Colourful decor aside, most salon owners know that the best look for their business is a clean, uncluttered one. This makes the space and your business look professional, ordered and competent.
The problem is, however, that all of the salon equipment and tools you need to actually run your business takes up a great deal of space. You need easy access to everything, but just don’t have the room to accommodate it all.
The solution
The best way to overcome your storage problems is with cleverly designed salon furniture. There are many innovative products available these days offering both stylish design and a deceptive amount of storage space, making everyday operations a lot more simple and convenient.

Salon Trolleys

An example of this sort of handy salon furniture is the Trolley Diavoletto. The cutting-edge black and white styling of this trolley means it will fit in perfectly with the rest of your salon’s chic decor, but it also gives you numerous storage options in the form of drawers and a cupboard. It is also very easy to clean.
Another reason this product is so useful is that it has wheels, allowing stylists to access the trolley as and when they need to and lock the wheels when it is stationary.

The best way to design your dream salon and to keep it on trend is to concentrate on getting the feel of it right. Over-complicated decor and fussy designs can sometimes blur the message you want to send about your business, so it’s best to focus on a few strong ideas and keep it simple, sleek and trendy.

The following are a few tips to help you create exactly the right ambience in your salon:

• Create a ‘mood’ scrapbook. Use whatever media you like – from swatches of colour to clippings from magazines – to work through ideas and define a clear vision of your future salon.

• Be clear about what you want and stick to it. It’s easy to lose confidence and compromise on design and salon furniture half way through a project, but this can throw the ambience or theme of the salon completely off balance.

• Never forget comfort. Comfortable salon chairs and seating areas – along with a warm and welcoming colour scheme – will always make clients more relaxed and likely to return.

• Get involved in the process. Personal involvement with a refurbishment project will create a better feel in your salon, as your decisions, influence and attention to detail will show through in the design.

High-concept designs are really starting to take off nowadays, especially in the top end of the salon and spa industry. The use of cutting edge technologies and innovations in the design process is reinventing the salon experience for customers, shifting the focus from style and comfort to fully sensory design.

Unless you have a limitless budget, these types of highly-stylised concept salons are unfortunately way out of reach for most salon owners. However, there are aspects of the designs that you can use for inspiration when revamping your salon’s decor. For example:

• Light and colour – LED-lighted mirrors and cabinets can be illuminated to transform the lines and dimensions of the space, whilst reception desks with colour changing lights affect the outward appearance of the salon. Colour should be crisp, bold, highly stimulating and used sparingly against dazzling white.

• Seating elements – There’s a new focus on comfort in high-concept salons; cocooned areas of seating, with salon chairs made of tactile, ‘high touch’ materials.

• Sound and vision – Think LCD screens promoting the salon, products and the latest hair and beauty trends and massage chairs with built-in music systems for the ultimate sensory experience.

What the use of colour says about your salon

According to salon owner and former president of the Professional Beauty Association, Melissa Yamaguchi, the colours you decorate your salon with could make a big difference to your business.

Ms Yamaguchi believes in the Chinese art of Feng Shui, where different colours evoke specific emotions and impressions from staff and customers.

Here’s what she has said about the following colours, and what they could do for your salon:

• Red/pink – This creates a very young, fun and trendy vibe in your salon. However, the loudness and passion of these fiery colours may not evoke the tranquil ambience some salon owners prefer, so it may be best to use it sparingly on the odd piece of salon furniture.
• Orange/yellow/brown – These are earth colours, best used in salons with a fuss-free attitude. Although it promotes the business as being trustworthy, it generally attracts clients who are resistant to change.
• White/silver/pastels – These are obviously the most calming colours, but they also convey a sense of professionalism and efficiency.
• Blue/purple – These colours, when rich and vibrant, attract clients with a strong sense of fun and fashion as well as an interest in timeless, classic beauty.

A final piece of advice from Melissa Yamaguchi is to incorporate a number of colours in your salon, each representing one of the five elements. Don’t go over the top though; keep it subtle with splashes of colour here and there.

As vital as the rest of your salon furniture is, the reception area is the first point of contact for visitors so it needs to give the right impression.
The reception space doesn’t have to be grand or overdone; it just needs to be comfortable and stylishly decorated so that whether booking or waiting for an appointment, visitors will always feel welcome.
Here are some ideas for creating the perfect reception area:
•    Reception desk – This is the essential feature, the focal point of the reception area. Choose one with a glamorous, statement style on the customer-facing surface (illuminating front panels are a great choice), not forgetting practical features like drawers and workspace on the other side.

•    Seating – You need to find waiting benches that are comfortable and stylish, and buy the right number of them to suit the size of your salon. A sense of spaciousness is important, so avoid cluttering up the reception area with unnecessary seating.

•    Extra touches – Don’t forget little extras like the latest magazines arranged on an elegant coffee table, fresh flowers, a neat and eye-catching product display; all of these things add to the customer experience.