Hj interiors: the hair movement concept space

The Hair Movement in Sidcup, Kent prides itself on providing guests with a five-star experience while inviting them to be the first to trial and test new products. The Hair Movement was opened in May 2018 because its founders wanted a real-life working salon environment to trial and test their brand’s products. Benjamin Shipman and his two brothers own the professional smoothing brand Kebelo, which rebranded to The Hair Movement last year and scissor brand KASHO. For the trio, it made complete sense to open a salon where new products could be field tested by clients and marketing content could be created on a day-to-day basis in a fully functional salon. The Hair Movement prides itself on bringing an entirely new salon experience to the London suburb of Sidcup by offering a warm and welcoming environment where guests can relax and feel pampered after a busy day. Before The Hair Movement moved into its current premises, the space was empty for four years so there were no walls, floors, plumbing or electricity. “We were attracted to the unit before the building was even built. It is right by the train station with incredible footfall, facing a main road, but still set back to give a sense of privacy,” explains co-founder Benjamin. He adds: “The full glass front gives incredible marketing potential for the salon, but as the façade is raised a metre from the ground, it doesn’t give our guests a feeling that they are sitting in a fishbowl.” Benjamin could see the local council were investing in the area to improve amenities and parking which made it the perfect home for The Hair Movement brand. Designer and project manager Annika Nott from ig. Design & Interiors made Benjamin’s vision a reality with a building process that was easier than he anticipated. “She constructed an ambitious but realistic work schedule and assembled a trades team that delivered in that time frame, so it took only four months for the salon to be complete.” The space was designed to be multifunctional so it can be adapted to accommodate focus groups, training sessions, video and photoshoots, while offering guests a five-star salon experience. Benjamin says: “The space was created to accommodate our philosophy on what modern hairdressing is truly about, which is 20% hair services and 80% relationship building and delivering an exceptional experience. All of our guests have a thorough consultation, which is conducted face-to-face in comfortable armchairs, instead of having barriers and talking with guests through a mirror.” The colour scheme was inspired by Scandinavian design, as Benjamin and his brothers had spent several years living in Sweden. The design is modern and simplistic, combining both an industrial and natural style with cement, wood and white paint. Being eco-conscious was of major importance to Benjamin so the electrics and lighting had a bigger initial outlay, but the day-to-day running costs are substantially lower, which is in-keeping with the brand’s values. The design and layout of the salon also allows the styling stations to get a maximum amount of light, which ensures clients get the best results from their service. Benjamin and his team decided to keep the original exposed cement pillars in the salon, covering some of them with living moss to give the salon an earthy feel. Yet, this is contrasted with the 3D textured tiles, finishing off the backwash walls with a pigmented matte black paint. The use of natural materials and greenery makes the salon feel modern and minimalistic. In saying this, the additional textures and the incredible lighting plan make the salon extremely warm and welcoming for those wishing to relax in a suburban haven after a long hard day working in the centre of London.

The Hair Movement's Top Tips

• Have a registered project manager

A good project manager will save you time, money and materials. They get discounts which are passed on to you so this pays for the cost of having a project manager in the first place.

• Spend to save money

Using cheaper and less durable material often ends up costing more money further down the line, both in replacing materials and labour costs.

• Be true to your vision

Designers and trades people are there temporarily, but you and your team will live and thrive in the space, so make sure you follow your vision and find inspiration wherever you can. For more HJ interiors go to hji.co.uk/interiors.