A maximalist makeover for yen luxury hair in barnt green

A former lingerie shop proved the perfect fit for a boudoir-style salon when Yen Luxury Hair relocated from Birmingham to Barnt Green. Relaunching with its existing team after 12 years in the city centre, the Worcestershire salon had an entirely new feel which required a look to match - 'baroque, boudoir and burlesque' was the brief.

"We brought minimalism to Birmingham with our first salon in 1999," says owner Yen Sedheva. "But it became so common; now it's a style that you see everywhere. When we decided to open our new salon we wanted to move away from that corporate plain white look, so we took a step back and decided to introduce warmth but with structure - maximalism!"

Inviting clients to 'indulge in the opulence and engage in the experience', the salon is all about a bespoke journey - a mood reflected in the salon's three distinct zones.

"The building is narrow but long," says Yen. "To maximise the space we have broken from our traditional model - so while there's a reception and retail area at the front, the backwash section is in the middle and the cutting area is at the rear, which keeps the experience extremely private."

With the separate spaces marked by changes in wall covering and lighting, each zone has a distinct feel - luxurious plum for reception, glittering gold for the relaxing backwash area, and a refreshing but refined green in the cutting room.

The opulence is felt throughout the salon, with gilt-edged Chesterfield sofas, armchair-style chairs and backwash seats, as well as a chaise-longue, giant framed mirrors, twinkling chandeliers and baroque wallpaper.

"We wanted to bring a luxury feel to the salon for our clients," says Yen. "There is a feeling of opulence here - right from the minute you arrive."  

What was the most expensive part of the refit?

The furniture.

What was your best bargain?

The mirrors.

How would you describe the salon?

Luxurious and opulent.

Is there anything you would do differently?

Be more careful with the mirrors - we unknowingly drilled a hole through a cable the night before we opened and it took four hours to find the fault.

Name: Yen Luxury Hair

Address: 47 Hewell Road, 

Barnt Green, Worcestershire 

Size: 968sq ft

Styling stations: Five

Staff: Five

Budget: £30,000

Financing: Self

Furniture: Pietranera

Features: Boudoir-style zoned rooms, wireless throughout and iPads at each styling station, environmentally-friendly lighting throughout

HOW TO GET THE LOOK 

Chairs and backwash units: Pietranera from LSE - 020 8903 0002, www.lsehair.com

Website hosting:  Z3 - www.z3.com 

Website design: Kalexiko - 0800 032 8055, www.kalexiko.com