Interiors inspiration: blow dry express aldgate

Blow Dry Express is pleased to announce the opening of its second salon in Aldgate, London. We caught up with owner SJ for a look inside and to get her top tips on designing a salon space. Tell us a bit about yourself and your company I have been in the hairdressing industry for 10 years, running everything from salons to shows and shoots. Two years ago, I decided to make my dreams of owning a salon a reality. It all started with a pop-up salon in Spitalfields Market Christmas 2014. This experience led to demand for more pop-ups across London, which eventually helped me set up Blow Dry Express in the heart of Spitalfields, in 2015 and my new salon at Aldgate this month. What were the premises formerly? In what state were the premises before you began refurbishment? What attracted you to the premises? The Aldgate salon is on a new development Goodman Fields in the heart of the City and the Liverpool Street salon is in a windy little lane in the heart of Spitalfields. What did you have in mind to create before work began – what were the aims? I wanted to create a classic and stylist interior that echoed my surroundings in East London. What are the most interesting features in the salon? It is a simple yet stylish black and white theme with a nod towards the  Edwardian Era. How would you describe the salon’s image? Classic, stylish and welcoming. Is there anything you wouldn’t choose again with hindsight? No this is my second salon so I am pretty clear on what defines the look of Blow Dry Express. What was the best thing you did and the worst thing you did? Choosing a black and white theme but making it echo a classic Edwardian style rather than something more modern was the best thing I did. The worst was the black and white tiles, it make you feel dizzy after you clean them! What would be your top five tips on renovating/refurbishing a salon. Decide on what overall look you want. Keep that look to the barest essentials. Shop around a lot for the best buys and don’t be afraid to return items that look great but just don’t fit in with your theme. Make a budget then cost everything before you start and keep within the budget. Remember that salons get a lot of wear so make sure everything you buy can be easily cleaned and maintained.