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Salon interior design right

How to do your salon interior design right

If you’re a salon owner, the chances are you put a lot of work into building the look and feel of your salon. After all, you are selling aesthetic services, so people come to you for an aesthetic experience as much as a hairstyle.

So you will have invested time in getting the right wallpaper, the sofas with all the attendant debates and paint swatches. If you’ve done it right, then every choice you’ve made has been a step toward creating something that feels very unified, or ‘singular’ as designers like to say.

All of the details, from the interior to the marketing to the stylists’ artistic vision, should all contribute to one thing: A very strong statement of your brand.

Because your clients aren’t just looking for a place to get their hair done. They’re looking for a space that speaks to them. A space that feels like you and is worth remembering—and worth sharing, too.

So, how do you build that kind of salon? One that lingers in their minds but also finds its way onto Instagram feeds?

Make your space speak your brand identity

Rather than thinking in terms of the individual components of the salon’s look and feel, it’s worth making sure an overall theme is present and coming over clearly. That theme could, of course, be anything, but it certainly helps if it relates to every other aspect of your brand’s offering.

The type of people, the type of customers, the business cards, the pricing of the products you’re offering, and so on. The best businesses have all these things that make perfect sense and build towards the same brand feeling rather than occur as random choices.

From the sensory details to salon design, cards, and digital presence, consistent choices are what matter most. These components go beyond the obvious ‘touch points’ and work together as a brand element to create your unique brand identity

If you think in terms of broad brush themes, what does your salon’s look, feel, smell, and sound represent?

Is it about renewability, modernity, tradition, and high tech? Is it about Barbie’s pink femininity?

Eco-friendly touches?

Vintage vibes?

Luxury escapism?

Whatever it is, make sure your space speaks for itself. Your brand identity should greet clients the moment they walk through the door. For example:

A sustainable brand might signal that using reclaimed wood finishes and earthy tones, as part of the color choice.

Minimalist hair salon design

A minimal style look cool, but you have to decide whether it’s really matches the mood of how your salon operates.

A vintage-inspired salon might have entirely different elements:

Old but still stylish furniture: For example, tufted seating, gilded mirrors, and soft lighting. Light bulbs with visible filaments could complete the look.

Vintage salon design

An industrial-inspired hair salon decoration could have bricks and painted steel girders as part of its design language.

Industrial salon design

The salon below has very Barbie colors emphasising the doll-house girl’s fantasy world it creates.

A plethora of pink and flowers set off against some unusual marble chairs.

Pink color salon design

Design isn’t just what it looks like; it’s how it works. Every detail should align with your brand’s essence, creating a space that tells your story.

🎯 Creative salon decor ideas: What three words sum up your brand’s personality? How can you use color, texture, and materials to make that clear? Stick to those choices in every detail, from the wallpaper to the soap dispensers.

Don’t forget to use all the senses

hBranding isn’t just the visual; it’s also about how your space feels. Here’s some components of branding that people often forget, but which can be quite powerful.

  • Scent: Introduce a signature scent like lavender or citrus. Like fresh bread draws shoppers into a bakery, a well-chosen scent ties your salon to positive memories.
  • Sound: A curated playlist can set the tone. Whether it’s calming acoustic tracks or upbeat pop, let your music reflect your salon’s personality.
  • Touch: Clients may not consciously notice velvety towels or smooth tile finishes, but they’ll remember how luxurious your space felt.

🎵 Sensory touch points: Choose a scent that says, “This is our brand.”Curate a playlist that feels right for the vibe.Add texture. Cushy chairs, smooth tiles, cozy throws, whatever makes the place feel just right.

Lighting up at the right angle

One of the concepts that’s become important in the retail industry is that of CRI, which stands for Colour Rendering Index. While its quite a technical topic that can get very complicated all need to know is that ligt can be specified in terms of brightness and colour. If you get this right, you can make your environment much more appealing.

Blue lighting helps a sense of calm, while red lighting tends to foster a sense of energy and excitement maybe danger. Quite obvious whne you think about it but worth understanding when you are designing your studio. 

It may be worth Investing in lighting with a high CRI (Color Rendering Index) of 90 or above. It reveals colors the way they’re meant to be seen, making hair color, skin tones, and even furniture look richer, more vibrant, and more real.

💡CRI measures how accurately colors appear under lighting, and higher values help everything—and everyone—look their best.

Building an Instagram-able salon

Clients can’t resist photographing a part of your studio with an interesting idea in it. The idea could be a neon sign that says, “Good hair, better mood.” It could be a floral wall in your signature colors. It could be a mirror with your logo etched into the corner. Whatever it is, think about something with an idea that people will want to share.

The key is to create a feature that’s unmistakably yours, something so visually compelling that clients can’t help but share it. They’ll take the photos and tag the brand without you asking. And that’s the kind of organic marketing money can’t buy.

💭 Instagrammable salon interior design Ideas: A neon sign with a catchy line that’s 100% your brand. Unique furniture pieces, like a sculptural chair or an antique desk for reception. A playful touch, like a swing or a vintage phone booth. A statement wall with bold wallpaper or intricate tiles. A floral wall in your brand colors. A unique mirror or logo subtly in the corner.

Giving a branded digital experience

What gets seen gets sold. So offer them something to carry your brand every time, everywhere. Make your salon experience accessible outside the salon as well. For that, a branded mobile app can help you build a digital experience. 

Offer a seamless digital experience that not only builds credibility but also gives a disclaimer of the walk-in experience. Make your salon app interface the extension of your brand identity. If your salon is soft and soothing, keep the app simple, refined, and calm. If your vibe is all about energy and style, keep the app bold and sharp. Remember, it’s not just about convenience. It is a connection. 

📱 Your brand should feel as familiar on a screen as it does in your salon.

Thomas O’Brien is an interior and home furnishings designer based in New York City. He is the founder and President of Aero Studios, one of America’s leading design firms and has done numerous commercial projects. O’Brien says that one of the most important things is to make sure you do a little research and have a little fun to keep things fresh in your design. 

“Designing anything, from the details of a lamp to the interiors of a whole estate, is still an art project to me. It is always a learning process: fun, hopeful, considered, and a little bit reverent. It is to know the past in order to invent something new for the time of now.”

So have a little fun and try and create something distinctive and enjoy the process. With a bit of luck you can look forward some extra intragram moments helping you build your customer base.

Further reading

If you would like to discuss any aspect of our research, or find out more about how Wellyx can help you manage and grow your gym or salon studio, please contact [email protected] or call your nearest team