Some dos and don’ts of designing your salon interiors

There are myriad elements that go into creating luxurious salon. One of the most crucial elements to influence you when you enter a salon are it’s interiors. But salon interiors, if not planned and designed well, can be quite disastrous.

We bring you some insights from brand experts Ankit Virmani, Divya Kohli, Durgesh Sharma and Rayed Merchant to help you create the perfect look-feel for your salon.

Consultant a salon supplier or designer

When a salon owner does not have the right idea of how to plan his salon, it is best to seek inputs from a salon supplier or a salon designer. “A salon supplier can be the right person to provide you with options, colour schemes and the latest design, which helps you re-strategise your plans. Often, it’s the colour and design of the furniture that plays a key role in the outlook of your salon space. We recommend that you buy the best quality equipment you can afford. A salon designer is a magician who would transform your dream into a real space. They play a significant role in creating the right atmosphere for your clients. Good salon design is about more than creating a pleasant environment. It will have a lasting positive effect on your business performance.” says Rayed Merchant, Director, SSIZ International.

” Good salon design is about more than creating a pleasant environment.”

Look through the salon from the client’s eyes

It is important to put oneself into the client’s shoes to understand their expectation. The ambience and the interiors play a significant role for the client to visit the salon frequently. “The look of the salon is extremely important. The clients visiting a salon require the space to be clean, sanitised, hygienic and at the same time luxurious and plush. Right from choosing the material and design themes, space should be open and welcoming for the client,” says Ankit Virmani, Director, Esskay Beauty Resources Pvt. Ltd.

” Right from choosing the material and design themes, space should be open and welcoming for the client.”

Space it out well

Managing the salon space adequately, is the most significant aspect. These days rentals are shooting up, irrespective of whether it is a tier 1 or tier 2 city. Hence, managing space efficiently is crucial. “Initially, many salons, don’t allot proper space for the services they plan to introduce in the future. Later, they find it difficult to manage. The shampoo station, which is the most important area, often inaccurately spaced and gets cramped up, leaving the clients uncomfortable. To avoid such blunders, hiring professional architects to plan, will be beneficial. Also, using multipurpose furniture will make space for more services” says Durgesh Sharma, Director, Marc Beauty & Equipment.

” To avoid blunders, hiring professional architects to plan, will be beneficial. “

Often overlooked due to space constraints:
environmental sustainability

  • Planters/Green walls
  • Natural Light/Ventilation
  • Alternative source of energy
  • Recycled water for the toilet
  • Using nature-friendly material
Plan the back wash area carefully

Salons usually plan the place of their styling stations and backwash equipment too far away from the water supply. The clients then have a tough time and face irregular water pressure or temperature. “Shampoo stations should be very ergonomically designed with attention to quality and comfort. Improper design and quality can give the customer a major neck and back issues. Each shampoo station has different plumbing, so it’s important to get the plumbing specs. Water pressure is also very important while washing the hair, therefore you need to check that and raise the floor level here, to enhance the pressure. Additionally, it also essential to have cool and dim lights in the back wash area so that customers don’t face harsh lights and can relax during the shampoo,” says Divya Kohli, Proprietor, Salon & Spa Studio by Tangy Rose.

“Shampoo stations should be very ergonomically designed with attention to quality and comfort.”

Waiting area constraints

The reception or waiting area is often overlooked at design stage, often sacrificed for an extra wash basin or more storage or more comfortable styling chairs. This area is very important, as customers get the 1st impression of your salon here as they sit waiting before or after their service according to Sharma. A well planned reception area allows salons to promote and sell retail products like shampoos, cosmetics, etc.

Style the chairs right

Styling chairs are an essential element in the salon and can leave your clients feeling great or terrible at the end of their service. According to Kohli, it is the masterpiece of the salon and the design must be chosen to reflect the salon’s mood, design, and space. Secondly, they need to be chosen based on the usage- hair cutting, barber, hair spa as each user requires distinct models. The quality of the vinyl, armrest position, back support, cushioning all over, are most important for comfort.

Create a salon vision

The salon’s vision helps a supplier understand the target audience and the special service they want to highlight the most. A supplier may certainly be able to bridge the gap of the possibility of products available and your vision of the salon. Hence, it’s very important to connect to suppliers at the initial stage of planning.

As Merchant puts it, the right design, the right supplier and the right vision are key ingredients to the recipe of a successful salon business.