About Us
We’re creating a new standard in nail care.
We analyze the overall health of your nails and listen to what you’re really looking for, which helps us offer the best nail care products and services for you.
We Care About You and Your Nails
Saunders & James is a nail salon that is truly nail care focused, with an emphasis on personalized service and seasonally curated nail art. We offer natural nail and gel polish services in a serene, spa-like environment. Our goal is to create a safe, clean space for everyone to get their nail needs met by a pro.
Founded by Michelle Saunders James, a licensed cosmetologist, nail expert and celebrity manicurist, Saunders & James is the kind of nail salon Michelle has always dreamed of working in. After 30 years of professional manicuring, Michelle decided it's time to share her knowledge and art with the world, starting with her home turf in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our first high-concept nail care salon opened in the heart of the Rockridge neighborhood in Oakland, CA in 2020.
Meet the Founder
Michelle Saunders James is a manicurist known for her creative instincts, precise attention to detail and love of color. Michelle began training in her hometown of San Francisco, working as a manicurist at various Chanel boutiques. This is where she developed her gentle and thorough approach to manicuring. After several years refining her technique, she opened her own successful appointment-only nail salon.
After a decade in San Francisco, she is now a sought-after professional in the beauty industry, and has become the go-to manicure expert for A-list celebrities like Julia Roberts and Sofia Coppola. Renowned high-end publications, including
W Magazine, Vogue, and In Style, consistently turn to Michelle for her expertise in providing editorial manicuring as well as sharing her nail care advice to their readers.
Her versatility shines through in her roles as a lead manicurist at New York Fashion Week (NYFW) for prestigious brands such as Versace, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton. Michelle's impressive portfolio extends to the advertising world, where she has collaborated with major clients like Chanel, Banana Republic, Sephora, Apple, Target, Benefit Cosmetics, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, and David Yurman. One hallmark of Michelle’s nail work is its durability. She believes that a long-lasting result is achieved through precise preparation of the nail bed, a gentle yet thorough technique and the use of the highest quality products.
Michelle continues to explore and experiment to continuously create the visually rich, fashion forward looks, whether it’s a classic nude nail or an intricate design.
She now resides in Oakland with her husband, Kerry Wayne James.
Staff Structure
At Saunders & James, we prioritize staff development and are excited to introduce our training program for manicurists. This program is designed for recent beauty school graduates or returning manicurists, offering structured training led by experienced senior and lead manicurists.
Our staff structure begins with a 30-day assessment for new manicurists or salon assistants. Michelle evaluates each team member and places them in roles with corresponding wages and service prices based on their skills, ensuring fair compensation aligned with their experience.
Roles:
Assistant: Entry-level role for those new to salon work, including recent beauty school graduates. Provides foundational experience in the salon environment.
Junior: For individuals with some salon and nail work experience, showcasing proficiency in the industry.
Senior: Staff with more experience in salon and nail work, indicating higher expertise in their roles.
Lead: The highest role, reserved for professionals with maximum salon and nail work experience, capable of taking on leadership responsibilities.
We prioritize fair compensation, with each role having a corresponding wage and service price based on staff experience. Competitive wages, incentive bonus commissions, and guaranteed gratuity on services performed further recognize and reward team members' hard work.
Our goal is to foster a positive and rewarding work environment, supporting the growth and success of our team members in their careers.
Nail Art
Michelle’s “Fall for Ombré” design, as seen in The New York Times.
At Saunders & James, we draw inspiration from fashion, textiles and architecture to create custom nail art. Every season we curate a new nail art collection, marrying classic shapes with current trends. Our manicurists are trained on the best techniques, so that every client receives the highest quality hand-painted nail art.
Michelle’s own design aesthetic comes from both external and internal inspiration. “I’m constantly traveling to NY and LA for editorial campaigns and celebrity jobs, so I get to see trends before they’re released to the public . . . I always have my “finger on the pulse” of what’s next. And personally, I’m inspired every second. You see a doorway, I see nail art. You see a sky line, I imagine how to paint it on a nail. I see the world in nail art.”
Looking for nail art? Choose from our collections or bring us your ideas! We’d love to collaborate to create a design just for you. If you know what you want in advance, let us know. We may not be able to accommodate all requests, but we’ll try! The more time we have to plan, the better. Send your inspiration photos to hello@saundersandjames.com.