Why do people go to massage spas? To seek comfort. As a massage therapist, your main focus should remain on the element of comfort in the massage room.
When you look for a sufficient space to make your own spa, you not only need to focus on the location or surface area of the room but also the overall ambience of the place. It would be almost useless to have a massage spa near a noisy street, as it would be contradictory to have bright neon signs inside your spa room.
Creating the perfect balance between a relaxed environment and a comfortable ambience is what you should be looking for. Customers can quickly become long-term clients if you offer the two most important things at your massage spa: professional massage skills and the overall massage experience offered by your spa.
Why the Massage Experience Matters
A large number of psychological studies have concluded that the ambience that we surround ourselves with plays an immense role towards our mental and physical well-being. Since most people come to massage centers to seek comfort and relieve stress, it is important to provide an aesthetic and relaxing experience from the second that a customer enters your office.
Contrary to popular belief, the massage experience does not only refer to the massage skills of the masseuse. Instead, it refers to an overall experience.
When a client enters your massage space, they must be greeted by an employee who offers to guide them around. The entrance and wall décor must be calming and make use of neutral color tones that promote relaxation.
When it comes to providing an exceptional massage experience, it is necessary to focus on the sensations of sound and smell. You can play soft, relaxing music in your massage spa or have a small fountain that plays the sound of dripping water. Similarly, there are many scents that can be used to promote calmness and relaxation. The top choices for massage centers typically include lavender or chamomile.
Pre-Design Considerations
Whether you are re-designing your massage spa or creating a new one, there are many décor considerations that you must keep in mind. Before we get to interior design, here are a few elements of design that you must consider beforehand:
1. Size of the Room
A massage room is supposed to include a few basic elements. These include a massage table, a changing space, a storage cupboard or closet, a sink, and a counter. Apart from that, you will also need some extra space to accommodate any design elements that you want to integrate within the interior of your massage room.
Due to these requirements, a typical massage room must be at least 13 square meters or more. Remember never to clutter your massage room too much, since it can divert attention away from the calming ambience and make clients feel claustrophobic inside the room.
2. Researching Furniture and Décor
Before you actually head out to the market to purchase your long list of furniture items for the massage spa, it is important to take a deep breath and consider what you want to do with the place first. Most massage spas follow a certain theme – whether it is based around a scent such as lavender (combining the smell and the color) or a color such as brown.
Based on your theme, you can come up with décor and furniture ideas that resonate with one another. If you opt for nude toned walls, for instance, then a darker shade of wooden furniture would look more aesthetically pleasing. Such design considerations are necessary before making any final purchases for your massage spa.
When designing your massage spa, it is essential to integrate the four sensations into your ambience. For tactile, you should invest in comfortable linen sheet and towels. You can also add soft rugs and provide comfortable slides for your clients to wear around the spa. Similarly, you should appeal to the client’s sight by using natural accents around the spa. This includes wooden flooring, layers of fabric, and stone decoration pieces.
The sense of smell can be uplifted using scented candles or diffusers with essential oils. As mentioned earlier, you can create a quiet and relaxing atmosphere in terms of sound by playing some relaxing musical tones.
3. Selecting the Right Flooring
When a client walks into your massage spa, you do not want them to be walking on unattractive tiles or a marble floor. Instead, you need to enable a luxurious experience for the client by opting for wooden or cushioned flooring. In case it is not possible for you to renovate your flooring at the massage spa, you can cover your hard marble flooring with soft, neutral-colored rugs.
4. Having Adequate Storage Space
Inside the massage room, you will need to keep all of your equipment and supplies organized in a proper manner. Having visual clutter around the room can negatively impact the client experience, since it gives off an impression of unprofessionalism. To avoid this, you can opt for tall, closed storage cupboards for all the items that you do not constantly need – such as towels, robes, and linen sheets. Other items such as essential oils and lotions that need to be accessed during the massage should be kept on low, open shelf storage or stools around the massage room.
5. Add Mirrors
In case you are struggling to find a place that gives you ultimate freedom with space, you can opt for the traditional hack of using wall-to-wall mirrors in the massage room. Such full-length mirrors elevate the entire room and add a sense of depth, even if the room is comparatively small in size.
Small, antique hanging mirrors at the entrance of your massage spa can add a unique touch to the space. You can opt for any style of mirror that suits the theme of the massage spa.
6. Add Comfortable Seating Space
When clients visit your massage spa, they will not be rushed to the massage rooms immediately. They may be asked to wait for a while, or they may have to remove their shoes and clothing. For these purposes, a comfortable seating space is necessary. Having cushioned sofas that are comfortable can provide a sense of luxury and comfort to the people visiting your massage spa. High quality sofas can prepare the clients for the relaxing experience that they are about to have in the massage room.
In case you are short on space, you can always add a barrier such as screens or curtains with the seating area in order to provide a comfortable place for clients to get changed. Providing a sense of security is just as important as creating a calming ambience.
7. Position the Furniture Properly
Once you have finalized the design and décor ideas for your entire massage spa, it is time to decide where to keep your furniture to best utilize it. The reception counter should be easily accessible from the door but should be far enough for clients to easily open and close the door of the massage spa. The seating area should be positioned separately to provide a sense of safety to the clients.
As far as the massage table inside the massage room is concerned, then it is suggested to place it in a way that the head of the table is farthest away from the door of the room. It should also be positioned in the exact middle of the room in order to create a balanced ambience.
Interior Design Ideas
Once you know everything that you need for the basic structure of your massage spa renovation, it is time to focus on smaller interior elements. The design aesthetic of your massage spa will contribute significantly to the experience that customers have – especially since people tend to pick up environmental cues before the actual experience.
When designing your interior, it can be beneficial to consider the psychology of design and color. Avoid using brighter colors since they promote alarming situations – such as red. The color green is known to be associated with feelings of calmness and serenity.
Here are a few more interior design ideas for your massage spa room:
1. Focus on the Entrance and Walls
What is the first thing that your clients see when they walk through the door? Is it an old rusty table with an assistant standing behind it, or is it an aesthetic little water fountain? Are the walls becoming rusty with water damage or are there artistic paintings that highlight the aesthetic of the place?
First impressions matter the most when it comes to massage spas. Before a client actually books an appointment with your masseuse, they are likely to look around and observe the place first. This is why your entrance and walls need to be visually pleasing for the client.
The door of the entrance should be clean and welcoming, and you can always add a small design element to it in order to show off your aesthetic. Wooden doors are a popular choice for massage spas since they provide a sense of security and are available in a range of different designs to choose from.
The walls should be painted a neutral color that is not too distracting. You can either use a textured wallpaper or a washable paint – depending upon your own budget. Remember to add small stylistic elements on the walls, such as a painting, a hanging mirror, or an inspirational quote with vinyl lettering.
2. Create an Ambience with Lighting
Have you ever noticed how beauty salons and massage spas tend to opt for softer, warm lights instead of white ones? This is because the lighting inside a place quickly determines how we feel about the location. Psychological research suggests that visible light is responsible for the body’s production of melatonin as well as stimulating the serotonin neurotransmitter – the two chemical balances in our body that are responsible for sleep regulation and feelings of happiness.
By opting for a well-lit ceiling with distributed lighting patterns, you can create a whole new aesthetic for your massage spa. Some of the most creative ideas of ceiling designs can be taken from Pinterest. One great idea that we found was to install small spotlights of warm light all across the ceiling. Not only was the lighting balanced and kept low enough to seem relaxing, but the ceiling also appeared to be very visually pleasing.
You can integrate more of interior design into the lighting element of your massage room by adding a selection of lamps and candles. A popular choice is usually Himalayan salt lamps that add an aesthetic appeal to the room and provide a low level of light spread through the room.
3. Add Your Own Aesthetic
Remember that with a massage spa, you have all the freedom to personalize the space as much as you would like. You can reflect your own personality with the overall interior design – so do not hesitate in adding some greenery, flowers, murals, or other small decorative pieces around the place.
The key to creating a good interior is to not overdo any element of the room. Remember to follow a certain color theme to keep things uniform and cohesive, and not to clutter too many items around the room. There should always be enough space to freely move around and breathe.
The Takeaway
Once you set out to designing your own massage spa, the possibilities are truly endless. As you make your way around creating an aesthetically pleasing interior, remember to keep the entire place clean and hygienic since cleanliness adds an extra element of comfort for the client. Quality linen sheets and towels will also play a great role in enhancing the luxurious appeal of your massage spa.
As a professional massage therapist, you do not need to worry about anything else. With an attractive massage spa and a comfortable ambience, you will easily be able to retain clients for the longest time.
