Anne veck's eco salon in oxford
Published
06th Apr 2013
by bathamm
Set in the historic city of Oxford, with its traditional university buildings and cobbled walkways, the new Anne Veck eco salon is a modern, bold and eye-catching space featuring some of the latest energy saving technology.
Anne and her partner Keith Mellen worked alongside Matrix on the new-look salon, which was designed by green guru Charlie Hearn. The finished article is fun and futuristic, and, as the couple explain, it doesn't just look good, but makes sense financially and environmentally.
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Why did you decide to create an eco salon?
We've had our Oxford city centre salon for 21 years but a year ago we were thinking about having a refit, as it had been seven or eight years since the space had last been updated. We had a meeting with the team at L'Oréal, who are working on a strategy to make business greener, and together we decided the Oxford salon could become one of the flagship eco salons to spread the message. In a way, we're a bit of a guinea pig, trying out new systems like energy efficient BlueGen Ceramic fuel cell technology, which generates electricity from the mains gas supply, and an environmentally friendly backwash system.
How much of an impact do you expect this to have on your energy usage?
Before the refit started, we monitored our energy usage for six months so that we'd be able to compare the results afterwards. The prediction is that we'll be able to save 70-80%.
What kind of feedback have you had since transforming the salon?
It's been fantastic. We've had people walking in just to tell us the place looks fabulous. It's an exciting time and the salon is buzzing, which makes staff happy and more motivated.
How do you think the refit will benefit your business?
It's already generated publicity for us because we're using new technology such as the BlueGen system. We're also hoping to do some PR events with Matrix, especially as our revamped colour lab helps cement our position as a flagship salon for Colourinsider. There's also the costs - the only thing you know about energy and water bills is they're going to go up, so this move makes financial sense. It's a good time to do it too as the Government is providing financial assistance to businesses wanting to become more green.
FACT FILE
Name: Anne Veck
Address: 33 St Clements, Oxford
Owners: Anne Veck and Keith Mellen
Size: 810sq ft
Staff: 13
Styling stations: 10
Backwashes: Three
Budget: £116,000
Finance: Bank loan
Design: Charlie Hearn
Furniture: Aston & Fincher
