Beauty is big business worldwide. This is most evident by noting the amazing transformation of what was once the corner “beauty shop” into the amazing spaces that are now called salons and day spas and are being designed by some of the world’s hottest designers and architects. Providing a serene atmosphere that pampers and relaxes is as important for success as the products and services these retreats offer. Clients’ demands are not just to look beautiful when they leave but also to feel beautiful when they are there. The salons and spas that can provide this perceived sense of beauty prove to be the most successful. These pages provide an inside look at the most elegant and appealing spas to the hippest beauty shops. These new shops represent the high-end of interior design and architecture and the atmosphere is as important as the service. Spas and Salons features the design details of the best and newest beauty shops and spas on the block and uncovers, through interviews with the designers, what makes them so appealing, memorable, and desirable. Julie Sinclair Eakin writes about design. She has advanced degrees in architecture from SCI-Arc and the University of California at Berkeley. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. She lives in New York City.