Soft furnishings, fun foliage and an excellent array of coffee table books, Buller and Rice has created a modern-day refuge with a little help with Takara Belmont. HJ spoke to Buller and Rice co-founder Anita Rice at a very busy time – in fact, it was in the final weeks before the opening of a third Buller and Rice salon in Wanstead, East London.
However during our conversation she exuded a sense of calm excitement about the interiors side of project ahead. When we asked her how she would sum up the theme of Buller and Rice, client comfort was key. “It’s important for us that our clients experience a relaxed and homely feel,” explains Anita. “Everything that our clients touch sub-consciously puts them at ease. From the soft furnishings in our waiting area to the glassware our clients drink out of, nothing feels like what you’d expect in a salon environment.”
The salons are filled with the sort of books you’d find in a home too, not just coffee table books – there’s cookery books and novels too. There’s soft textiles (“other salons use practical and wipe clean surfaces, but we’re a bit different”) and tapestries hung on walls, not to mention the natural fibred cosy cushions feature in the waiting area. Anita says: “We feature an artist called Lilian Martinez, (@Bfgf on Instagram), in all our salons. Some of her works are throws which we hang on the wall, which actually really helps with the acoustics in the salon.” And there are Smeg fridges in both salons, so clients can help themselves to the ever-changing drinks on offer (think CBD drinks, sparkling waters, canned cocktails and organic wines – all local and in recyclable packaging, of course).
"EVERYTHING THAT OUR CLIENTS TOUCH PUTS THEM AT EASE. NOTHING FEELS LIKE WHAT YOU’D EXPECT IN A SALON ENVIRONMENT."
In terms of a colour palette, there’s no chrome or stark white walls at Buller and Rice. “Our Newington Green salon is a Victorian building and it’s grade II listed building, so we are restricted with what we can change, so we went with block colouring on the more unusual wall shapes,” Anita explains. “We have heritage colours on the exterior and we went with a Palm Springs colour palette on the interior. It’s very Malibu-inspired with plaster pink tones, mint greens and fresh white walls. Plus, the mix of birch and walnut wood adds to the calming and fresh ambience.”
Walthamstow meanwhile feels more 70s California in its vibe. “For Walthamstow, we were influenced by Scandi-nese style. Think soft pink, clay, but not too feminine. There’s no powder puff pinks here. It’s much earthier, with deep aubergine accents. When it comes to the furniture, Anita used reclaimed Takara Belmont Dainty Belmont bare chairs in the Newington Green salon, which they got re-upholstered by Moda. Why barbering chairs? Of course, it came down to that sense of clients feeling at home. “We love the armrests and the fact that the back comes up higher, it kind of cocoons the client at their styling station,” adds Anita.
Whichever salon you look at, plants are a huge part of Buller and Rice aesthetic. “Newington Green is jungle-esque,” describes Anita. “Whereas Walthamstow is more angular and desert-like with cacti. The foliage is a visual representation of the fact that we are green, sustainable salon.” That theme is set to continue with the new Wanstead salon, and the brand are actually going to be having a concept store too that’s filled with homeware. “And natural wine too!” adds Anita joyfully.
Recreate The Look
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See the full article in our October issue of HJ. This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Takara Belmont.
