We had the good fortune of connecting with Yvonne Low and Crystal Chum and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Yvonne & Crystal, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My partner Crystal and I had bonded over our love of a good manicure on a road trip one day, and how it’s more than having visually appealing nails but appreciating the sense of taking time to dedicate to our personal well being is what made us love getting our nails done. We also realized that aside from the attentiveness of a well skilled manicurist, just like a well designed coffee shop with the perfect playlist and caffeine offerings, the combination of details and other elements can begin to transform a seemingly mundane process. With my past experience for many years as a cafe owner back in Singapore, and Crystal’s background in architecture, we realized we were in a unique situation where we could craft our own elevated holistic nail experience through beautiful interior space, thoughtful service elements and quality healthy products. We were excited to combine our complimentary skillsets of design and entrepreneurship to curate our ideal nail service to our customers who appreciate the same sense of revitalization through an elevated experience, We wanted a place that could provide a sense of well being, of creativity and connection to the community.
What should our readers know about your business?
We’re a modern non toxic nail shop that hopes to create a space and experience of wellness, inspiration and relaxation, to bring sunday vibes one nail at a time. We love how art of nails is the perfect intersection of beauty, wellness and creativity and we hope to create an space that embodies that. We believe that it’s the little details that matter, from our selection of non-toxic nail polish, creative nail art designs, our complimentary artisanal tea selection (though temporarily suspended due to covid) to our seasonal artwork of local female artist within our salon and the overall ambiance of the shop. We’re very proud of the design of our interior space, truly a labor of love. The overall design of the salon was done by my partner Crystal, including designing and building our custom reception desk as well as our 19′ long manicure table. We also wanted to make sure that the salon promotes a healthier environment that had reduced smells of chemicals through increased ventilation and an upgraded mechanical system. I think the biggest challenge we knew we would face initially was the lack of technical knowledge. We knew what we wanted our customers to experience but we had to make sure we knew how to provide that experience as well so before we even found a location, I went through the certification course and got licensed. I believe our willingness to trust our nail techs and learn from their combined pool of knowledge was also crucial in overcoming our initial lack of experience. We value growth and open communication for ourselves as owners but also with our team.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The thing I love about this city is the truly diverse offerings it has, with a distinct character with each neighborhood. If i could play tour guide for a weekend ,I would start the day 1 early with a quick pitstop at the flower district to see the hustle and bustle and rows of flowers before heading to Grand central market for a breakfast bite at Eggslut or G&B coffee. Once fueled up we’ll head to the Broad museum and it’s amazing contemporary collection. After which, a stop at the walt disney concert hall and up to the hidden rooftop garden where we can peak into one of the concert halls and browse the gift shop for an interesting design item. Next we’ll head to the art’s district for brunch at Zinc cafe and hope we get a spot outdoors in the garden and enjoy our southern california sun with delicious vegan dishes. Next we’ll wander around the arts district and get ice cream from salt and straw and if they love art books, then we’ll head to Hennessy + Ingels. After that, we could head over to the ROW to browse more local shops like kinto, Poketo and Shades of Grey and grab a cup of coffee at either Paramount coffee or go get ’em tiger. After all that walking, we’ll head over to echo park to sit on the grass and drink our coffee and people watch. Towards the late afternoon, we’ll drive along sunset boulevard towards Griffith park towards the observatory to watch the sunset against the amazing views of the downtown skyline and the ocean. They can also take photos of the hollywood sign. Next we’ll hit thai town for dinner at my favorite Pa-Ord noodles where they serve super authentic spicy sweet rich boat noodles alongside other thai offerings. Perfect hearty meal after a full day of exploring. To wind down, we’ll head to bar calo in echo park for a cosy drink. Day 2 will begin with grabbing early breakfast and coffee at Gjustas or Butcher’s daughter in abbot kinney before heading towards the coast for a walk down Venice Beach to see the sights of buskers and artists. After that, we’ll drive up the 1 freeway towards malibu and grab lunch at Malibu seafood market where we can enjoy a beautiful view and sea breeze while stuffing our faces with a wide selection of fresh seafood. After that we’ll head over to point dume for an easy bluff trail hike before heading to Leo Carillo beach to walk along the tide pools and catch some sun. After that, we’ll drive back to LA and take a quick walk along Rodeo Drive then head to the grove for take in the festive outdoor shopping ambiance and watch the trendy people. The farmers market is a must to grab a pastry from Michelina artisan boulangerie or T&Y bakery. If we want a savory snack, Nonna’s empanadas always hit the spot. After the grove, we’ll hit Leo’s tacos truck for vibrant amazing tacos, especially their el pastor. I love the ambiance of Leos from the parking area beside the gas station to the casual crowd of people and the salsa station. Street food at it’s best. We’ll end the night with a casual drink at the Mandrake bar and mid night sweets from SK Donuts. Other spots for the week – Hollywood cemetery – The Getty Museum – 3rd street Promenade and Santa monica pier – Manhattan Beach – Joshua Tree National park for a day trip + pappy and harriets – Santa Barbara – The platform – trendy shops and restaurants – Huntington library – Diverse themed botanical garden plus musuems – Comedy show at the comedy club Eats – Republique – brunch and pastries – Hae Jang Chon Korean BBQ – All you can eat BBQ – DaeBuDo Korean BBQ – Seafood BBQ – Ave 26 Taco Stand – Street tacos with an array of other street stand offerings – El Cayote Mexican – for a taste of history and amazing margaritas – Spire 73 – rooftop bar – Everson Royce bar – outdoor seating casual bar – Spicy City – casual Sze chuan cusine Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We want to say a big thank you to all our wonderful nail techs who have trusted us and supported us through this incredible journey. Taking a leap of faith with a brand new nail shop and through the turbulence of 2020 is not easy and we could not be more grateful for their support in us. It is through their meticulous work and positive attitudes that we are able to bring our vision of an elevated experience to our customers.
Website: www.misssundays.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miss.sundays/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Beauty–Cosmetic—Personal-Care/Miss-Sundays-587811084972230/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/miss-sundays-nail-shop-culver-city