“I went with that look because that’s how my grandmother and mother decorated their houses,” Zimmerman tells Pittsburgh City Paper.
The logo is in keeping with the studio’s concept of “not your mom, but [still] Mom,” she explains, and every element of its design “has significance.”
Opened over Mother’s Day weekend, Zimmerman launched Not Your Mom’s Nail Studio with a clear mission: to provide quality nail services in a safe and inclusive environment.
“That means that you are cared for regardless of your age, your gender, your race, everything,” she says. “This is a space that you want to be in.”
For Zimmerman, who has worked as a nail artist and natural nail specialist for six years, that also meant upending some nail salon conventions, starting with creating a space that supports parents and caretakers as much as their children.
“When I think about your mom’s anything growing up, it was always ‘sit down, wait for me,’” Zimmerman says. “And it really wasn’t welcoming for everyone. It was welcoming for your mom, because your mom was getting something done, but that’s where it ended.”
The entryway at Not Your Mom’s immediately sets a different tone — guests are greeted by bright yellow walls and balloon art, leading to an “art room” where they can choose their nail polish colors from iridescent floating shelves. The entire room is “treat-themed” with colorful gummy bear and popsicle pop art, framed doughnut sculptures, and giant plastic Ring Pops lining the walls.
“I just wanted it to be that childhood feeling of being a kid in a candy store,” Zimmerman says. “You’re coming into the art room and picking your supplies.”
After moving into the space in January, Zimmerman worked over nearly five months to make each room at Not Your Mom’s a “rainbow of colors.”
A kid’s lounge and waiting room — observable on baby monitors throughout the studio — invites caretakers to bring their children with them while getting their nails done. Kids are treated to educational toys, a Barbie dollhouse, and a wall of classic Disney VHS tapes to watch, still in their original plastic boxes.
The room’s whimsical decor is inspired by Zimmerman’s own childhood visit to Cinderella’s Castle at Disney World. For its 25th anniversary in 1996, the castle was transformed into a giant pink birthday cake with faux icing, lollipops, and gumdrops, which inspired the studio lounge’s wall art and foam cake slice pillows.
“It just brings you happy,” Zimmerman says. “You can’t be in a bad mood in here.”
The studio’s services range from a classic manicure to glitter art and accents to custom pet portraits. Recent nail art shared on the studio’s Instagram includes tiger-striped nails with a tiger shark and an intricate design featuring Disney’s Maleficent.
“All nails are worthy of nail art!” Zimmerman writes on the studio’s scheduling page. “Short, long. Fingers, toes. Women, men. Nails are mini canvases and an amazing addition to your look giving you the freedom to express yourself where you didn't know you could!”
Zimmerman advocates for natural nail health and enjoys educating clients, while also being sought after for her elaborate nail art. Not Your Mom’s also specializes in dry manicures and pedicures — both done without soaking — which are safer for diabetic clients.
Nail services at Not Your Mom’s take place across three larger-than-life themed rooms: a Harry Potter private pedicure space with butterscotch candy on hand; a “Queen Room” with a bejeweled wall and gold-framed portraits; and a Barbie Dreamhouse-styled nail suite with walls of collectibles including Star Trek Barbie and Ken and vintage pink lunch boxes.
A nook with a coat rack and green canopy — nicknamed “the Family Tree” — displays Zimmerman’s own family photos. Her blended family of seven gets together annually for a group Halloween portrait, with a theme assigned by her 12-year-old daughter, Mia. (One portrait with a The Nightmare Before Christmas theme has Zimmerman dressed as Oogie Boogie.)
“It's really important to put family first,” Zimmerman says, and she credits her family’s support with enabling her to open Not Your Mom’s. “We are a whole unit, so it's important to share our family with families coming in.”
The family-friendliness even extends to the nail studio’s bathroom, which includes a collapsible changing table.
“As a mom, I've gone into places where I’ve had to change my kid on the floor and that sucks,” Zimmerman says.
In contrast, she “affectionately” calls Not Your Mom’s bathroom “the crappiest bathroom,” and it includes a wall of pop culture icons pictured using the toilet: Ross from Friends, cartoon characters Bluey and SpongeBob, and the infamous bathroom scene from Bridesmaids.
“There’s references for every age and whatnot. I tried to think of everything, so to speak,” Zimmerman says with a laugh.
Though the nail studio is meant to be a lighthearted and fun place, Zimmerman takes its mission seriously, understanding clients’ complex relationships with mothering and care.
A member of the LGBTQ community, Zimmerman says, “I’m accepted by my mother, [but] I know so many who are not. And so I want you to feel safe when you come in here. As a mom, I want to care for you.”
“Maybe you don’t have a mom, or maybe maybe your relationship is difficult. Or maybe you have a stepmom that looks like Mom,” she reflects. “I just want to invoke those good, warm feelings that you think of when you hear ‘Mom,’ whether it’s something you wish you had or you do have … At Not Your Mom’s, I’m not yours, but I am Mom. In this space, I will care for you as a mother should.”
Zimmerman emphasizes that Not Your Mom’s is “not just a nail salon.”
“It’s more than that,” she says. “We want to make a difference in the community.” Since opening, Not Your Mom’s has undertaken fundraising and charity work, and launched a Support Your Local Artist program. A dedicated space in the studio allows artists and craftspeople to showcase their work for free. The program has highlighted homemade candles and taxidermy-style art from Adrienne Keller, with an upcoming artist slated to hang handmade rugs.
“Life just hits you, and it hits you over and over and over. And sometimes you don't get to that place,” she says. “I just love what I do … and I found a new purpose in life. And now to show my kids this and to share it with my community is just amazing. It is the best feeling.”
