Loneliness has always been an unavoidable problem for international students. And nail art has always been a popular pastime for women all over the world. As a Chinese student in the UK, there will be fewer and fewer places to get a manicure because of the preferred style and price. Therefore, this practice-based study explores how Chinese students' experiences of studying in the UK can be communicated and feel safe in this space, using a nail salon of their own design as an experimental context.

The research question: How does a space create an environment for a certain type of conversation, and how does a space actually create a conversation? The home nail salon is an intimate space set in the context of home; how do people understand this space and what kind of conversations does this intimacy create between Chinese students in the UK?

Through the research, we can celebrate the breadth and depth of research into private spaces in the female niche. I hope to amplify the influences that have yet to be researched by creating potential female body perceptions in different areas. In the reflective practice and autoethnographic methods used in this research process, I was able to integrate design spaces with practical processes and journal writing. This will be of interest to designers. Through methodology and immersion, I was able to appreciate the role of practical information in communication. This is also key to exploring research questions. These methodologies help to explore how spaces create context for certain types of conversations, how spaces actually create conversations, and how spaces and communication function as spaces for family support.

Keywords: manicure, private space, communication, security, home