Naturally beautiful style at melanie giles
Located on Bath's most bohemian street, Melanie Giles Hairdressing offers a chic solution to eco-conscious hair and beauty clients. The Aveda salon advocates a green lifestyle through the brand's natural products, but also through the use of stylish salvaged furniture and fittings.
Melanie designed the salon herself, and was keen to use natural and sustainable materials as much as possible, with locally sourced and recycled furnishings. The natural look is further enhanced through the sandblasted exposed stone and brickwork, both original features of the property.
One of the most popular features is the Rayburn range cooker in the café, which warms up croissants for waiting clients and is also used to heat all the salon water and radiators.
"Client comfort is the main criterion," explains Melanie. "The majority of our guests say that they feel as though they've spent an afternoon in a spa when they walk out - it's most definitely an urban sanctuary."
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Fact File
Name: Melanie Giles Hairdressing
Address: 59 Walcot Street, Bath
Owners: Melanie Giles
Staff: 16
Budget: £67,270
Design: Melanie Giles
Furniture: Mostly bespoke and antique. Chairs from Sifs.
Features: Rustic warehouse design with open frontage, in-house cafe and reclaimed vintage furniture.
How to Achieve the Look
Furniture: Sifs - 01753 585129
Top Tips
- Be prepared for hard work.
- Have a budget and stick to it.
- Pay attention to detail.
- Know your clientele and what they want from a salon.
- Encourage support from your family and friends.
Melanie Giles Haidressing in Brief...
How would you describe the salon's image?
An urban sanctuary.
What was your best buy?
The suspended mirror on the first floor; the wheels were reclaimed from an old chicken shed.
What were the best and worst parts of opening the salon?
Best: Using natural sourcs for most of our materials.
Worst: Not buying next door so I could expand.
