Hennafy Studio

Hennafy was started by Sadia Ahmed and her husband, who run it together. Sadia began her professional henna work in Baltimore, Maryland, while she was still a college freshman. The business has now operated for about a decade, and it has grown from henna into a mix of henna services, home goods and fashion accessories. The studio describes itself as a one-stop henna shop.

Services are offered from the owners' home studio in Richmond. The address listed for the studio is 3912 Alderleaf Ln, inside the Ryan Homes Kensington Meadow location, and it sits minutes from VCU, Cary Street and downtown. Clients request an appointment by email, and a $55 deposit secures the meeting time. Up to five guests can be in the studio at once, and children may receive henna with a parent's permission. Hours run Tuesday through Friday evenings, with Saturday reserved for party and event work and limited Sunday mornings; the studio is closed on Mondays. Clients should arrive on time, since late arrivals do not extend the appointment. All services are paid in full before the visit, by debit or credit card (not Mastercard), cash, Apple Pay, Zelle, Venmo or Cash App. Money orders and personal checks are not accepted.

The henna is made by hand in the studio, and clients who have allergies, health conditions or take medications are asked to share these before booking. A patch test consultation is available. The studio says henna is never black and that black henna can be dangerous, so it offers jagua as an alternative for a blackish-blue stain. Henna is typically left on for eight to twelve hours, and the hands should be kept dry for about eight hours after the paste comes off. The stain darkens over the following one to two days.

The studio travels for parties and events, serving Richmond, Northern Virginia, Southern Virginia and areas on the DC/Maryland border on request. Parties and events book a minimum of two hours plus travel. Travel within Richmond and nearby areas is a flat fee, while farther trips are charged by mileage. Consultations for brides are available by phone or in person for a fee, and are recommended before the wedding day. Because the studio does not allow outside henna cones, clients must use what the studio provides.

Beyond henna, the studio sells jewelry, home decor and hand-painted henna-inspired pieces, along with Rajasthani henna cones. Most of the home goods are handmade, either from the owners' own designs or collected from artists around the world, and some items can be personalized as gifts. The studio also seeks collaborations with artists, photographers, models, local businesses and women for portfolio projects. Hennafy LLC is the company behind the studio, and the business is fully insured, according to the studio.

Henna paste is mixed in-house from organic henna powder, and the studio favors jagua over black henna. Home goods are mostly handmade, from the owners' designs or from global artists.