Taylor taylor portobello takes on west london

Décor is never an afterthought at Taylor Taylor. The four-salon group is as renowned for its sumptuous salon designs as its award-winning hair, with a staple style inspired by the opulence of 18th Century France. Think lashings of gold, vintage furniture sourced from across the globe and bespoke wood panelling and you start to get some idea of the Taylor Taylor look. The latest addition to the group is no different, ­although the new spot on Portobello Road – in the heart of Notting Hill – retains its own ­identity, thanks to its former life as a warehouse. “When we first saw the unit, it was home to a pop-up fashion store and was in a sorry state which could be best described as run-down industrial,” says co-owner Sarah Brass. “But after years of searching for a site in West London, the building just felt right straight away. It was an almost perfect replica of our Shoreditch salon, positioned on a corner plot at the developing end of Portobello Road with fabulous large windows and that magical welcoming feeling that’s so hard to find.” And, rather than fighting with the existing urban design, the team designed to embrace the concrete for a more minimal approach to their trademark look. “Quite simply, we fell in love with mixed concrete,” admits Sarah. “We found it worked beautifully as a foil to the golden opulence of the brass, gold and decorative furniture that we use so much of. Our inspiration has always been grounded in the French courts but for the Notting Hill salon, we wanted to bring things a little more up to date. After opening our first salon 10 years ago, we wanted to show that we had grown up as a brand, but still wanted to retain our signature decadence.” Designed entirely in-house, the Portobello Road salon boasts a hand-painted mural that was seven days in the making, gold-tiled underground wash room, a tea lounge and reading corner and – another Taylor Taylor trademark – a brass-topped, complimentary cocktail bar. None of the 11 styling stations are commercially produced, with the team instead opting for an individually-sourced mixture of ornate Baroque dressing tables, Art Deco console tables and gilt bedside units. The brief for Taylor Taylor’s first West London haven was to create “a welcoming yet glamorous salon where each client could feel as though they had found their own hairdressing members club”. With a friendly atmosphere, décor to die for and world-class stylists, it’s a club any client would want to be part of. Name: Taylor Taylor London Address: 309 Portobello Road, London W10 5TD Owners: Sarah Brass, Bradley Taylor and Cameron Amos Top tips • Plan everything down to the last detail; • Don’t underestimate the actual build time; • Have a contingency plan not just for your budget, but also for your schedule; • Be ready at least two days before re-opening to dry-run your new salon – we had no phone system an hour before opening!