Biggest design challenges for salons

This month, we asked salon owners who had recently completed renovations or new salons the following:

What was the biggest challenge about your design and how did you overcome it?



“OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE was ensuring the quality of light within the salon. In order to do their best work, our stylists need diffused, shadow-free illumination that renders color and texture with absolute accuracy. We spent a lot of time experimenting with mock-ups of the salon’s lighting system, modeling the way in which light would be distributed within the space. Our final solution was to mount our light fixtures above a free-floating, ceiling plane, which was perforated with a series of round openings. This ceiling, which we dubbed the “cloud of light,” mediated and diffuses lighting throughout the work area, giving us exact quality of illumination we were seeking.”

“HOW DO YOU IMPROVE an award-winning design and well-established brand image? This was the design dilemma that challenged our design team. How could we make our new salon current and fresh, be consistent with our brand image, and at the same time, not date the design of two other salons that we have in the region? As it turned out, the design challenges for our new salon gave us the opportunity for our brand to evolve, broaden and improve. The spa area in particular has become quiet, intimate and sophisticated. Each zone of the spa has been given its own temperature controls—something that doesn’t show, but which makes a significant difference to the comfort of our clients. The finishes and details are more luxurious and refined. The Corian vanities and Toto sinks in each of the treatment rooms are lit by low-voltage undercabinet lights. The view through the frameless glass shower door reveals textured stone tiles and a river stone floor.”

MY BIGGEST CHALLENGE was striking just the right balance between being a contemporary salon to attract younger clients, but remaining warm and friendly enough to entice older clients. I overcame these challenges by designing the interior to be fun, yet warm and inviting. I chose warm colors and decor. All cabinetry is made of an eco-friendly faux wood with black trim. Furniture and decor is done in primarily black and white, offset by a rich, red trim. The walls contain photographs of my family and other friends, adding a soft, personal touch. The photos, done by an award-winning local photographer, are done in black and white, with splashes of red. Also, storage space was incorporated into the dispensary, as well as the cabinetry at each stylist’s station to improve our appearance and eliminate clutter.”

“CREATING A SALON that encompasses all of our design aspirations and functionality within 1,200 square feet was our most challenging part of this project. We began our design processes by challenging how to best coordinate the traffic flow between stations and amenities, albeit creating a small but accessible retail area in the lobby. Once we laid out the floor plan we challenged our designer to create a space that brought in water, earth and fire elements within the design.”