The salon is led by INANCH EMIR, who has been an influential hairdresser for over 25 years and has made her mark in the British Hairdressing industry in the specialised field of hair extensions.
HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON THE STYLE OF YOUR SALON INTERIOR?
I wanted a chic environment to work in, and for the premises NOT to look like a hair salon… more like a 5-star boutique hotel. Making sure there was ample space for the team and clients was a priority, as was storage. To reflect the hotel feel, all hairdressing equipment is hidden from our styling stations, and we used my favourite colour palettes of black, gold and white for a sophisticated finish.
WHERE DID YOU FIND THE INSPIRATION FOR YOUR DESIGN?
As we were trying to avoid the typical feel of a salon, we took our inspiration mainly from beautiful homes and hotel interiors.
DID YOU USE AN INTERIOR DESIGNER?
I mainly did it myself, with the help of a client who is an architect.
DESCRIBE THE VIBE CREATED BY YOUR INTERIOR.
Calming, welcoming and private.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE IS YOUR CLIENTS’ FIRST IMPRESSION WHEN THEY WALK IN?
That it has an inviting ambience.
TELL US WHAT ARE THE KEY ELEMENTS OF YOUR SALON DESIGN?
We start with a welcoming reception with a grand chandelier that sets the scene for what is to be expected as you step further inside – namely that you are walking into a classy boutique. In the main salon area, the feel is bright and airy, and there’s ample space for each client with our styling positions that are now separated by glass dividers.
DO YOU HAVE ANY CURATED PIECES OR SPECIAL FEATURES/AREAS IN THE SALON?
Our separate backwash room has been designed to create a very calming and relaxing atmosphere – more like a spa experience. We also now have our private hair treatment room and beauty room downstairs, again creating a calming and relaxing ambience.
HOW HAVE YOU EMBRACED SUSTAINABILITY WITHIN THE DESIGN?
Not so much with the design but we have switched to biodegradable towels, which allowed us to get rid of our laundry room.
WHAT SALON SOFTWARE DO YOU USE AND WHAT FEATURE DO YOU FIND MOST USEFUL?
After 16 years being with the same salon software company, we recently decided to switch to Phorest Software. We have been using it for three months now, and are very happy with it. The features that we most like include staff being able to view their columns from their own phones, staff being noticed by text message when their clients have arrived and from a marketing perspective, all clients now receive an e-mail after their visit with a request for a Google review. We are also offering online booking for our standard appointments.
DID YOUR PRODUCT BRAND/COLOUR HOUSE INFLUENCE YOUR STYLE OF INTERIOR DESIGN?
No, not really – although we designed our own Colour Bar in the lower ground level which clients can see as they walk down.
WHAT SALON FURNITURE HAVE YOU CHOSEN AND WHY?
We have a mixture of Welonda chairs and Takara Belmont backwash units. We went for comfort and compact units in order to create more space.
DO YOU HAVE DRESS CODE/UNIFORM FOR YOUR TEAM?
We request that the team wear dark, plain colours. Our assistants also wear Inanch branded T-shirts or shirts.
