Andreas Hogue Salon
Vernon Hills, Illinois
Andreashogue.com
Owners: Ashley and Andreas Hogue
Salon Style: Upscale Modern, Malibu-Inspired, Instagrammable
Square Footage: 2,380
Stations: 14
Treatment Rooms: 1
Equipment: Takara Belmont
Furniture: Millard Kwon Collection
Total Design Investment: $460,000
Retail Lines: Matrix, Pureology
Color Lines: Matrix
Design By: Millard Kwon Design
Architects: Timothy Morgan and Associates
Photographer: Nicole Thomas

Andreas Hogue Salon Vernon Hills makes its home in Mellody Farm, a vibrant retail, dining and residential corridor known for its art installations, including dozens of murals, sculptures and one-of-a-kind benches. The salon itself sits adjacent to a sweeping 30-foot tall majestic mural by Tristan Eaton.

Owners Ashely and Andreas Hogue knew the salon’s design needed to live up to its surroundings, so they set out to create a feast for the eyes with exciting discoveries at every turn.

A feature that catches the eyes of most clients when they stroll through the salon’s double doors, is a towering 18-foot, illuminated retail wall filled with perfectly arranged colorful products. While a sliding librarian’s ladder allows staff to safely access products on the upper shelves, the Hogues admit that the height of the shelves is more about creating an impressive art element in the reception area.

In the corner of the salon, a small raised platform creates a stage for the table where guests sit while their color process. Above the platform a wooden swing invites playful clients to pose for their after image, against a backdrop of hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind acetate butterflies. Above, giant, softly lit lanterns in various sizes and shapes grace the soaring 20-foot ceilings.

A spiral staircase leads to a glass-wrapped mezzanine that leads to xxxx. Throughout the space, colorful, larger-than-life photographs showcase the work of the salon’s stylists.

“The crown jewel of our salon though is a massive, asymmetrical floating color bar,” says Andreas. “Standing over 9-feet tall and spanning 16 feet, the stainless steel color lab is a colorist’s dream workspace. It is centrally located in the salon, houses 2,000 tubes of color and functions as a stage for the stylists to display their advanced mixing techniques, while never breaking contact from their guests.”

One of the most talked-about features of the space is the is the 22-foot wide video projection. “We use it show beauty-inspired videos, such as hair and fashion shows and it enhances the floating, multi-tiered retail displays that span the wall below,” Ashley says.

Additional discoveries in the space include beautifully designed retail nesting tables that can be reconfigured to keep retail fresh and engaging; brightly decorated bathrooms with two different wallpaper designs, and a serene, softly-lit, Malibu-inspired lather lounge with a mural of coconut trees swaying in the breeze.

One of the biggest design challenges was working with the wedged-shaped footprint of the space. “Our designers had to create an innovative layout that would allow maximum usage without losing valuable space,” Andreas explains. “To preserve visibility, we created floating stations in two islands with open spaces for retail displays and the color-mixing bar. To achieve an open feel, our designer clustered the restrooms, lather lounge, laundry, breakroom and offices to one side and topped it with a loft that allows the guest to see the full width and depth of the space.”

While the footprint initially presented a design challenge, the Hogues feel it ultimately gave them an advantage. “It helped us create a unique and interesting space that is open and has a great flow to the layout,” Ashley says.

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