AVALON SALON SPA AND VIBE
Lake Zurich, Illinois
Avalonsalonspas.com
OWNERS: Bonnie and August Conte
SALON STYLE: upscale, colorful, inviting
SQUARE FOOTAGE: 6,060
STATIONS: 20
MANICURE STATIONS: 6
TREATMENT ROOMS: 4
EQUIPMENT: Minerva Beauty, Eurisko, Takara Belmont
FURNITURE: Eurisko, Belvedere-Maletti, Takara Belmont, Minerva Beauty
TOTAL DESIGN INVESTMENT: $952,000
RETAIL LINES: Aveda
COLOR LINES: Aveda
DESIGN BY: Leon Alexander of Eurisko Design
ARCHITECTS: Christi Johaningmeyer or Architextures
PHOTOGRAPHER: Madelyn Alexander

Just inside the front door of Avalon Salon Spa, ultramodern maple retail units showcase products with glowing LED lights while the white Avalon logo in front of an illuminated, nature-themed watercolor panels greet guests with joy. Weathered-looking floor tiles, inspired by garden stones, guide clients to the bar and café where live greenery brings the outdoors in.

Guests linger at the bar/café which offers complimentary coffee, tea and water and sells fresh juices, lattes, champagne, wine and local craft beers along with light breakfasts and small plates. “Beyond the bar is a manicure room with generous, 12-foot windows that offer a view of the newly installed garden and trellis backdrop,” says Owner Bonnie Conte. “Five pedicure thrones are generously spaced, yet close enough to encourage conversation.”

Inside a curved, moss-covered living wall is the round color bar with four blue pendant lights overhead. In the shampoo room, clients are delighted to recline and view vines and flowers entangled with Edison bulbs, giving the illusion of beauty falling from the sky. Along a wavy wall that leads to the spa area is a custom bench where clients can sit and observe the angelfish playing in a large aquarium.

With its own separate entrance (but connected through the interior, is VIBE, a sister salon that caters to the young and young at heard. The casual atmosphere has four styling chairs, two color processing chairs and two shampoo bowls, as well as a huge selfie area with two wall-mounted lamps.

The Eurisko stations with oversized, LED-rimmed, mirrors are the same for both salons, just white on the Avalon side and black on the VIBE side. The color of the LED lights can be changed, and Avalon's are set to a consistent  color, either white or a color to enhance a promotion, such as red for Valentine’s Day or lavender for Mother’s Day. At VIBE, where youthful self-expression is celebrated, the stylists invite clients to choose their favorite LED color during their service.

All stations are custom designed with wheels to allow them to be disconnected and moved during special events, such as parties, fundraisers, community events and training.