Hobbs hairdressing in bristol offers relaxed elegance

Full of unusual features and cleverly recycled items, Hobbs Hairdressing in Bristol is an elegant and inviting space. 

Doug Hobbs and Ellie Wood decided to go back to basics when it came to revamping their salon of 16 years. "We stripped everything back to find the building's original features and expose its history," says Doug. 

However, they also wanted to create a "glamorous feel", which called for stylish new furniture to sit alongside the industrial-style exposed stone and rough plastering. 

Our existing salon had become tired-looking and didn't complement our image. We wanted to create a cooler, up-to-date space. Doug designed the salon's new, stripped-back look, which incorporated the building's original features. 

Doug has a home in the Italian mountains, and 

was inspired by the local rustic buildings. He also loves the New York loft style, and so this combination resulted in a look that integrates stone, wood and metal.

The salon has four main areas. The upstairs is dedicated to cutting and styling with seven stations. It's full of natural light and features original floorboards. Downstairs is the colour room, where the ceiling is made from reinforced glass from our old fish tank allowing natural light to flood the area. The specialist, hardwearing wooden flooring copes with the traffic through to the coffee bar and garden.

Clients can wait on leather chairs for appointments in our coffee bar which looks out onto our garden, which has a vegetable patch and pond. In the Summer, the coffee bar is bathed in light when we open the doors to the south-facing garden. We invested in a new coffee machine and the staff are Barista trained so we can serve up fantastic drinks.

What's the reception area like?

The reception area was built by our joiner using scaffolding planks, and a heated brand was used to burn the Hobbs logo into the wood. We also invested in a beautiful piece of artwork that hangs behind the reception desk.

We picked up some great items - the stock drawers from a reclamation yard are fantastic as is our coffee bar which used to be a gun cabinet. 

Name: Hobbs Hairdressing

Address: 50 Park Row, Bristol

Owners: Doug Hobbs and Ellie Wood

How long have you been on the premises? 16 years

Clientele: Diverse, ranging from staff and students at the local university and hospital to clients who travel from abroad

Staff: Two technicians, six stylists, four assistants and an administrator

Styling stations: Seven upstairs and five in the colour room

Budget: £90,000

Financing: Bank and self

Furniture: LSE, Robert Mills reclamation and bespoke pieces made by David Horsington

Features: Garden and coffee bar

Building works: £26,912

Electrics: £15,000

Carpentry: £16,169

Plumbing: £3,000

Reclamation: £3,000

Chairs and backwash: £13,314

Coffee machine: £3,693

Chandeliers: £2,900

Miscellaneous: £6,012