Mige Stylist Studio is a hair salon tucked discreetly into the “30th floor” of an apartment complex in Hunan Province, known only by those who are part of their select clientele. Towards the trend of exclusive and invite-only services, owners of Mige set the brief of transforming a typical Chinese apartment layout into a functional studio space. The atmosphere should be vibrant, young, trendy, and bold, while offering customers a more intimidate and private experience.

Due to the exclusive and “discoverable” nature of the studio, it was important for the client to create a space that felt immediately different upon entering. Customers entering the space must immediately feel the shift from a residential community to a bright and sophisticated stylist studio. In response, Yatofu Creatives took a very sculptural approach in arranging the spatial layout, and designed the mirror features as dynamic sculptural forms that break up the linear space with various angles. Large bold shapes are also introduced to create interest and focus.

Another definitive requirement was the abundance of mirrored surfaces while still providing each client with visual privacy. Yatofu Creatives took this as an asset when designing the interaction between the mirrors and their reflections. What resulted is an interesting play between light and form, while utilising natural light to its full potential by reflecting it into the innermost part of the interior. The resulting Mige Stylist Studio is a breath of fresh air amongst concrete towers: a bright, young, and vibrant stylist space hidden between blocks of conventional residential apartments.

Design: Yatofu Creatives
Photography: Xin Tao