Creating reception perfection for your salon interior
Published
26th Sep 2011
by rachael
The reception area is integral to the salon experience of every client, a place where they're greeted, seated and kept entertained prior to their appointment. Both a first and a final impression, this high-visibility, hard-working space is deserving of as much consideration as the cutting floor or colour room.
Style and comfort
- Comfortable seating is a must - an uncomfortable wait puts the client in a poor frame of mind to enjoy the service that follows.
- In the same vein nothing less than the latest issues of glossy fashion magazines will do; you're in the business of selling dreams not a doctor's surgery.
- The design influences you select should resonate with your clientele as well as reflect your mission statement.
- Never lose sight of the fact that you're first and foremost a place of business and a reception area should be a functional environment as well as a fun one. It's good to indulge your more creative side, but beware of sending out mixed messages.
- Choose a design style that you believe in and interpret it with conviction; any half measures will compromise your overall vision.
- Think about separating the reception from the rest of the salon by using a different colour scheme, type of flooring or wall covering to ensure a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
- If you're short of ideas look at other salons or professional services premises - lawyers, accountants, estate agents - and see what works for them and inspires you.
- Success relies upon personnel just as much as design philosophy, and receptionists must be unfailingly pleasant and professional.
- There's a current trend in reception area etiquette for creating a similar feel to the check-in at a high-end hotel - at all The Chapel salons guests can store their belongings in stylish lockers and are given a bracelet key to wear.
- As the focus of so much attention and financial activity the reception desk needs to faultlessly combine form and function.
- It's a pricey item so it's sensible to stick to a traditional, sober palette that doesn't date and goes with everything - for example dark wood colours.
- If you want to create more of a statement and have the right client base, make a statement with some of the stand-out orange and lime, purple and pink, or red and black combos echoing the fashion trend for 1970's revival.
- Don't let the look of a reception desk distract from the dimensions of your salon. Always allow enough space between desk and door for traffic flow, and unless the salon is large, keep the size to a minimum.
Retail and lighting
- The reception area should be as much about retail therapy as it is about a relaxed vibe, so it's vital to strike the right balance.
- Try and avoid putting the retail area behind the reception desk to remove any physical barriers between the products and the potential purchaser.
- If you don't have the budget for a custom-built retail unit, go for a professional-looking alternative that's the best quality you can afford.
- Keep in mind that you're asking clients to spend a substantial about of money on products so you owe them a deluxe retail experience.
- Spotlighting can increase the seduction factor. Simple LED lighting instantly transforms a retail area and will help draw attention to a display.
- Look at how beauty halls and department stores use lighting, particularly when retailing hair and beauty products. This is an inexpensive way of retailing like the experts.
