Designing a Hair Salon - Part 3
You have leased a space for your new salon business and have hired a qualified Interior Designer. What happens next?
THE DESIGN PROCESS
Once a contract has been signed and fees have been paid, the Designer begins their design process. Each design studio will have their own process, but generally, your Interior Designer will break down the project into the following 5 key phases:
1. Information gathering, research and analysis (Programming)
2. Schematic Design (Concept)
3. Design Development
4. Construction Drawings
5. Construction Administration
This blog post will review what is typically performed during Phase 1.
PHASE 1 – INFORMATION GATHERING
During the Programming phase, your Designer will typically do the following:
Gather all necessary information via surveys and questionnaires.
Conduct a site review and site measurements.
Review building code and accessibility requirements.
Review landlord and lease requirements.
Review the budget available.
Review the timeline for project completion.
Once this information is gathered, the Designer will then analyse it to create some suitable solutions and approach. It is important all key decision-makers (the business owner, salon manager, etc.) make themselves available to answer questions. As well, they must provide the Designer with all key contact names and info (general contractor, landlord, property manager, etc.) and help facilitate this process.
THE SALON QUESTIONNAIRE
Your Designer should come prepared with questions, but you can help expedite the process by preparing some answers ahead of time. Below are questions I ask of my Clients during this process:
Which services will you be offering?
What is the guest experience you wish to create upon their arrival, through to their departure?
How many receptionists do you wish to have?
Is there a dedicated receptionist?
Do you require a dedicated call center/booking office (to keep noise down) or are appointments mostly booked online and followed up via email or text?
How big of a lounge do you wish to have for guests as they arrive for their appointments?
Do you want a self-serve refreshment area? What type of beverages will you offer?
How much retail do you wish to have, both on display and in storage (i.e., quantity of product/linear feet)? Which brands do you intend to retail?
How many dedicated styling stations do you wish to have?
How many dedicated colour stations do you wish to have?
Do you prefer to have a designated colour area/stations?
Where will guests sit while their hair is being processed?
Which colour brand(s) will you be using?
How much colour inventory will you have (both displayed and in storage)?
Do you prefer to visually and/or physically separate the colour stations from the styling stations?
Do you want the colour lab to be visible or hidden from your guests?
How many shampoo sinks do you wish to have?
Would you like the shampoo area to be a calming space?
Would you like to create a dedicated hair treatment area for scalp massages/treatments?
Do you require a private styling/colour area for guests for cultural or medical reasons or to offer a more calming and tranquil space (i.e. a quiet zone)?
Do you require a dedicated area for styling products used on guests (instead of each stylist keeping products at their station)?
Are you renting chairs or is all staff employed by the salon?
Will you be laundering your own towels and capes?
Do you require an office for yourself and/or bookkeeper?
What would you like to offer your staff in terms of staffroom amenities (i.e., kitchenette, lounge area, lunch area, lockers, coat storage, employee washroom, etc.)?
Do you require a social media-friendly area, with a special backdrop and lighting perhaps, to photograph your guests after their service?
What design aesthetic do you envision for your new salon? You want to be able to describe, as best as possible, what feeling you wish to experience for guests and staff, or perhaps a style. For instance, are there any colours, materials, and finishes you prefer? Do you wish for an energetic space or a calming space? Which restaurants, hotels, and/or retail interiors reflect a particular style, mood or atmosphere that inspire you? (I recommend creating a Pinterest board and pinning images of spaces you find interesting and sharing the board with your Designer).
What type of equipment do you need, aside from styling chairs, shampoo sinks, etc.? For instance, how many colour processing dryers do you need? How many trolleys do you need, etc.? It’s important to have a home/storage area for these items when not in use.
What kind of audio/visual equipment or technical amenities do you wish to have (i.e. TVs, iPads, music, USB outlets, etc.)?
Will you require an esthetic treatment room for add-on beauty services?
How important is sustainability to you? Would you consider a recycling service that takes your foils, left-over colour, etc. (which requires a storage area, for instance)? Would you prefer all or most materials be sustainable?
What is your current or planned branding strategy? Do you have a graphic designer who is preparing your branding, and can you share it (to create a cohesive look and feel)?
Do you have a current process for assisting guests with special needs?
Feel free to add in any other important information that will assist your Designer in creating your desired interior.
PHASE 1 - AS-BUILT DRAWINGS
All design projects require a plan. Before a plan can be created though, along with the information gathered during initial programming, a base drawing of the existing space is needed.
If you have leased a new retail space, your Landlord should be able to provide you with an Architectural drawing of the existing space. Your Designer will need this drawing or drawing set. If your Landlord cannot provide you with drawings, your designer will either need to do a site measure or a third-party will need to be hired to create an as-built drawing (a plan of the existing space). There will be a fee for this service. (When I am hired, I always take my own site measurements - even if I am provided with as-built drawings and even if the space is new. Verifying site measurements limits future issues.)
Once the base plan drawings are completed on CAD (computer-aided drafting), the Designer will be ready to start space planning (Phase 2).
EXPECTED TIMELINE
Phase 1 may take 1-4 weeks, depending on the scale of the project.
In the next blog post, we will be reviewing what to expect during Phases 2 and 3 when designing a hair salon – the Concept and Design Development Phases.