Designing a Hair Salon - Part 1
OPENING A NEW SALON/SPA OR RENOVATING AN EXISTING ONE?
Deciding to open a new hair salon or spa or deciding to renovate an existing salon or spa is an exciting decision. The decision behind building or renovating varies and may include the following reasons: to create a space that reflects your personal aesthetic and brand; to improve the function of a space; to improve the work flow (which improves productivity); to update a tired and cluttered interior; to better serve your clientele; to attract a newer clientele; to add more retail (to increase sales); to improve accessibility for your clientele; to add a colour bar with proper storage; to improve lighting, salon equipment and finishes; and to offer a new service. In this blog, I outline some early considerations and tips when first planning a new hair salon.
USING YOUR BUSINESS PLAN AS A TOOL
Creating a business plan is needed if applying for a small business loan but it also helps create a direction for your other decisions. This blog outlines key items to include in a business plan for your hair salon.
There are certain decisions in your plan that should be shared with your team of consultants, including your Interior Designer: what types of services will you be offering; do you have a specialty/niche; what does or will set you apart from similar businesses; what type of demographic are you aiming to target; how many employees do you intend to have; how many styling stations and colour stations do you need/want; how much revenue needs to be generated per station; what type of products will you be selling; how much retail space is required (retail is an important revenue source for salon owners); who is your competition; what are the going rates for similar services in your area; what is your budget or approved financing?
DECIDING ON A LOCATION
In my experience, newly built plazas, with accessibility and direct access to the exterior are ideal. It is best to look for areas with a lot of nearby businesses or residences from which to draw and build a clientele, and areas without a lot of competition. A realtor experienced in commercial leasing and a commercial lawyer can assist you in finding the right space to lease and reviewing and negotiating the lease terms. In some cases, a space can be purchased instead of leased.
A newly leased unit within a plaza ready to be transformed into a hair salon.
Indoor malls can offer a lot of visibility and traffic, but rent tends to be higher than plazas, depending on the mall’s rating. Malls tend to have very strict guidelines that must be followed in order for your design to be approved. Landlords provide design criteria, and they have the authority to approve or reject a tenant’s design proposal if the design does not meet the criteria. The design guide typically addresses requirements for the storefront design, acceptable finishes, signage restrictions, lighting, planning for low energy consumption, etc. Some plazas, especially newer ones, may also provide a tenant design manual as well. Your registered Interior Designer will help you navigate the criteria requirements.
Another option may be to purchase or lease a residence in a designated commercial zone or to open a business in a live/work unit (ideal for solo owners or small teams).
Parking may be an important requirement depending on your location. In downtown Toronto, parking may not be as critical since many guests may choose to take public transportation, may be local and walk or bike, or may use a ride-sharing platform. In more suburban and remote areas, parking becomes more critical. Free parking may be an even more important amenity for some guests who may be used to having that luxury.
Referring to your business plan, communicating with your realtor, a business coach, designer, and other consultants can help you with deciding on an ideal location.
TIMELINES AND HOW THE IMPACT YOUR LEASE’S RENT-FREE PERIOD
Please note that unlike what you may see on renovation television shows, design and construction take time. Some projects may take a minimum of 6 months, if all stars are in alignment and depending on the complexity of the design and renovation/construction. Proper time must be allowed for the design process (which can take several months), the tender process (costing/quotes), engineer drawings, building permit approvals, fabrication of custom millwork and fixtures (which can take 8 weeks or longer), ordering and arrival of equipment (if not in stock, can take 2-3 months or longer), and construction (which can take several months). With current supply chain issues and a busy construction industry, these timelines may take much longer than in the past. Therefore, it is important to note that your space will most likely not be completed during your free rent period, which may vary based on the lease agreement. It is advisable to negotiate a longer rent free period, if possible. A 6-month rent-free period would probably be the minimum needed for most small-scale projects. So it is important to pack your patience, hire a trusted and experienced design and construction team, and ensure you have available funds while the fit-out is being completed.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AN IDEAL UNIT
From a design perspective, I have a few strong opinions when it comes to selecting a suitable unit for a hair salon.
CHOOSING A SUITABLE UNIT SIZE
Firstly, I think some salon owners lease units that are too big for their actual needs. Especially in the past few years, it has been difficult for many salon owners to recruit or retain employees. Renting out chairs or having empty chairs is not ideal - except … those empty stations allow for physical distancing during a pandemic! A larger space also means higher rent, potentially more equipment, millwork and furniture to fill the space, and increased construction costs. Especially if this is your first salon, it may be best to start with a few styling stations that you are confident can be steadily serviced by staff and occupied by guests. There isn’t anything wrong with leasing a small space that can accommodate 1-2 styling stations, a shampoo sink, a colour mixing area with sink, some retail, storage, and washroom (Note: the washroom may still be required to be barrier-free if the space is accessible at the entrance). It is possible to open and run a profitable small salon business with a smaller investment!
TIP: As a general guide, if you want to know how many styling stations may fit when looking at potential units for your hair salon, you can take the overall usable square footage (the area within the unit’s interior walls) and divide by approximately 130 square feet. For example: 1200 square feet of usable space divided by 130 square feet = +/- 9 stations.
SINGLE STOREY, DOUBLE STOREY OR A UNIT WITH A MEZZANINE?
Some commercial units may offer double volume heights or existing mezzanines, but that is not always ideal. Mezzanines and two-storey spaces carry increased costs in terms of construction and design. There are various building code requirements that must be followed with these types of spaces. So while they may offer extra floor space, they also increase costs. Acoustics, stair design, fire separations, exits, etc. also need to be addressed. If an elevator isn’t available (they almost always aren’t), then the mezzanine or second floor becomes inaccessible or restrictive to guests with mobility issues. The flow, communication and productivity may also be affected since there is a disconnect between spaces.
CEILING HEIGHTS AND FINISHES
Many newer units may offer high ceilings, from 16’-0” – 20’-0” or more. In my opinion, the ceiling height should balance the overall width and length of a space. If you have a narrow and long unit, which is very common, then a 20’-0” high ceiling may feel very uncomfortable, from a human-centric viewpoint. Generally, 12’-0” – 14’-0” is an ideal finished height for most commonly-sized salons (1200 - 1500 sf). A ceiling at this height can provide for a more intimate experience and provide a better human-scaled interior. As well, task lighting must typically be dropped down to a 10’-0” or 12’-0” height regardless of the overall ceiling height to get the best lighting at the styling stations.
Some salon owners choose to leave their ceiling exposed (exposing all mechanical systems, duct work, pipes, etc.) for either an industrial aesthetic or for cost savings. Unless the space is to have an industrial/loft vibe, I always recommend a dropped gypsum board (drywall) ceiling instead. A finished ceiling elevates a refined interior scheme. And by finished, I do not mean a T-bar/acoustic ceiling. Let’s budget for a painted gypsum-board ceiling at a minimum!
ACCESSIBILITY
In terms of accessibility, I recommend looking for a unit that has a barrier-free access into the space. This means there are no curbs or steps into the front entrance door from the parking lot, sidewalk, etc. This allows for all differently abled people to enter your salon and to be serviced by your business. When a unit is barrier-free from the entrance, your interior must be designed to follow the building code and/or city/provincial/state accessibility laws. Your registered Interior Designer should be experienced with commercial interiors, the building code and accessibility requirements.
HOW IMPORTANT IS NATURAL LIGHTING?
Natural lighting from glass doors, glazing (windows), or skylights adds a lovely element to an interior. It is uplifting to have a view to the outdoors, whether it is of greenery or pedestrians. However, natural light is not critical for hair salons; consider the many hair salons located within shopping malls. In fact, natural lighting can sometimes cause glare, increased heat (therefore increased air conditioning usage) and privacy issues. What is more important is to have proper artificial lighting within the space. Lighting for hair salons will be covered in more detail in the future.
PLUMBING REQUIREMENTS
Hair salons typically require extensive plumbing and ventilation to accommodate the shampoo sinks and other required plumbing fixtures. Unless you are taking over an existing hair salon and only plan to make cosmetic changes, you will most likely need to plan for alterations to the existing plumbing.
Some units may have an existing washroom or existing services which you may think will save you money. However, if there is an existing washroom and it was built prior to the current building code, and you are making major alterations to the space, the washroom will most likely not meet current barrier-free code requirements. It will have to be updated to get a building permit.
The original location of rough-in plumbing in this unfinished unit was altered during the design of the space.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
The above points are some important considerations when deciding on an appropriate space for your new salon. Other action items may include the following: interviewing and selecting your consultants, contractors, and fabricators; preparing a realistic budget for this important investment; thinking about your brand; thinking about your preferred interior style (consider what type of spaces light you up and reflect your brand; you can begin by preparing a Pinterest board that you can then share with your design team); selecting your salon products; selecting your equipment; selecting your salon software; etc. Further information will be covered in the future so keep an eye out and follow along on Proggetti Inc.’s Instagram page.
ARE YOU READY TO START THE PROCESS?
Opening a new business is a big investment and undertaking. It is important to have an experienced team on your side. Proggetti Inc., the design studio of the Contessa 22 winner for Salon Design of the Year, has the experience and passion to help you successfully realise your project. We have designed many salons and spas over the past 20 years. If you are in Toronto or the GTA, contact Proggetti Inc. for an initial discovery call so we can discuss your project!
Salon Magazine double-page spread of Studio So Lara, winner of the Contessa 22 Salon Interior Design of the Year award.
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