Wednesday 25 September 2013

BEAUTY SALON

To look beautiful has been a desire of humans. Right from the early ages, men and women have been doing things that will make them look better. Beauty Salon is one such place where all the needs to look beautiful are addressed in a professional manner. The services provided in Beauty Salon includes Hair Dressing, Pedicure, Manicure, Nail Art, Massage, Facials, Bridal Makeup etc. These days even SPA treatments are being also given in a Beauty Salon.

There are Beauty Salons that provide all the services but there are some that specialises in certain areas HAIR, MAKEUP, SPA TREATMENTS etc. There are lot of factors that drive the design of a Beauty Salon.

Site Selection plays a very important role. An appropriate site can be very beneficial to the business of a Beauty Salon. But before the site, the plan is the first thing that one needs to have when they are planning to open a Beauty Salon.

The most important part in the Beauty Salon Design is the selection of the Architect & Interior Designer. Beauty Salon is a speacialised area and the Architect & Interior Designer should have expertise and experience in this field.

Budget also plays an important part in the design of a Beauty Salon. Budget is derived based on the Business Plan and Revenue Model.

Equipment selection also plays an important role. One can source the equipment from local manufacturers, but also it can be sourced from international brands.

Market positioning of the brand and tieups with companies like L'oreal, Schwarzkopf, Wella and their associate brands like Kerastase, Matrix, Seah, SP-Alchemy also influences the design.

Beauty Salon & Spa Site Selection

When you are planning to open a beauty salon, the first thing that you need to have is a plan and after that a suitable property. Finding a suitable property is the most important and tedious task.


You can either purchase but as real estate is too expensive these days, you can get it on lease.


There are important criteria on which the property can be evaluated. There are few criteria that can’t be compromised at all.


The location plays an important part. The location is directly linked to the brand positioning in the market.  More premium the salon is, more premium location it should have. Ideally it should be located in the nucleus of a 5km diameter target group settlement. It can be a high street location, a commercial market or a mall. 


If it is a high street location, it’s better if it faces a one way major road. It automatically advertises the salon to the people who are travelling on that road.  Facing a one way road than a two way road is better as there is less possibility of a chaos.      

It should also have easy connections with means of public transport as it should be accessible to your staff as well.

There should be enough parking for the visitors, or you need to have a Valet parking arrangement.


Ground floor location is the best as it provides more visibility and an easy access to visitors. Upper floor locations are fine if there is an elevator.  Basements should be avoided as one has to depend on electro-mechanical means for drainage. There is always a risk of dampness from side walls. 

The Frontage of the property plays an important part. More the visibility, better it is for the business of the salon. A corner property with two side visibility is a bonus.

The entrance to the building shall not be through a narrow corridor or a narrow staircase.

The availability of signage space is very crucial because it establishes the first dialogue with the visitor.  It also defines the territory of the salon. So a bigger signage space conveys a bigger territory and a bigger image of the salon.  In case the property is within the mall adequate signage space should be provided so that passerby can see the advertisement even from the road.   

The efficiency of carpet area is very crucial. A column free space can be idle but it’s not possible always. An architect can judge this aspect by quickly drawing some layout sketches using critical dimensions as applicable in a beauty salon.  So it’s advisable to take services of an architect even at this stage.


The floor to ceiling height is important. The bottom of beam should not be less than 9’0” from the floor level and bottom of ceiling should not be less than 10’ from the floor. In malls and other places if ducting for AC is required then it should be 12 feet minimum.

In case of high street locations, it’s important to identify space for keeping Outdoor AC units and DG set.


Equally important are the two other services namely electrical and plumbing. Adequate electrical load should be there as required for the operations of a salon. There should be enough overhead water storage as you will require lot of water in your salon and also proper drainage. 


The quality of existing structure should be good. It shouldn’t be older than 15-20 years. There shouldn’t be water leakage marks or rusting of steel marks. Look for dampness in walls. It shouldn’t be in a dilapidated state otherwise it will take a lot of your budget to rectify these defects.


It is advisable to have the floor on a single level. Split levels create wastage of areas and also inefficiency in operations.


If you are taking this property on lease and ready to invest in interiors, you must have a 9 year lease.  Make sure that all legal permissions are in place to run this business from this place.

To conclude I would say that it’s advisable to put more efforts in selecting a property based on these criteria. A good property will automatically give you a jump-start that is required when you open a new salon. 
Note: All the content posted in this article are the intellectual property of the Author unless specified otherwise. Any unauthorized use of these shall be violation of copyright.   

The Design of a Beauty Salon & SPA together in a smaller area

In recent times there has been an increase in demand for spa activities. Many beauty salons whose prime focus was on Hair or skin now want to include spa activities within the salon.  As real estate is a constraint, one has to accommodate the salon and spa together in a smaller area.
The first step towards design such a salon / spa is to have the optimum program of areas and a right balance between salon and spa activities. This balance depends upon various factors like the demand of various services, brand USP and the floor plate available.
Once the program of areas is finalized, a compact and efficient layout plan is the key. The correct relationship between various components of program should be achieved without wasting the space. The critical dimensions of various components should be strictly followed. In addition we need to evolve a visual / spatial language strong enough to create a brand identity.
There can be numerous options for the visual language. It can be minimalistic, straight lines, organic, contemporary, vernacular, modern, post modern or period based etc.
We have created spa rooms which were named on as per their interiors. e.g. ocean, forest, sand dunes, Woods, Jasmine, Lavender, Sandalwood, Moghul, Arctic, European, Thai etc.   
These various components of a salon / spa in a small space are as follows:
1.      Entrance/reception area: It’s the first point of contact for the customer and the salon. It should be welcoming. A reception desk cum cash desk should be positioned in such a location that the receptionist can see all the movement happening in salon.  There should be a waiting area for clients.  There can be a retail space/cabinet in the reception area which is placed at such a location which is highly visible and controllable by the receptionist. The signage is an important part , the logo panel should be placed at a strategic location preferably behind the desk. A signature wall can also be created displaying the signature elements.
2.      Salon Area
a.       Styling Area: It’s the area where various styling services are provided. Styling stations can be placed in various permutation and combinations depending upon the space available. Each styling station has a styling chair and a mirror in front.  The Styling area can be unisex or gender based. Another important part of styling area is the back wash area where hair are washed.  It is very important to create a place where shampoos, conditioners, fresh towels and used towels are placed for easy access.
b.      Pampering services include pedicure, manicure , head spa etc. This area can be semi-enclosed for restricted visibility.
c.       Beauty Rooms: These rooms are used for facials, waxing, massage etc. The room should have a facial bed with space all around, a basin, a storage cabinet, a full height mirror etc. The environment should be relaxing and soothing. It’s a good idea to do sound proofing as much as possible. The combination of various lights like cfl downlighters, spots, cove lights and LED’s can create various combinations.    
3.      SPA
Spa in a salon includes following areas:
·         Massage Bed Area
·         Shower Area
·         Steam room
·         Jaccuzy
·         Sauna
All the above areas have their specific objectives and specific requirements in terms of material application. 
 The overall ambience of a spa should have a calming and soothing effect on a user. The environment should be relaxing and soothing. It’s a good idea to do sound proofing as much as possible. The combination of various lights like cfl downlighters, spots, cove lights and LED’s can create various combinations.
 The selection of materials should be practical and suitable to the activity. For example, the ceiling can be of Gypsum board, pop, wood, laminates or veneers,   glass, mirrors, stainless steel or Aluminum composite panels etc. The flooring can have stones, Tiles, wood, laminated wooden tiles etc. The walls can have paints, tiles, mirrors, laminates and veneers or wall papers.
4.      Utilities
 It include wash rooms, pantry, staff area and storage areas.

 To conclude I would say that combining spa with a salon can be very interesting and has added an interesting dimension to the salon design. The salons with spas are thus not only a place to get a haircut only but have transformed into a place where a person can treat and pamper himself. It has become a space where a person can unwind, relax and rejuvenate in the times of hectic metro lifestyles. 
Note: All the content posted in this article are the intellectual property of the Authorunless specified otherwise. Any unauthorized use of these shall be violation of copyright.   

Beauty Salon Design in Minimal Budget

Designing a beauty salon in minimal budget without cutting corners or compromising with quality is very challenging and yet very exciting. There are a few key elements which one should keep in mind.
1    Planning : The layout plan is very important. When budgets are minimal, then all the things that are unnecessary should be omitted. An open layout plan is the most desirable. An open plan reduces the unnecessary partitions etc. and also gives an openness to the space. It also reduces the cost of Air-conditioning. Placement of each and every component is critical in reducing the cost. Careful service design (plumbing / electrical/lighting and HVAC) and specifications can add to savings of cost. The design should be such that it requires minimum time for execution and doesn’t  require special workmen. 
2.    Theme: When budgets are minimal, then the theme should be based on straight lines and minimalistic. Less is more is perfectly applicable in this scenario.  When design elements are minimalistic then it has to be bold.
3.     Choice of material: There are many choices available for selecting material option for every building element that can make drastic contribution in increasing or reducing the cost. The choice of finishing material plays an important role. The materials should be well coordinated with each other as per the concept design and should form a part of the larger picture. The materials should be maintenance free and easily cleanable and shouldn’t look shabby after few days.  The most important thing is that all the materials should be locally available off the shelf. 

      Ceiling: There are various options available. Instead of a full false ceiling, partial ceilings can be built thus reducing the cost. The false ceiling can totally be omitted if the design theme permits visible ducts and conduits etc. In case the false ceiling is the must then economical materials like gypsum board etc. can be used and expensive materials like wood etc. can be avoided.
b.      Flooring: Flooring should be maintenance free, long lasting and easy to clean. It need not be a very expensive one. Good ceramic tiles are available in the price range of Rs 35-40/- per sft. Various stones can also be used for flooring. If budget permits then laminated wooden flooring can also be used.
c.       Partitions: The most economical material for partitions is brick wall with plaster on both sides but it takes time and space. Another option can be plain glass with frosting film wherever required.
d.      Finishing: The finishes should be maintenance free. The most economical finishing for walls is Acrylic paint that cost about 12/sft. A few walls can be highlighted by having texture paint or a wall paper.
e.      Light Fixtures : Lighting plays the most important role in creating an appealing salon. Down lighters placed in technically correct positions in working areas, indirect lighting thro’ coves or uplighters, spot lights highlighting the visual elements and products and LED’s creating dim light areas..all these light elements used properly create wonders for the salon appeal. The lighting can be of CFL down-lighters, spot lights and LED’s. These fixtures are most economical to install and even have low running cost.
4.       Salon Furniture and Equipment : Styling chairs, Mirrors, Shampoo stations and Pedicure stations can be selected as per the budget. Mirror stations can also be fabricated on site as per the design. 
5.       Branding and Signage: Visual elements communicate with the customers and establishes a dialogue with them. Signages, logo, posters, signature wall if strategically placed adds to the visual appeal to a great extent. Appropriate branding elements and signage provides boldness in a minimalistic design. Big Visual on a signature wall, a simple and bold logo panel, and branding elements provide a signature statement while reducing the costs. 


Note: All the content posted in this article are the intellectual property of the author unless specified otherwise. Any unauthorized use of these shall be violation of copyright.