.  It’s a free app that lets you enter dimensions of your room.  You pick furniture out and move it around to see what works best.  If they don’t have a similar piece of furniture choose something that is roughly the same shape and size as some of the pieces you are needing to buy.

My experience with pedicure setups

•Bench Style

When I was first starting, I worked in a salon that multiple clients could receive pedicures at the same time.  It was a bench-style of set up.  I quickly discovered the advantages and disadvantages of this type of bench-style custom set up.

The ergonomics of the set up was not ideal for the estheticians.  The estheticians were always hunched over to perform the pedicure because the footrests were not high enough.  It also was not adjustable for clients.  Petite customers would have to scooch forward and sit on the edge of the seat to stretch their foot into the tubs.

The tubs were beautiful, but when the plumbing went on one; they all had to be shut down.  The sinks were easy to clean, but the bubbling jets were not.  There were special products you need to use on them.

It was nice that you could change up the pillows whenever you wanted, and it was cute when a little girl could cuddle up to her mom while she got a pedicure.  The vinyl was also easy to clean between clients.

•Spa table  pipeless bowl combo

The second place I worked at did not have plumbing in the treatment room.  I was provided with a spa bed and a chair.  I needed to provide my basin for the foot soak.

This set up was great for a small basic room.  Other than hauling a foot basin tub to and from the sink to fill with water.

I invested in a beautiful vinyl chair and used accent pillows to dress it up.  Once the client was done soaking, I got them to move to the facial spa bed to lay down for the rest of the pedicure.  Clients found this ultra-relaxing.  With soft music playing and warm blankets, many fell asleep. It was a bit tricky when clients walked from the chair to the bed with towels on their feet, though.  I also purchased a smaller stool for myself to sit on and a shorter trolly, so it was more ergonomically correct from my body.

•The set up that worked best for me

The last place I did pedicures was from my home studio.  I invested in a quality massage chair.  It was a wall hugger recliner.  I had a custom pedicure base built with storage to bring it up off the ground, so it was a proper height for me ergonomically.  I also purchased a Footsie bath system.  The footsie bath is electric with vibration and heat.  You buy liners for the tubs, so they are effortless to clean. This was by far, my favourite set up and was featured in Nails Magazine.

•Trying  other sets ups

I am fortunate to have a lot of industry friends who like to share information on what’s working and what’s not.  I’ve been able to try other estheticians and school pedicure setups to get a good sense of what it’s like sitting in both the esthetician chair and the client’s chair.  Visiting schools and salons will give you a good idea of what space will work the best for you.

What I would do differently

Over the past years, I have had the chance to visit dozens of salons, spas and schools.  This allowed me to experience a pedicure as a client and watch other estheticians perform duties in a wide variety of setups. Besides making sure everything fits, I would do the following differently:

1.  I would make sure of is that my ergonomics came first.  The esthetician is the one who has to do pedicures 8 hours a day, while the client really only has to sit there for about an hour.  My third set up was ideal.

2. The second thing that was most important to me was cleanliness.  I found the piped in sinks with jets,  too much of hassle and Took to long to clean.  Disposable liners or a plain sanitizable bowl is perfect. If I could, I would have a plain stainless-steel sink with taps attached to it and have it plumbed in.  Then you wouldn’t have to carry water too and from the station.

3.  I loved my massage chair, and it was worth every penny.  But check the warranties to see if you can get replacement parts for motors and controls. A standard recliner (a “wall hugger” is the best design) with material that is easy to clean would work excellent too.  

Choosing the best set up for you

There are so many options to choose from.  Here are a few more examples and ideas of pedicure stations you can invest in.

•Pipeless Pedicure Bowls with Separate chair and/or facial bed

This is a great option for anyone who does services outside of their spa area or who needs a pipeless option.  You can use liners with these or sanitize them using chemicals. These pedicure bowels are usually inexpensive and great for small spaces. Make sure you get a bowl that will accommodate a man’s foot!

 An electric bed with adjustable back and foot positions like this is excellent.  You can lift the client to the exact height the esthetician needs to be ergonomically correct. She also has a bright light close by and is sitting on an adjustable stool. There is a really in-depth blog post on facial beds here.

This is another example of a station where you could use a foot bath and facial bed.  Ergonomically it’s not a great set up for the esthetician.   But you get the idea of how simple the set up is an how much of space saver it can be. Some facial beds come will come with a stool but you should make sure its height is adjustable. 

I have also seen massage beds used for this same style of a pedicure but there are wedges and pillows used to make the clients more comfortable. 

•Pedicure Station using a recliner style chair and pipeless bowl

This is an example of a pedicure chair that is easy to clean and an inexpensive option for anyone just starting out.  I would suggest the chair be put up on a platform though, to bring the height up for ergonomics. You can purchase multiple chairs for side by side pedicures. 

•Pedicure chair with client footrest

This is an example of the latest innovation in the esthetics field.  These types of chairs are easy to clean, can be inexpensive and they take up very little room.  They are becoming popular in the industry because they don’t use any plumbing. They come with a pedicure footrest attached.  They range in a variety of styles from simple to deluxe.

•All in one pedicure station

All in one pedicure stations are just that.  They are permanent structures in your space and can not be moved around.  They are very large, solid and require plumbing. It is a great option if you don’t want to haul water to and from your pedicure station. These types of stations can usually be customizable as far as the seating, tub and accessories go. 

You can often purchase these chairs through Amazon. One thing to mention is that these should be professionally installed.  Ask the installer if you will need a discharge pump. 

Check with your local health authority to see if these are allowed in your health region. 

Pedicure trolleys

Another important piece of furniture for your pedicure area is a trolly. It is important to have one on wheels that can roll around with you as you move on your chair.

Foot Rests

If you are choosing a stand-alone chair it is worth investing in a footrest.  This helps east the estheticians back strain. Adding something like this to your daily routine will pay off in the long run.  

Esthetician Chairs

Check the heights of the chairs.  you want to make sure you can sit properly and be able to put your knees under the client’s feet or the pedicure station. If you find some of the wheels are sticky or jam up you can usually purchase wheels separately and just change them out. 

Whether you are just changing things up or on the hunt for your new business, some of these tips will be really useful to you. Take a look through Pinterest to get more pedicure area setups. 

Here are a few decor ideas (click to shop)