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Poppy & Monroe co-owners Karen Kops and Sherri Coates, Nashville and California natives, respectively, spent months renovating a nearly 150-year-old house on Monroe Street to create their modern, vibrant, and welcoming new full-service nail salon.
'We blended the unique architectural details this 1870s home provided with custom-designed furnishings, lighting, and art as well as many other details we felt would create a very contemporary but warm and inviting space,” says Coates.
The like-minded retail marketing and design professionals met at a trade show. When they decided to pursue a joint venture in the luxury beauty industry, the idea came naturally to them. Both were aware of the many harmful ingredients used in everyday personal and home-care products and set out to find a safer solution for a nail care concept.
'Given that nearly 90 percent of cosmetic ingredients are left untested for safety, it can be a bit alarming to think that most of what you put on your body hasn't been regulated since 1938 here in the U.S.,” says Coates.
At Poppy & Monroe, technicians use only polishesincluding Nashville-based Aila Cosmeticsthat are free of the five toxic ingredients: formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, and camphor. 'We are committed to sourcing only the best for our clients, as we are firm believers that knowledge is key to making healthier lifestyle choices overall,” says Coates.
In addition to providing a quality, nontoxic salon experience, Coates and Kops actively reduce their impact on the environment by opting for waterless manicures and pedicures. Coates says the average salon uses up to 12 gallons of water per pedicurethat's 50,000 gallons every year. They believe this is wasteful, unsafe (as it increases exposure to waterborne bacteria), and counterproductive, since the nail swells in water, making it prone to breakage and the polish likely to chip faster. Instead, Poppy & Monroe technicians begin with cleansing botanical sprays and warm towel wraps. (They also offer extended massages.)
Monthly memberships are available for $65 and feature perks like discounted services and priority booking status. And the retail space boasts 100 percent natural and organic makeup and skin care lines, including local favorites Golden Apothecary, Rainwater Farm, and Blueberries and Lace.
'Our goal was to take the guesswork out of the equation for our clients,” says Coates. 'We've personally tested all of the products we sell for efficacy and purity. We've vetted the ingredient lists so you don't have to.”
604 Monroe St., 615-640-0604; poppyandmonroe.com