Profile

Though owner Debra Ann Townes started her beauty career at Bergdorf Goodman's high-end Susan Ciminelli retreat, everything about The HomeSpa is proudly anti-chic, created for those who prefer laid back comfort to plush sophistication. Faithful to its name, the spa radiates hominess, right down to the in-house dog, a terrier mix named Cookie who greets clients in the lobby. With earthy tile floors, stained glass windows, and lighting provided mainly by table lamps, it wouldn’t seem odd if the treatment-room doors opened to easy chairs and fireplaces instead of massage tables. The welcome-back feel carries over to the treatments as well: Lotions and massage oils are homemade blends, and a massage that uses heated bags of rice and beans is a comfort-food version of hot-stone therapy. As a holistic spa, there are no manicures or pedicures (too toxic), but intensive hand and foot treatments are like facials for the appendages. Townes aims to attract those who find traditional spas high-maintenance or who are too intimidated to visit them in the first place, but that hasn't stopped the former ad-agency executive from thinking big; there's a mini-HomeSpa branch in a Costa Rican hotel, and she aspires to franchise locally, too. — Kate Jacobs