Sarah Mourtos It’s definitely been worth the wait.
We came across Kylie Lussick and her clinic, Skin Karma, on social media. She had just relocated her clinic on 20th March 2020, and then COVID-19 shut down the industry three days later. She describes the experience as a whirlwind.
She reopened back in June 2020 with a booked out schedule, which is what we love to hear considering the turbulence of last year, but with very little time to do much else. Finally, after months of email tag, we could sit down this week and talk about the experience and her new space. It was bliss.
Kylie is a true veteran of the industry. She moved her business of 29 years during one of the most challenging periods we will probably face. Before that, she had successfully renovated her shop three times.
Kylie and Skin Karma have wisdom and style in the bucket loads. Read our full interview below, where we discuss seasoned tips for those about to embark on a clinic renovation, how to find your personal style and why sometimes paint colour names are too good to be true.
How did you decide on your clinic’s aesthetic, branding and colour scheme?
After being located in my old clinic for 29 years, I wanted something completely different. I wanted something softer, so I went for those beautiful nude and neutral colours. I went on Pinterest and started looking at different designs and furniture. That’s how I brought everything together. Samantha Hindmarsh, an interior designer and one of my clients, also helped me with the project.
What did you want the style to say about you?
I wanted it to be a safe place where my clients could come and feel at peace. Everything is so full-on out there, and everyone is so busy; I wanted my clients to have a beautiful and gentle place where they could come and be for an hour or two. Many people always say that I make them feel nice, calm and relaxed, and I didn’t feel like my old clinic was reflecting that anymore.
What feedback have you received from clients regarding the new style?
They absolutely love it. Everybody keeps asking me questions about the curtains or rug. I’ve even had my hairdresser copy the whole look, which I don’t mind.
The colour on the walls is called Ageless Beauty. We have been so clever about it. For the feature wall behind the sofa, we have used plywood and given it one coat of whitewash.
There is a mirror, which gives off this sepia tone and makes you look gorgeous. I am 55, and many of my clients I’ve had for 35 years, so we are all roughly in the same age bracket. Everyone looks in the mirror and goes, ‘I love this mirror, I am getting one for my home’! I call it the Ageless Beauty Mirror. You look in it and you just look perfect.
Favourite decor or furniture?
The mirror is definitely a highlight but I also love the coffee table. It looks like a piece of nougat with its creamy terrazzo finish. The cabinet I wanted was over $3,500, but that was out of the budget, so off to Ikea we went for a similar style. We had to put it together ourselves, but it achieves the look. We also got a few little pieces from Papaya Homewares. I love it all.
What are you most excited about in this new space?
The peace and quiet. I found over the years with more traffic and a growing population near my old shop it was getting noisier and noisier. You could hear the trucks going past. It was starting to reflect everything that was going on outside, and it was creeping in.
You updated your previous shop three times, and you have just completed this one, so it sounds like you are a pro when it comes to clinic renovations. Do you have any advice for anyone who is going through the same thing at the moment?
I’d say number one, do your research on what you want to create. Then it’s always good to get some help from a professional. I also had an amazing builder. When he came in and did all the cubicles and put everything up, he was great.
My interior designer also went onto my Pinterest. She looked at what I had liked, and she was a client, so she knew how I worked and what it was like to have treatments with me. She really understood what I was trying to do, and because she was a professional, she guided me.
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