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SEARCHLocated in the heart of SoHo in Manhattan, Suite Caroline immerses clients in a dreamy world of prismatic texture as they lean back in a rinse station chair and look up.
Suite Caroline is a New York City go-to for the French hair-painting technique balayage. The nuanced technique is personal and led by the appreciation of natural beauty. The natural elements like brick and greenery capture the intimate level of the team's artistry.
Suite Caroline Salon, founded and owned by Lena Ott, is designed to be an intimate, home-away-from-home for hair artists and clients alike. Located in the heart of SoHo in Manhattan, the loft-style salon embraces New York City's fast-pace while maintaining consistency in care, quality and artistry.
This spirited and purposeful method is set and modeled by Ott who has worked on runway shows in Paris, New York and Milan, from Saint Laurent to Alexander Wang, Sies Marjan to Rick Owens, among others, earning her a reputation as a leading influence in setting worldwide trends and establishing a taste for the avant-garde across the globe.
Ott has aligned a group of carefully curated colorists and stylists which you can find bustling around the downtown salon. Though considered, the atmosphere feels flexible and effortless. It is efficient and easy to navigate, and the open-floor plan allows for maximum collaboration in creativity, dialogue and technique-sharing. This design aesthetic matches the way that Suite Caroline's team of artists approaches personalized hair artistry - with a desire to bring new vision to the appreciation of natural, inherent beauty.
Ott was drawn to the space's Manhattan-typical features, and the pairing of both natural and streamlined elements keep the luxury salon space warm and approachable. The exposed brick is refined by numerous mirrors which reflect light and color throughout the space. The tall mirrors and additional bar lighting add a sophisticated touch that draws your eye up and around the room.
Though New York City is ever-changing, it is established. The iconic city's inimitable historic character highlights and strengthens any new approaches to design.
In October 2020, Ott commissioned Icelandic artist Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir, better known as Shoplifter, to bring a vivid art installation above the rinse stations, a location that is integrated with the salon process.
The joyful trio of fuzzy stalactites named Sunny, Party and Gothy are created from Shoplifter's signature medium, rainbow-colored synthetic hair. As Suite Caroline clients receive services ranging from neon hues, edgy chops, and intricate balayage blonde, they are immersed in a dreamy world of prismatic texture as they lean back in a rinse station chair and look up.
The colors and texture of the sculptural artwork express the daring and artistic spirit of the salon while celebrating hair as an ultimate art form.
Click through the slideshow to take a virtual tour of this gorgeous space.
Name of Owner: Lena Ott
Date of Opening: December 17, 2013
Style: Welcoming, artistic, loft-style
Square Footage: 2,000
Styling Stations: 10
Equipment: Takara Belmont, Various
Furniture Lines Used: Uhuru Design, Takara Belmont, Belvedere Maletti
Retail Lines: Christophe Robin, Oribe, Reverie
Color Lines: Goldwell, Redken, Schwarzkopf
Architect: Jorge Peña
Designer: Uhuru Design
Photographer: Jenna Cavanaugh
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