Laundry salon, sheffield: interiors inspiration
Published
02nd Dec 2013
by rachael
What happens when you partner an award-winning design agency looking for a new project and a former Toni & Guy trailblazer with dreams of taking his next step with a new salon? A spectacular space with first-rate hairdressing to match, in the form of Sheffield’s new super-salon, Laundry.
Born from the creative minds of local design agency, 93ft, the salon’s design celebrates ‘honest’ fabrics and reclaimed materials – exposed original brickwork, salvaged wood flooring from a school gym (complete with court markings) and double-decker bus seats sit alongside bespoke cast concrete tables and locally-wrought iron for a look which celebrates the city’s industrial heritage while embracing the high-spec necessities of a modern salon.
It’s perhaps no surprise that a building which has been so lavished with attention during its restoration has a story of its own, equally steeped in craftsmanship and design. “Laundry is based in one side of the Grade II listed 19th-century complex that was originally occupied by the offices, warehouse, workshops and grinding rooms of John Sellers and Sons,” explains co-owner Tim Hubbard. “They were local manufacturers of quality pen and pocket knives, razors and cutlery.”
It was this heritage – as well as the prime location in the heart of the city centre – that attracted Tim and his friend and co-owner Mitchell Wilson to the site. Combining the experience and extraordinary eye for detail of Tim and his partner Sally’s design company with Mitchell’s extensive salon experience, Laundry was nine months in the making and takes its name, and inspiration, from traditional laundrettes.
“We’re inspired by American laundromats and washaterias,” says Mitchell, who came to Sheffield with Toni & Guy in 1996 to head up their flagship salon in the North. “They’re hangouts for gathering and gossiping; a community, a hub – the place you would go to get the buzz in a town.” And, in keeping with their name, the salon even boasts its own retro-look laundry room in the back – complete with salvaged vintage industrial laundry baskets.
Other notable features in the space include a VIP cutting and styling area, separated from the main salon with original glass partitioned walls, a reception area which doubles as a carefully curated boutique offering gifts and homeware as well as hair products, and a historic courtyard shared with their neighbours – a local independent coffee shop.
“We’re really proud of how we look,” says Tim. “Every part of Laundry has been built by hand. Think comfortable luxury – no airs and graces, just dedicated to the cause of making you look and feel top notch.”
