Jarrod hair salon offers home from home
Published
17th Jun 2013
by bathamm
When Jarrod Megraw set about opening his first salon his philosophy was simple - to create a beautiful inviting space with a relaxed, friendly atmosphere where clients feel at home. Along with his wife, Nic, and inspiration from an extensive archive of magazine cuttings and saved web pages, he's fulfilled the brief. The former charity shop has blossomed into a contemporary, welcoming environment.
"Client comfort was our top priority when it came to the design scheme. You don't want to be the shop that people feel uncomfortable walking into. Many people feel intimidated going into a salon, and I never want to fall into that category."
Jarrod chose a neutral stone shade for the walls adding colour with furnishings and accessories that can be easily changed or 'refreshed' at a later date for an instant and inexpensive transformation. The salon chairs and washbasins are a deep blue and add personality. The styling chairs are from the Pietranera Coco range and the backwashes from the Wen range, all from LSE Hair & Beauty. "One of the best buys was the reception desk. It was an inspired idea to buy a plain wooden one and have it upholstered in the same material as the chairs."
What attracted you to the building?
Along with the good town location and ample parking, what drew me to the shop was that it was bright and airy. Another major plus was the courtyard garden, which presented the opportunity for an additional reception area at the rear of the salon. This outside space is something that sets us apart from the competition, and it has become very popular in the warmer months, with clients turning up early to chill out in the comfy seating with a relaxing pre-appointment drink.
What major work had to be undertaken to prepare the premises?
The process took almost three and a half months as the whole shop had to be gutted. We knocked down walls to open the space up and fitted bi-fold doors along the back wall into the courtyard garden to maximise levels of natural light. Glass balustrades separate the shampoo area from the cutting zone. It looks stunning and by using glass we get to keep that open-plan spacious look. LED compact fluorescent spotlights have been installed as the main source of lighting as they generate the same amount of light as low voltage spotlights at a fraction of the running costs. Metal halide downlights are used directly above each colouring or cutting section, creating a more natural bright type of light. However, no premises comes without its own set of problems. The shop basement hadn't been used for more than 40 years and making it habitable proved an expensive headache.
FACT FILE
Name: Jarrod Hair Salon
Address: 18 Alexandra Street, Southend-on-Sea, Essex
Owner: Jarrod Megraw
Staff: Five
Styling stations: Six
Budget: £100,000
Financing: Private investment
Furniture: Pietranera
GET THE LOOK
LSE: 020 8903 0002
Salon Master: (boiler) 01159 754500
D W Linley: (shop fitter) 07779 288484
Young's Flooring: 01702 218818
