A converted warehouse in Los Angeles serves as a multipurpose salon that offers beauty services, retail therapy, an event space and more.
Beauty and fashion combine in The Well
In downtown Los Angeles lies a distinctive space dubbed The Well. As a salon, The Well offers cuts and color, keratin treatments and extensions, but owners Jefferson Tangradi and Alex Weidner chose to go beyond beauty, converting their business into a retail and events hot spot. “We cater to private clients, have a retail area with clothing and accessories, host photo shoots and evening events with DJs—we built a brand for The Well,” says Weidner, who met Tangradi during a hair appointment, when the stylist worked in a hair salon and events space in the city. “From there, we started the concept for what is The Well today.” The salon had its soft launch in 2012, and the partners steadily built exposure.
The 7,500-square-foot interior—2,000 of which is the salon—was a collective effort with architect Ivan Ivanov of H+I Design. Tangradi and Weidner wanted the look to be modern, but also warm and inviting. The building was constructed in the early 1900s and most recently housed a discount men’s clothing store. The duo reclaimed wood from the original space for the dark brown slabs that go along the walls; constructed high ceilings; and poured fresh cement floors. “The dark wood tones give off a warmth and comfort for shoppers and clients,” Tangradi says. “Everything is custom, from the light bulbs to the chairs,” says Weidner. “We wanted the salon to be clean and sophisticated.”
The salon boasts two shampoo bowls, as well as five styling chairs, two blow-drying stations and makeup-friendly lighting
The Well is situated on a street that as of a year ago was just parking lots, but is now welcoming high-rise apartment buildings. “The change in L.A. since January is like day and night—we can only imagine when people are actually housed around us,” says Weidner. For now, the owners are living in the moment. “We’ve had various directions we could go if we were to expand,” Weidner says, “but for the time being, the focus is building the brand.” ✂ —Kristen Heinzinger
PHOTOGRAPHY: Wasim Muklashy