Expert advice: finding the right styling chair for your salon

Are you looking for one key piece of furniture this year? HJi looks at a selection of essential items for the salon, with tips from the experts.

The styling chair can make or break a client's experience; the last thing you want is a client who keeps fidgeting.

The styling chair needs to be comfortable, practical, adjustable and stylish, and with a vast array of vinyls to choose from, there is something for everyone.

Andre Dupratt, national territory manager of Takara Belmont, offers these top tips for choosing a styling chair:

1. Before choosing styling furniture, consider the client in terms of the salon experience you want to deliver and the range of services you will be offering. This also needs to take into account the stylists and colourists.

2. The client experience is at the heart of choosing the right styling furniture, as their comfort is paramount. As clients spend the majority of their time sitting down, this is not an area for compromise.  

3. Furniture is an investment and should provide many years of uninterrupted performance. Many salons that opt for cheaper furniture have to constantly repair or replace broken parts at great cost in terms of time, repairs or replacement, and lost salon revenues.

Financing makes it possible to have furniture both you and your clients can rely on, and it will prove to be one of the best investments you make.

4. Choose a design that complements and enhances the interior décor so it fits with your overall concept. However, some fashion-led designs can quickly date, so it's better to opt for designs that age well.

Classic, timeless style never goes out of fashion, so your salon can remain contemporary-looking over the years as you change the colour scheme and interior design, without the need to keep changing furniture.

When choosing the colour remember that dark jeans and occupational factors such as using colours, tints and chemicals can mark and stain the furniture, so think practically.

5. Many salons look for furniture within a few weeks of a new salon opening. This severely limits your choice and invariably leads to rushed and impractical choices. Plan furniture in early stages of a new salon design and make sure you allow ample time for delivery.

Many quality chairs can take six weeks to arrive, and some can take as long as 12 weeks from the date of order.If you've already chosen your perfect styling chair, don't forget to read our advice about purchasing the rest of your salon essentials.

• Find your ideal reception desk
• Choose the perfect styling station
• Read expert advice for buying a backwash