Angus Mitchell, co-owner of Paul Mitchell Systems and an influential educator in the beauty industry, launched his Angus M Salon in Beverly Hills, California, in July 2009. One look inside the 1,800-square-foot space and you can see why Mitchell’s salon has been called, “the cool kid on the block.”

Mitchell designed the 1,800-square-foot space using a series of transparent and semi-transparent glass panels as a way to create enclosed areas without compromising the continuous flow of the salon. “The panels are a cost-effective, flexible way of defining existing space,” Mitchell says. Additionally, graphic images were applied directly to the face of the panels as a cost-effective way of creating and directing visual movement throughout the space. “The use of images also provides numerous branding opportunities within the salon,” he says.

Mitchell chose to keep his color bar on the salon floor as a way to showcase color services. “It takes the mystery and science of color mixing out of the back room and allows each guest to feel more involved,” Mitchell says.

Mitchell turned to architectural firm Powell Dudley Frith who chose Minardi Color Perfect Lighting by Eco-Lite Products to light up the salon’s color and styling areas. “We chose Minardi Color Perfect Lighting because the light fixture was designed by Beth and Carmine Minardi, two professional hairdressers, for the specific use in the salon environment,” says Shannon McGuire, lead designer for Powell Dudley Frith Architects. “Each light fixture shows the true color of what the client’s hair color would look like in natural daylight. Additionally, the Minardi fixtures produce little heat and are energy-efficient and eco-friendly.”

Here, Mitchell and McGuire point out the important elements of the design.