Bespoke salon design stirring up anarchy in doncaster

Tracey Grayson had been working at a Doncaster salon for more than 20 years when the owners decided to sell the business. And, within a week of her taking over, the salon was transformed from minimal and clinical to a place of fun with character and eccentricity.

She says: "Children see it as a toy shop; young people find it quirky and trendy and it makes our more mature clients smile. There is something for everyone to talk about every time they visit." 

In fact, Tracey tries to add something new to the décor every month so each time a client visits there is something different to see. One of the main features is an outlined murder scene body on the reception floor, with the "murder weapon" changed every month for clients to guess how the crime was committed.

Luckily for Tracey, the salon was already in a good state of repair when she bought it - all she had to do was redecorate. 

She also commissioned a grafitti artist to add interesting, arty designs on a feature wall. This complements the red brick walls and lighter shades of grey.

Client and stylist comfort. 

The salon used to be plain and minimal but I didn't want it to look like a dentist's waiting room - reading old magazines and looking at a blank wall. I wanted plenty of colour, something to make my clients smile. Some people feel nervous about visiting the hairdressers so I wanted somewhere they would feel at ease and comfortable. 

As well as the outlined murder scene body on the reception floor, there is a Formula 1 tyre coffee table which holds magazines and retro sweets, and a red telephone box magazine holder. The reception desk is the front part of a red Mini car with working headlights and indicators, which are switched on at night to light up the salon. It was sprayed red to match my red lipstick - my signature look.

Things that catch the client's eyes are a Duff beer can, a space hopper, artwork by local artists and a model pigeon that moves around the shop.

Seven stations are located around the perimeter of the salon. Each has a rectangular floor-to-ceiling mirror.

Our two backwashes have softer lighting towards the back of the salon. They face the grafitti wall which separates them from the main working area.

The reception desk cost £650, but is the centrepiece of the salon and worth every penny.