'- by Louis Benevento
Designer, Salon Interiors
Let Salon Interiors help create your salon environment. We help you imagine what your salon will look like working closely listening to your specific needs. Our team of designers collectively have over 100 years of design experience in the salon furnishing industry.
Personally I worked with two of the East Coasts largest distributors who have been acquired by corporate America changing the customer relationship. Your business is pure numbers reported to their real customer, Stock Holders.
No longer do people like CB Sullivan or Dale Schoeneman greet you at their hair shows or even stop in your salon thanking you for your business. No longer do you have the customer service these iconic companies once prided themselves available. No longer can you get resolve on a single phone call.
Headquarters of these corporately acquired businesses lost education centers and equipment showrooms. Eventually the whole facility shuts down. There you use to sit down with a specialist guiding you through the process of opening a salon while seeing the many lines of name brand equipment.
The past 20 years the “drop ship” on line salon furniture sales concept has my head spinning. I couldn’t imagine buying a high end kitchen or bathroom on line then having is dropped off in my driveway for me to deal with.
One of the most important parts of the process is delivery and installation. Our installers follow detailed floor plans. Details are included for electrical, plumbing measurements for each area of your salon is critical.
Other businesses in your area probably didn’t order their store design and fixtures on line. Retailers large and small carefully plan the location layout, design, look, creating their brand utilizing every square foot to get the maximum return on their investment.
As I travel peeking in windows of salons from small towns to NYC. What I still see amazes me. Salons that did it right and ones that didn’t. Those who did it right planned every detail correctly. There was trial and error but that’s how experience helps make future steps better and better.
Quality really does matter, but how does one know looking on line? There are on line sites that do offer quality American made equipment with import offers right alongside. The hook there is once you see the price of USA manufactured furniture you opt for the imported items that look like the name brand because of price.
Business owners today have to be detail oriented, savvy business people as well as great managers, promotors, mentors and visionaries.
Many salon owners have built and maintained salons operating decades then passing the legacy to their children who continued to carry the torch.
How they all started is their story but I tell you everyone started out the same way. Wanting to be a hairdresser and eventually a salon owner.
We’re now in the worse economy most of us alive have never been through. The risk is higher, cost higher, the pressure higher. Competition from every angle, stylist working in the kitchen, chain salons open in every strip center. Single salon suites one operator salons. Why would you want to open a salon?
The answer is simple because you want to own your own business. How do you go about it?
Today the resources are limitless. This is where the internet is amazing. You can find out anything you want and need.
Business plans, strategies, how to do this and that. It’s all right there. Pictures of great looking salons nice looking interiors design. Endless information to the point you drift away for hours and hours looking and looking. Finally, you decide you’re opening up your salon.
What’s the next step?
How does the process start?
This is where you seek out a professional who can help guide you. Someone who is knowledgeable in the field as you would an attorney or accountant even. This professional will be able to give you the steps needed to properly coordinate and plan the entire process through to opening day of your new salon.
A professional will help you design the space show you the difference in quality of each piece of equipment. Help you create a budget maybe help secure financing along the way.
Prior to signing a lease, they should be able to guide you as to how much space you need to suit your salon business needs based on services you’re going to offer.
Salon Interiors offers what all of the other salon equipment companies do not.
Design/layouts giving detailed drawings that can easily be approved by your Architect.
Once you make final equipment choices the design team quickly add needed information to the layout taking it to the next level of a working drawing to be submitted for total build out costs.
Want to know beforehand what your salon will look like? With talented designers on staff we can create true to scale renderings.
To be different create an environment that sets you apart. There are many design elements you can use to create an inviting salon environment. The front entrance should be laid out well. You don’t need to spend a fortune either. Paint, lighting accents as well as nice reception furnishings, retail area seating a place to hang up coats, small beverage area. Clean and neat at all times. This is where the first impression is made.
Your salon to be a place clients want to frequent talk about within their inner circle. A salon they go to knowing they are going to look their best.
Open floor plans with semi private areas for clients who don’t want to be seen by everyone. Inviting shampoo areas for relaxing shampoo experience. Color bar areas to consult with the client along with the stylist if the salon is departmentalized. Color bars are exactly that the area where color consultation mixing, application and processing takes place. It has become a focal point in salons. Color today is exciting trendy colorful to say the least.
- Louis Benevento, Salon Interiors Designer
