Sydney cosmetic physician Dr Joseph Hkeik opens a new luxury clinic in London
In Mayfair he has collaborated with interior architect Blainey North on a showstopping new seven-storey skincare haven.
Trudging up countless flights of stairs to treatment rooms. Terrifyingly stark white walls and cold white lighting. Drab reception areas with potted fake orchids. Ten years ago medical spas and cosmetic clinics reflected the fact that many of us wanted to spend as little time there as possible. We’d ask taxis to dump us at the front door before dashing in and out – our faces disguised behind oversized sunglasses – desperately praying we’d spot no one we knew.
Function came first, atmosphere and experience second. But the changing attitudes to facial rejuvenation are now also reflected in the clinics themselves, with some designed to feel like luxurious homes. Case in point, Le Petit Saint, a showstopping seven-storey Victorian townhouse in London that has only been open a few weeks.
The Australian doctor behind it is Dr Joseph Hkeik. The cosmetic physician is the founder of Sydney’s All Saint Skin, which has clinics in Double Bay, Parramatta and Mosman (opening mid 2025 in historic Boronia House).
“The majority of cosmetic doctors in London share premises, renting rooms in Harley Street, but I always knew I didn’t want to do that,” says Hkeik. “I wanted to create a space where the moment you walk in, you’re disconnected from the outside world. I wanted to shock people’s senses in a positive manner.”
Hkeik, a master of injectables, had a vision for a one-stop shop where clients would not only look forward to visiting, but would stay for longer, booking various treatments so there’d be the opportunity to linger. Also on offer are specialists offering everything from customised facials, peels, collagen induction therapy, every kind of light and laser imaginable, and liquid facelifts. There are also extensive wellness offerings, such as intravenous drips, the latest “recovery pod” technologies to treat jet lag, and an incredible new German bed called The Dome that claims to target everything from muscle soreness to improving your blood pH. “It affects body detoxification and immune function as it integrates infra-red technology, plasma and light treatment,” marvels Hkeik. “By offering all these things, we’re creating a holistic solution. The whole gamut. In one incredibly beautiful space.”
Hkeik worked on the Mayfair space with long-time collaborator and celebrated interior architect Blainey North. Together the duo decided the interiors would be themed around how the great figurative sculptors explored the relationship between body, face and identity. To do so, they engaged different artists whose work ranges from traditional expressions to the more progressive and ethereal.
“Each floor investigates a particular sculptural medium showcasing the aesthetic evolution of the exploration of body and skin,” says North. “To me, this isn’t just a skin clinic; it’s an intimate celebration of beauty through the arts.”
Although the Mayfair townhouse had retained many of its original features, including awe-inspiring cornicing, feature ceilings, Georgian sash windows and a grand staircase, the pair wanted to add elements that explored the notion of skin tones and skin textures in ways that felt multi-sensorial.
You enter the building, which is located on the south side of Charles Street, a stone’s throw from Berkeley Square, through a front door freshly painted in Farrow & Ball’s dusky pink Cinder Rose. In the reception area, custom-made terracotta plinths reminiscent of female bodies display skincare products, while above hangs a Lee Broom light sculpture made of draped plaster and glass. “The inspiration being marble drapery on ancient statues and sepulchral sculpture,” adds Hkeik, himself a keen sculptor and painter. Over a heritage marble fireplace hangs an artwork of twisted fabric by Finnish artist Niina Kratz, while the French panelled walls are lined with Pierre Frey pale-pink fabric wallpaper embedded with a luminescent silver thread.
North and Hkeik first collaborated in 2017 on the physician’s Double Bay terrace. The interior architect, who has created homes for the likes of Russell Crowe, the Packers and Nicole Kidman, describes her dream client as one with whom she forges a long-term relationship. She is currently entrenched in Hkeik’s mega Mosman manse project and it’s clear she gets inside his head.
Le Petit Saint has been a complex but highly inspiring build, North says. “One remarkable aspect of this property is that it has a two-storey-high glass void through the centre of the space,” she says. “Suspended here are two glowing quartz crystal wings created by the Australian lighting sculptor, Christopher Boots – Wings of Pegasus – which recalls the story of Pegasus [and his] association with the muses, the goddesses of the arts and inspiration. It’s a poignant symbol referencing the vision of the practice and that of Dr Hkeik.”
A key reason why clients such as Rita Ora and Elle Macpherson regularly seek out Hkeik’s artistic approach is his view that faces are canvases, with unique features that are enhanced rather than changed. So it feels appropriate that every floor of the building is themed around the idea of a sculptural medium, from resin to paper to wood, clay and stone. “For example, on the paper floor we had paper artist Andy Singleton make ceiling roses from paper, modelled on their idea of Poseidon and Venus,” says North. “When they’re illuminated above the treatment beds, they’re like reminders of historical representations of beauty.”
For Hkeik, the new space’s greatest asset is the fact it’s flooded with natural light. “I need to work with light,” he stresses. “My work is all about painting with light. When I’m changing people’s [face] shapes, I’m trying to shift the light on their face to make it fall in a place that’s more attractive.” He pauses. “But Le Petit Saint is more than having people feel they are in capable hands. I want it to be a beautiful place that gives people a psychological boost.”
For a city as grey as London can be, it was imperative then that certain views from the windows encompassed greenery so visitors can get their nature fix. Glimpsing Berkeley Square’s corridor of large plane trees while they’re enjoying their Rationale facial, for instance. In addition to carrying the revered Australian brand, Hkeik also plans to sell his own skincare range: a 10-piece line of cleansers, moisturisers, skin tints and sunscreens to which he’s currently putting the finishing touches.
No one could ever accuse Hkeik of doing things by halves, but he’s never second-guessed this London chapter. “I could have chosen to do this in LA, but it just felt transactional,” he sums up. “I’ve really connected with everyone in London. When you find your crowd, you just know it. London feels like my city. I feel I belong.”
This story is from the February issue of WISH.
