Hj interiors: glitch salon in bristol is a dynamic multi-purpose space

Glitch salon in Bristol is a multi-purpose space that isn't just a place to get your hair cut, but is also as a music venue, art gallery, kitchen, events area and plant shop. Who would have thought the rise of the so-called ‘slasher’ generation, a breed of millennial who has more than one job such as a writer / DJ / filmmaker, would translate into a salon trend? Glitch salon is just that – a salon that has many roles. It serves up delicious Italian food, it offers clients the chance to purchase cacti and plants and it’s a cool venue where you can hear up-and-coming bands play, all while providing more ‘traditional’ salon services such as colour, styling and cuts. Name: Glitch Address: Old Market Street, Bristol Owner: Stephan Vi Size: 120sqm Budget: £60K Staff: 10 Owner Stephan Vi based the idea on a creative hub he set up 17 years ago in Italy. He proved a hair salon with a tattoo parlour, music stage and art gallery would be popular and set about taking the idea from Florence to Bristol. “I think that in the next few years we will see more places like Glitch,” explains Stephan. “The market is changing. As a society we’re moving from one thing to the next so a place that combines more than one activity will become the norm.” The Glitch salon in Bristol originally started out life as two separate premises – a comic book shop and a stock room. “The shop was in a very bad condition when we arrived,” says Stephan. “I had to put in the new electric system from scratch, add in a new floor and knock down a wall so the two spaces flowed into one another.” Designed by Stephan and Glitch’s creative director Alessandro Frank Franco, the interior was based on Scandinavian design that has an industrial edge. White walls, simple wood and lots of greenery has led to a space that treads the path between industrial and natural. Bare brick walls with rough marks have been made into a design feature. Concrete floor is smooth and almost elegant looking, but it still retains its industrial roots. The reception area is a big desk which holds an iMac for the salon’s online booking system and vinyl decks where a DJ plays during the day. As live music is such an integral part of the salon, there is a permanent fully equipped stage, which hosts live bands and singers. The waiting area continues Glitch’s unexpected theme as it doesn’t contain a typical chair or sofa. An unusual table takes the prime position and houses a kitchen sink and a cactus.“It’s definitely amove-on from the traditional salon waiting area with a sofa. We wanted it to feel like more like a café,” adds Stephan. The opportunities for Glitch’s guests are endless – from a changing art exhibition by local artists to Italian food prepared by in-house eatery Grano Kitchen, while being surrounded by a jungle of plants and organic hair products that can be purchased and taken home. Glitch shows that salons are no longer just about trims, toner and root touch ups. A brand that defies labels, is certainly paving the way for a new breed of salon experience. This article was originally published in the March 2019 issue of Hairdressers Journal