Four Salons Who Have Mastered the Art of Detail and Design

 Setting The Mood

The Yves Durif Salon is composed of a trio of areas—the Cutting Room, the Color Lab and the Salon Privé­­—all housed on a single floor within the Carlyle Hotel in New York City to impart the brand’s sense of friendly luxury. “The Cutting Room, designed by Warren Red, speaks to my modern and playful aesthetic sensibilities and provides a high energy, client-focused atmosphere. The lighting and mirrors cast a particularly complimentary light on clients, and the workstations are devoid of clutter. The Color Lab is cocoon-like and free from the hum of blowdryers, allowing for pleasant conversation,” says Yves Durif, celebrity stylist and owner of his eponymous salon. Along with Sisley makeup applications and products available to clients, Aromatherapy Liquid Hand Soap and Red Flower candles in Italian Blood Orange, Indian Jasmine and a specially created scent called Wanderlust stock the ladies’ and mens’ rooms.

For Andy Lecompte, celebrity stylist and owner of the Andy Lecompte Salon in West Hollywood, it was all about creating an elegant home where colorists, stylists and clients could come to receive excellent five-star service. “Our versatile and talented staff provides personalized service and caters to meeting individual needs by getting to know the client and finding them the right fit in a stylist and colorist. We wanted the salon to feel like home, as a place where the team is a family that works together and where clients feel comfortable to express their needs and wants and enjoy the environment,” he says. “We built custom cabinet stations with elegant marble countertops, picked homey furniture for the reception area and used dining chairs in the processing area. We wanted the salon to be minimal and clean, yet still feel cozy. We also wanted to add elegant touches to the salon by serving coffee and tea on vintage perfume trays and using lovely soaps, lotions and candles [from Compagnie de Provence] in the restrooms.

Paul T. Wilson is at the helm of the Art + Science empire, which spans across four locations throughout the greater Chicago area. In trying to impart his brand’s philosophy of a welcoming environment free of attitude but full of confidence and energy, Wilson was deliberate in the design of his salons. “Our salons reflect a feeling of artisanal craft, utilizing reclaimed materials as a nod to mid-century modern design. Materials consist of a mixture of wood, steel, glass, stainless steel, classic marble and stone. Clients feel comfortable and know exactly where to go, as the path to the front desk is directly across from the entrance in all four of our locations,” says Wilson. “Our goal was to develop an environment that fosters creativity for both the clients and our stylists. The open floor plans, the addition of the barbershops, and the lighting and furniture design all speak to an urban, yet refined vibe that helps make the Art + Science experience truly unique.” The open, naturally lit space of the salon imparts a modern feel, while classic touches like Diptyque candles and hand soaps in the washrooms add a sense of refinement.

The Moore + Moore Salon in Marblehead, MA, is a living reflection of founder Stephen Moore’s penchant for clean lines and the contemporary. ”I wanted a simple, clean and focused environment – it should be all about the clients. My salon is my clients’ home away from home, so it was necessary to keep out any distractions to make it spotless and comfortable for them,” says Moore. The British hairdresser traces this influence to his early days working in 1970s Mayfair and Sassoon, which emphasized clean environments, beautiful lines and precision to match the hair. To further this, the look of the salon was made to feel like an English gallery with an LCD screen on the wall to display organic, abstract images rather than wall art to keep from looking too cluttered and busy as well as Jo Malone candles and Pecksniff hand soaps in the lavatories and only British magazines in the waiting area. —Maureen Sheen, Senior Editor