The Square Nail Studio

This place is now closed. So sad, it was the BEST. Heather, I’ll miss you!

I have natural nails and have been getting manicures for years. My daughter discovered this nail salon and we went there last spring for manicures & pedicures. It was the best and I’m picky! I was impressed they knew how to deal with getting a pedicure and needing to put back on boots. I don’t live in the area but if I did I’d be there regularly!

Went here once and thought it was great — so why haven’t I been back?
Because it’s too damned difficult and frustrating to get an appointment, that’s why. In the last 4 months, I’ve called multiple times and only get voice mail — you can also reach them through email but then you have to wait for someone to call you back and let you know if (and it’s a big if) the time you want is available.
I’ve also walked by a bunch of times and they are either closed or asked me to call for an appt. (???) So even though I live around the corner, I’ll keep on taking the train downtown. Might be a few more $ for a mani pedi but quality is just as good and I can get someone that answers the phone and can confirm an appointment time.
I understand you’re a small shop, but come on, could you at least invest in an online scheduler? Believe it or not, most of us actually have other stuff to do…
As I said before the quality here is excellent, my rating reflects the inconvenience factor!

A friend made an appointment for us to get pedicures, and this is honestly the first nice nail salon in Boston that I have been to that can accommodate 2 people at the same time — HUGE BONUS. I was a bit hesitant about the all natural products and how long they would last, but my fears were alleviated with an incredibly long lasting pedicure.
Loved the metal washbins for my foot soak and the use of glass beads as a mini foot massage while I was soaking.
Only downside are the hours — hard for me to get to Davis in the middle of rush hour for an after work pedicure… but worth it when I can.

This place is such a treat! It feels more like the cozy living room of a friend than a busy, chemical filled nail salon. The woman who did my pedicure was so sweet and easy to chat with. They use all natural products here, so it’s great for those environmentally conscious or skin sensitive. Everything they used felt very gentle and healthy on my skin, and I didn’t feel like I’d taken years off my life for breathing in toxic fumes. My french pedicure looked great and lasted as long as a typical pedicure. The studio is located directly across from the Davis Square stop on the Red Line, so it’s convenient even if you don’t live in the neighborhood.

I really like this place. They don’t do any fake nails or stuff that requires glue, so it doesn’t smell like chemicals (not even like nail polish). Only room for two manis/​pedis at a time — upholstered furniture a la Sunshine for Lucy, really nice/mellow/arts&craftsy atmosphere.
I prefer the first appointment of the day, and yes, they are often late. I’ve never had a no-​show!
The pedicures are done very carefully and last longer.
The place is a bit more expensive, but feels totally different than the factory atmosphere of a strip-​mall type place.
I like Heather and all the women she’s hired, and I love going there with a friend as a treat.

I have treated myself to a manicure and two pedicures at square nail. It is a cozy and clean little salon that provides spa quality nail services. The ladies working here are super friendly and usually like to chat quite a bit. I highly recommend this salon if you are looking for a spa quality pedicure or manicure.

When I need to get my giant, hairy Sasquatch feet tamed, I go to Square Nails. Square Nails is an «all natural nail salon» so I don’t have to feel guilty about polluting the earth and inhaling noxious chemicals every time I get a mani-​pedi. The décor and environment is a lot more relaxed than most other nail salons. The place is super clean and comfy and I got a lot of attention form the woman who did my nails, unlike some other salons while the manicurist talks on the phone the whole time while doing a half-​ass job on your nails. They even have a great mix on the iPod.
Why don’t I go here more often? At $ 40 for just my two club feet and another 20 for the ham-​fists, I find it too steep for every day. This is a once every few months treat, no matter how great of a job they do I just can’t justify spending $ 40 for somebody else to paint my nails.

I really want to support my local nail salon but found this gem and now will only go there. My toes were re-​polished and it was the best painting I have ever had. The woman was about to have a baby (really) but I am hoping everyone that works there is trained the same. I have to admit I was worried about her sucking in the fumes of the polish. The only regret I have is that a another customer was on the phone the whole time I was waiting and it was very RUDE. I do not think they should allow cell phone use.

Ive only been a here a couple times about a year ago. So perhaps this review isnt as worthwhile. I actually really liked the owner. When i went shed just opened the place and has this warm southern accent and fun stories to tell about her kids and ex-​husband.
However, the reason I only went twice a year ago is that its just so pricey. I think the manicure is $ 20 because its a cute little nail shop in Davis Sq with nice ambience and very shabby chic décor where you can be pampered. And thats all well and good. But lady, i just want my nails done. We all know its going to chip and flake in a week anyway, thats going to happen anywhere you go, no matter what you pay. So I might as well go some place and spend $ 12 for plastic chairs and chipped tables and forgo the cute décor and floral arrangements for another time and place.

This is the cutest little salon with a warm, cozy feel (none of the fluorescent lights, chemical smells and plastic chairs of your typical nail salon). heather did the pedicures for both my friend and i because my nail tech was out. she was friendly, thorough and gave the best pedi i’ve ever had. the old fashion tubs and the comfy chairs make the whole experience so much more relaxing than any other place i’ve been and they use delicious smelling natural
the phone was ringing off the hook while we were there though … so make sure you make your appointment a few days in advance!
the only (slightly) negative thing i can say is that my nail tech was out so heather did two pedis at once. we were there a little longer than anticipated but the experience was so indulgent that the slightly abbreviated treatment and fifteen extra minutes in the salon were ABSOLUTELY worth it. I love how my toes look and feel.
five stars!

So here’s the deal…
I was visiting a friend in Boston and was staying in a B&B around the corner from the salon. I took a stroll up and down the main street looking for a nail salon when I came across the Square Studio. I was hoping for a walk-​in appointment but the lady I spoke with (Heather I believe) said she could take me at 3:30pm. I hesitated because it was barely 11am but Heather seemed nice enough so I booked anyhow.
I then headed to Back Bay where my friend was working and we hung out for a little while during his lunch break. When I told him I was heading back to Somerville for a mani/​pedi he suggested I simply go to a popular nail shop less than a block away. I thought about it for a moment but I decided against it since I had already booked an appointment with Heather and I didn’t want to be a no-​show. I then proceeded to head back to Somerville.
Being that I’m not from the Boston area I had no idea parking in Davis Square would be so difficult. I arrived in Somerville at approximately 3:15 with plenty of time to make my 3:30pm appointment but after FINALLY locating parking and walking into the studio it was EXACTLY 3:37pm.
When I walked in Heather was no longer there and another young lady said she was the one that was supposed to do my mani/​pedi. Okay, no problem I thought, doesn’t matter who does my nails just as long as they’re done. She then said because I was 7 MINUTES LATE that she could only do either or. Now granted, I admit I was 7 minutes late so she had every right to her policy but there was no need for her nonchalant attitude. In fact, she even suggested (in a talk down tone) that she TOTALLY UNDERSTANDS if I didn’t want to have either service done. She said that 7 minutes would completely put her behind schedule for the rest of the day and that there was no way she could fit me in for both.
At the same time she was telling me this there was another young lady (presumably her friend) who was waiting quietly, trying to appear busy. As soon as I left out the front door the other young lady hopped into the chair, ready to be serviced.
Now, I hate to make assumptions, but from my observations, it seems as if she capitalized on my tardiness (7 minutes) to provide a walk-​in appointment for a friend/​acquaintance of hers. In my opinion, that’s just bad business and the fact that she didn’t even want to appear to give a $&# about a customer has left a bad taste in my mouth.
Lesson learned: NEVER be late if you book an appointment here. Not even ONE minute (read the other reviewers). Also, don’t expect adequate customer service if you’re from out of town or not a regular customer.

I called a couple hours ahead for a mani-​pedi for me and a friend. The place was very homey, not your typical nail salon. We loved the natural oils and comfy chairs. Becca (?) did a great job on my friend’s nails. However, I was not really happy with the job Heather did on mine. They were uneven on the edges and the paint looked like she hadn’t put a second layer on in some places. They also started peeling and chipping in a matter of days. Throughout the entire process Heather and Becca were chatting away and being slightly obnoxious. For the price they charged I wouldn’t expect to have to listen to gossip and get a sub-​par manicure.

I’ve been on an eternal search to find a place that I could be satisfied with that was convenient, clean and friendly.
Thank goodness I finally found my place! Location wise, it’s perfect for me because it’s directly across the street from Davis Sq’s T stop. Becca did my nails and she was great. Really friendly and although I showed up 5 minutes late, she still gave me a great french mani that is subtle, but classy and nice.
I guess one word of advice is, like everyone else has noted, the place is pretty tiny and even though I went in Feb (ie not the height of mani/​pedi season), they seemed pretty booked up. I would advise everyone to make an appt. first and to show up on time.
fyi, their website lists the costs of manis vs pedis etc.

I went in for a manicure last week with my sister. My mani was done by Heather and my sister’s was done by Becca (I think). Heather had to leave right at the end of my mani so she was a bit rushed, but she seemed to do a good job. However, just a few days later, the polish was chipping and coming off my nails. Whenever I’ve gotten manicures in the past, the polish lasted at least a week before chipping. So, it doesn’t seem worth it to pay for a manicure that only lasts a few days. I do agree with the other reviewers that the place is homey & cozy, much better than the usual neon sign nail salons elsewhere.

A male perspective… I’ve recently started doing a lot of walking and thought it would be important for me to take care of my most important piece of exercise equipment, my feet. So I started scheduling monthly mani/​pedi here. No, I don’t walk on my hands but hey while I’m here I might as well get my hands taken care of, too.
What first drew me in was something a previous reviewer wrote. Square Nail seems less ER-​like and more homey. I don’t know why that makes a difference to me, but it does. When I walked by a lot of the nail salons along Mass Ave. and in Davis Sq. they just didn’t feel right to me.
I’ve now been in for three visits and been worked on by all three employees and did not notice any appreciable difference between them. The pedicure starts with a soak in warm soapy water with a number of solid beads in the bottom of the soaking bucket. Very soothing. After the requisite snipping, plucking, and buffing the pedicure ends with a nice massage from below the knee to your foot. I’ve had a different choice of scented oil on each visit for this part of the pedicure. The manicure is pretty straight-​forward and follows the same pattern as the pedicure including the massage from elbow to hand. All during the process there is music playing and, at least when I’ve been there, some lively conversation. There have been a couple of mentions about the cost and while I think Square Nail might be a touch more expensive it is not so wildly more expensive that I feel it makes a difference. Square Nail Studio has become my little urban oasis for at least for one morning a month.

The Square Nail Studio has completely changed my whole attitude towards having my nails done… I’ve never been very good about doing them myself, so once or twice a year for a special occasion I would go somewhere to have them done. I used to dread the smell of toxic fumes and wonder if beauty is really worth the health risks!
The experience at Square Nails is totally different… there is no toxic smell, no dreaded flourescent lighting, and tacky pictures. It’s more like stepping into a quaint little antique shop… it’s relaxing and fun and they do a fabulous massage and painting! and for true indulgence, try grabbing an ice cream at JP Licks next store to bring in with you!

I read many reviews and decided to give this place a shot for a pedicure. It’s very cute and I enjoyed the music. Like another who commented, the girl also had some kind of cold/​allergies and kept rubbing her nose and then continuing to massage my feet. She did spend a lot of time massaging and painting my feet, but it was only about 35 minutes. Their website said 60 minutes, so I was a bit dissapointed. I think she did a good job, but I don’t think I’d go back for the price.

I love the atmosphere place, which is why it breaks my heart to have to give it a mediocre review…
BUT, here’s the deal. My spouse and I had fabulous manis and pedis about a year ago. It’s really cute, very intimate atmosphere, and they use a great line of products.
About a month ago, we tried to go back (it’s too expensive to go here more often) and booked back to back appointments at 7 and 7:30, I believe. I showed up from across town about 5 minutes late for the FIRST appointment, and the woman had already taken off. We tried calling, she called us back about 30 minutes later, when we were already home, and said «well, if you want to come in now, I could do one mani…» like she was doing us some big favor.
No apology, no offer for a free mani or something to show they give a shit about having loyal customers. So, fuck that. The atmosphere may be cute, but bitch, you’re not that cute. I’ll go elsewhere.

I feel like this place is straight out of some Garrison Keillor novel. It’s warm and homey. It’s blend of Tuscan décor and southern charm is incredibly appealing and genunie.
The Square Nail Studio is such a refreshing break from the glaring neon sign nail salons or the über-​pretentious spas.
There are no caustic smells here, no harsh lighting, no nail tech with a cell phone perpetually pressed to her ear. It’s just nice, quiet, comfortable, and friendly.
Heather, Becca and Colleen are all incredibly skilled and attentive. My pedicures here have far outlasted those I’ve received elsewhere.
Only downside, this place is pretty tiny, so you may need to make an appointment in advance. I’ve had luck with walk-​ins, but I wouldn’t leave it to chance.