Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Sep 01, 2025

Romantic Archways and Lighting Define GoodBody Salon by Homework

Romantic Archways and Lighting Define GoodBody Salon by Homework

Susan and Ben Work met in New York. It’s where the former, a Los Angeles native, earned her associates degree in interior design from Parsons School of Design and the latter, from Washing­ton, his master’s in architecture from Columbia University.

They remained in the city, dating and working-she at Yabu Pushelberg and ICrave, he at 212box-until the 2008 recession hit, leaving them both without jobs. So they moved to San Francisco, married, and, in 2014, founded Homework, their surname an irresistible component of the firm’s moniker.

            

Susan and Ben Work, designer and architect, respectively, and the married founders of Homework. Photography by Aubrie Pick; styling by Bianca Sotelo.

Young, scrappy, and entrepreneurial, the Works found a kindred spirit in client Brittany Barnes, a Black businesswoman who had identified a need for a beauty salon in Oakland dedicated to textured hair. She came to Homework with the project already named, GoodBody, branded, and envisioned as high-end and luxurious-but on a tight budget. Once stripped down, the 1,400-square-foot former office space revealed fortuitous assets: a 25-foot ceiling, full-height windows, and concrete flooring. The Works shaped the cavernous volume with a pair of curved tambour-fronted units painted dusty red. One forms a continuous reception desk and banquette; another provides shelving for product display. The styling stations each boast a knockout arched mirror. “Lighting is crucial,” Ben notes of the dimmable LED strips surrounding them. “It’s where the magic happens,” Susan adds. More arches frame the shampoo stations, where walls are emerald green. Gold velvet drapes the doorways to private facial rooms.

            

Shampoo stations are set in a semi-enclosed an­nex behind an arched portal. Photography by Aubrie Pick; styling by Bianca Sotelo.

            

To transform from office space to salon, the dropped ceiling was removed, existing concrete flooring was polished, and custom seating and display units in painted poplar were installed. Photography by Aubrie Pick; styling by Bianca Sotelo.

            

Velvet forms banquette upholstery and curtains separating facial rooms. Photography by Aubrie Pick; styling by Bianca Sotelo.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
Federal Reserve Independence Questioned Amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Central Bank
British Politics Faces Tumultuous Autumn After Summer of Rebellions and Rising Farage Momentum
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
UK Sought Broad Access to Apple Users’ Data, Court Filing Reveals
UK Bank Shares Dive Over Potential Tax on Sector
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
×