How to Choose, Set Up, and Organize Your Nail Desk

Your Desk

Width

One important thing to consider when purchasing a desk specifically to do nails on is the distance it creates between you and the other person. You want to make sure you’re comfortable while holding their hands for an extended period of time. It’s a good idea to test this out with each desk you consider before you buy it. Bring a friend along and make some funny memories! You don’t want to feel strained or the need to stretch too far out to take their hands. Also consider the variables when servicing various people. Some will not have as long of a reach as others. A good width for most is anywhere from 20 to 24 inches.

Shape

Along with a standard rectangle, you can find desks in L shapes, V shapes and even half circles! If you do opt for a funkier shape, make sure that the specific area of the desk where you will be reaching across to do nails is 18 to 24 inches wide. Not wider as its too hard to comfortably reach your client. The other side or surface area doesn’t matter so much, as it’s more for storage. The L or V shapes can be very practical. However, if you work in a salon, square footage can be pricey, so an L or V shape may take up more room than its worth. Especially if you’re setting up more than one desk in a commercial space.

Finish

Whichever desk you decide on, I highly recommend that you have glass cut for it and placed on top. The reason being that acetone, monomer, gel, acrylic- all of the substances we use to do nails will damage your desk’s top if they come into direct contact with it. Having a glass barrier on top will protect your desk. Glass is also very easy to clean. Whether its an immediate spill or it’s product that has been sitting on it for a while, you’ll be able to get it off. Your desk will be kept looking clean and professional!

Tip: 

Be careful to not crack the glass top of your desk when adding things like clamp-on lamps!

Their Chair

I have found that having my clients on a stationary chair is important. You really don’t want the other person rolling around. One time, I actually had one of my clients lean so strong on one end of her roller chair that she ended up tipping forward and falling onto the floor! I’ll be honest, I did laugh (she wasn’t hurt) and she laughed too. But, I realized then how much of a disaster it could have been. Ever since, I’ve provided my clients with standard, stationary seats- and uncoincidentally in the next twenty years that followed, no one else ever fell out of their chair!

Tip: 

Try draping your guest’s chair with a cozy blanket or fuzzy pillow. It’s very welcoming and will have them feeling comfy and right at home!

At one of the stations at my salon, we have a full loveseat/bench. It’s beautiful and feels very private when you’re getting your nails done in it. Clients can put their purse and shopping bags on it- even their dog or their friends can join them! The only thing about using a bench like this is that to be able to move towards the table close enough for your nails to be done, you need to be pushed in by someone else. It’s kind of a quaint feature though... to have to be pushed in by your tech. Luckily Chelsea (our tech who uses this desk) doesn’t mind extending her chivalry!

Your Chair

Moveable

Unlike the person who’s nails you’re doing, who will be relaxing during their appointment, you will most likely be moving about as you work. If you work in a salon environment, you will probably need to grab polishes you use from a central location away from your desk. And even if you do have everything available at your desk, odds are you will need to swivel to the side or lean over to grab something- from a low drawer for example- that you keep certain things in. There’s also just getting up to wash your hands in between every client. Having your chair on wheels makes sliding in and out of your desk as well as the constant movements you’ll be making everyday quick and easy.

Comfortable

Investing in a chair with proper back support is vital. The sheer time you will spend sitting and working in this chair makes putting some money into getting a good quality one that will help you and not hurt you, absolutely worth it. You will pay off the cost by the lack of massage or chiropractic appointments you may otherwise end up needing down the road. As far as having arms on your chair goes, it’s been my experience that they are they are not really needed. Often, they end up just getting in the way. If your chair has them, it’s okay. They’re just not a necessity. When you’re working, your arms are up on the table anyway.

Adjustable

Make sure your chair is adjustable! You will want to adjust your chair accordingly for your height. Positioning yourself properly at your desk makes a huge difference in your posture, which will prevent you from stressing your back and/or neck.

Tip: 

Remember that the more you lean your head forwards out from your shoulders, the more pressure you put on your head. Our heads are surprisingly heavy! It’s best to keep your head balanced between your shoulders. If you need to move in more, move your whole upper body in- your torso, shoulders and head together.

Your Desktop

Colour

The colour that your desktop is in particular might be something to think about as it’s what you will be directly working on everyday. It’s a personal choice; what do you want to see? For me, I find I gravitate towards light and airy colours for my salon decor. I love a simple white for my desk and desktop. The big advantage I’ve found with white and lighter colours is that acrylic and gel filing dust blends in with it! So the residue from my work is mostly un-noticeable throughout the day. These filings are much easier seen on a dark coloured tabletop.

Set Up

I recommend keeping your desktop as cleared off as you can. It provides a much more calming environment for your clients (and for you!) and helps with workflow. I personally only keep a gel lamp, e-file and possibly a couple more items that I use regularly. But, everything else, I keep in a drawer or shelf nearby.

You will need a working lamp as well. I’ve tried many-a-lamp in my day! The best one I’ve found is this task light. They are fabulous! They are so slim and non-invasive. When you look up at your client, it doesn’t get in the way! Big lamps can block the other person’s face, which isn’t so nice. Also, lay out a towel for your client’s hands to rest on, rather than just having the hard surface of your desk.

Tip: 

Customize your linens for that extra special and classy touch! At my salon, we had our towels embroidered, which is so fun.

Tip: 

Another extra classy touch is to provide a heating pad for your clients for those especially chilly days! Or even just for those who are naturally on the cool side or in the mornings. Not only will this make your guests cozy but it’s also best for the products you’re working with. If a product you’re using is too cold and then is applied to cold hands, it will crystalize before you get the chance to file it, which can really set you behind schedule. Warming up your client’s hands will prevent this from happening.

Storage

Drawers

Keep small items you will need to quickly grab in your desk drawers. Brushes, cuticle sticks, forms, primers, dehydrators, bits, files, etc. Having these little tools stored in your drawers will keep them out of the way, so that they don’t get disorganized or spilled everywhere.

Shelving

If storage in your desk is limited, keep a shelf with as much space as you need to store additional items that need to be kept upright or are just too large to have in your desk. When you’re ready for them, just slide on over in your rolling chair! 

Extra Desk

It may sound like overkill, but if you do nails full-time with appointments booked back-to-back, you may want to consider having a secondary nail desk. The reason? It’s a major time saver. During my busiest times, I’ve found keeping a secondary desk extremely handy for when I have two clients that have overlapped. I could set up my next client while my current client washes her hands before her polish. Having a secondary desk also allows you to fit in nail chips or breaks in your work day, without throwing you off schedule. If a client walks in with a chipped or broken nail, while your current client chooses her polish, you could set up the walk-in at your second desk and quickly fix her nail. While you don’t want to set your day up around emergency walk-ins, having a second desk available for these types of spur of the moment bookings can save you a lot of grief when they do come up. It’s also great for your business, as you are providing a much appreciated service to your clientele.

Overall, it’s important to put thought into your nail workspace set up. You are holding another person’s hand while you work on their nails for 60 to 90 minutes- it’s a rather intimate job! The setting you provide says a lot about your professional tone and it helps your guest feel like they are in good hands.

Tip: 

Put yourself in the other person’s position- literally! When looking for your nail desk and chairs, test it all out from your client’s side as well! Sit in their chair to make sure it’s comfy. Sit at their side of the desk to see how it feels from their point of view. This way, you are able to see what they will and this will give you intel on what might work best.