French fancy at bigoodi children's salon

As a mother of two young boys, Clémence de Crécy found that having her children's hair cut could be a rather stressful experience. The hairdressers were often in too much of a hurry to put the children at ease and the environment wasn't always child friendly.

Spotting a gap in the market, the businesswoman set about creating an emporium dedicated to pampering children. The result is Bigoodi, a salon designed with children in mind that took inspiration from her homeland - France.

"I wanted to take influence from the trendy and exclusive boutiques of Le Marais in Paris. The goal was to create a unique concept store for kids."

The first step was to locate the perfect destination, which she discovered in the shape of a former nanny-finding agency in London's New King's Road - an area highly populated with her target clientele of  'yummy mummies'.

Working with interior designer Jelena Joksimovic, they came up with a palette of child-friendly pastel colours that they used to create three distinct sections: the main salon; a dedicated retail area that stocks children's hair products and accessories, jewellery and clothing; and a playroom that can be used as a nail bar or private area for parties.

All three were furnished with vintage pieces, including a wardrobe, shelving and a reception table, which doubles up as a display case for their jewellery collections and Clémence's favourite item, the mirrors.

"I picked up the mirrors in a vintage store and I love them! They were definitely the best buy."

To give the salon its child-friendly edge, Clémence looked to America, where dedicated children's salons are big business, and had three tailor-made styling stations built to replicate a New York cab, a police car and an aeroplane.

These were placed in prime position in the salon's window to entice children - and their parents - into this stunning haven for kids.

"Contented children make for contented parents," said Clémence. "Bigoodi is the kind of place where kids will feel secure, welcome and cared for and, hopefully, somewhere they look forward to returning to."

Fact File



Name: Bigoodi

Address: 52 New Kings Road, Parsons Green, London

Owner: Clémence de Crécy

Design: Jelena Joksimovic

Funding: Self

Number of styling stations: Three for 0-5 year-olds; three for 5-15 year-olds

Furniture: Vintage

Top Tips

• Stick to your business plan and budget
• Know your clientele inside out
• Find niche hair products
• Offer the right services at the right prices.