POULSBO — Nails have been a lifelong passion for Susanne Keefe, along with the idea of opening her own salon on Front Street next to the Poulsbohemian Coffeehouse.

It took 19 years and a stint working in the retail grocery business for Keefe to make her dreams come true, but she finally did it in October 2005 with the opening of Sue’s Creative Nails.

“I found myself in the grocery business and finally decided it was time to go back and get my license,” said Keefe, who is a self-professed “beauty school dropout.”

With a family, a full-time job and an hour-and-a-half commute, it took two years before she earned her license and began doing nails out of her home while searching for a place to set up her salon.

“I had wanted this building for a long time when I drove by here seven years ago,” Keefe said. “When I drove by and saw it had a ‘For Rent’ sign, I thought it would be perfect.”

Downtown Poulsbo is exactly where she wants to be, even though there are a handful of other nail salons in the area, she said.

“Every one of my services is a minimum of an hour,” she said. “It’s all about being pampered.”

With her pedicures, Keefe serves champagne and truffles and makes her clients comfortable with a blanket and pillow.

“The whole idea of a salon of any kind is a luxury, not a necessity,” she said.

Because she is the only nail technician in her salon, Keefe said she is able to provide one-on-one attention and service that others simply cannot.

“I want people to come in here and relax and it’s a chance for moms to get away from their kids for a while,” she said.

Unlike other salons, Keefe offers pedicures in a private setting with a view of Liberty Bay.

“My pedicure station is a big bonus and people really like that,” she said, noting that people tend to be self-conscious about their feet.

Keefe also guarantees her customers’ satisfaction with all of her services and will go out of her way to meet their needs.

“If they’re not happy with their service, I give them another service for free,” she said.

One customer called Keefe on Christmas Eve because a nail had slipped off. Keefe said she came in and fixed the problem so the customer could have her nails for Christmas Day.

“I put too much wax on them and it was my fault, so I fixed it,” she explained.

New nail sets have a two-week guarantee, which means any breaks or other problems will be fixed free of charge, she said.

Facial waxing is also offered at the salon, which is a little bonus that makes things better for the customer, she said.

“I want to be one of the best in Kitsap County and I stand by my work,” Keefe said.