Give your home the spa treatment by creating a room for grooming. A non-commercial home salon can be a personal oasis where one can be pampered without leaving the house.
Advertisement
As individualized as each person's hairstyle, a home salon should also have its own sense of style, says Los Angeles-based stylist and WEN hair care product developer Chaz Dean.
"I have a natural philosophy and holistic approach to life, and believe that should be reflected in how you take care of yourself," Dean says. "When people are able to have a stylist come into their home as part of their beauty regimen, people don't have to rush, are more comfortable and it can truly be a time to relax and recharge yourself."
Dean has been a stylist for more than 20 years and is known for his celebrity clientele. His Hollywood studio, which bears his name, has a cozy, contemporary charm located within three renovated 1920s Craftsman bungalows, all surrounded by an ivy-covered fence. Dean understands his studio location's allure, as these homey structures emulate a tranquil energy.
"Everyone deserves to be pampered," he says. "Having a home salon isn't just for celebrities."
From older individuals who enjoy the creature comforts of home to working professionals who want to cut down on their drive-time to get a haircut, different demographics are seeing the beauty of creating a salon in the home. But before outfitting a home salon, Dean says to have a plan in place, otherwise there is the potential for the space to become a cosmetological catch-all.
"Know what beauty regimens you want to have done in your home salon and start there," Dean says. "Whether it's a regularly-scheduled haircut or manicure, have the space outfitted for your specific needs."
A home salon doesn't have to be large to be functional, but you need to find a space to cosmetically claim as your own. Whether it's a partitioned portion of the laundry room, an under-used spare bathroom or an addition to the master-suite, a home salon should feel light and bright, says Dean.
"Natural sunlight is conducive to a salon space, especially when dealing with hair color and makeup," he says. "When the weather is beautiful outside, I also love to invite that into the salon by opening windows for fresh air."
If you don't have access to a window or natural light, install both overhead and task lighting fixtures to illuminate the space, as well as ventilation fans. A mirror is also a must, and often a fully-lit version is part of any salon station.
It's also a bright idea to put time into selecting the proper light bulbs for home salon fixtures. Based on the color rendering index (or CRI), look for bulbs that have CRI ratings of 75, or better. With daylight rated at 100 CRI, some fluorescent lights might only score a 50 CRI. However, compact fluorescents, color corrected fluorescent tubes, incandescent and halogen bulbs can all have CRI ratings that are 75 and greater.
A salon's style starts from the ground up and Dean prefers hardwoods underfoot. "Hardwood floors give the space a natural feel and, as a stylist, they are more forgiving to stand on than ceramic or stone tiles," he says. "Regardless of what is on the floor, it should not include a rug or carpeting, as you need easy cleanup in a salon."
A watershed moment of inspiration can also be found in a home salon's sink or cleansing basin. For a one-stop sitting, invest in a single barber-style chair that will recline for a wash into a basin on which the neck can rest, and then will spin around and sit up-right for a styling.
"In my first studio in Bel Air, I bought gently used equipment from a failed salon," Dean says. "If people are installing a personal home salon, check on-line for commercial salons that are going out-of-business and selling their wares."
Dean says the upholstery in a chair is an easy cosmetic upgrade, but make sure the hydraulics - - for raising and lowering the chair - - are sound before purchasing. "You want a treated fabric that doesn't have a nap, so cut hair and stains don't stick to the chair," he says. "Again, you want easy cleanup."
Personal style can make a statement in the station of your home salon. Whether it's contemporary or classic in style, a home salon station can mimic the curves of French Provincial or the straight lines of the modern movement. Regardless of the architectural style of your home salon station, it should include a lighted mirror and storage for towels and beauty products. "You want your salon to be clean and organized," Dean says. "If it's not, the space can move from a serene environment into a stressful one."
Although Dean doesn't have a personal home salon within his house, he's considering building one for his own use. "There's the saying that beauty is only skin-deep, but true beauty comes from within and from being at peace," he says. "Comfort is key when talking about a home salon and you want to invite peace and tranquility into the space."
Source:
A Zen-like Zone -- ChazDean.com
(For editorial questions, please contact Universal Uclick at -uueditorial@amuniversal.com)