The Hair Expo Awards ‘Salon Design of the Year’ category is always fiercely contended, now more than ever. Unlike the sterile white shiny fitouts that were popular years back, salon aesthetics these days are as diverse as the attendees of a United Nations conference. Industrial, boho, hi-tech or eco-inspired, whatever your design preference, there is sure to be a stunning salon to suit your mood.
So amongst some pretty (stunning actually) tough competition this year, Team MIG were thrilled to congratulate our long term clients Rixon Hair for taking out the Best Salon Design 2018 award at Hair Expo back in June. We caught up with owner Sharon Rixon to find out about the journey from old salon to this sparkling new ‘award winning’ one…and how she and husband Brad felt when their name was called out on Awards night.
“We decided to embark on a new build for the salon because we literally were falling over each other,” Sharon tells. “We desperately needed more room, plus it was also a chance to rebrand and refresh. We wanted a flexible, creative space that had an unpretentious feel of luxury. ‘Somewhere you could picture yourself living in’ was the creative brief for our building designer.”
Situated in Edward Street, Brisbane, the salon is located within a heritage building, which provided both challenges and surprises along the way. Despite the restrictions placed on any heritage build, Sharon says the demolition process actually unveiled many beautiful original features that had previously been hidden. “Having to crane larger items into the building was a challenge,” she adds, “plus working in a tight time frame – being ready a week before Christmas – was also pretty stressful.”
When asked if the project came in at budget, Sharon’s response says it all: “Not by a long shot!” But it seems as though the journey was worth it in the end. The beautiful salon has many ‘wow’ elements – glistening dusty pink floors, sand blasted brick walls, oversized custom framed styling mirrors, a large bespoke colour area with open colour bar and table…the list goes on and on. “We had so many changes along the way,” Sharon says, “but honestly, we love it so much we wouldn’t change a thing. I think my favourite part is the indescribable feeling of calm the 280m2 space gives. Oh, and the pink floors of course!”
Sharon’s advice for salon owners considering a new build for their beloved business? “Align yourself with the best possible people, especially a great architect/builder, and make them understand your brand and aesthetic. Also, set a budget and then double it!”
Winning the Hair Expo Best Salon Design Award was pretty much the icing on the cake for the Rixon team, who were simultaneously shocked and excited to hear their name announced at the Hair Expo Awards. “Brad and I both choked on our dinner!” she laughs, “then we had to think of a speech super quickly. We were so thrilled to win!”
Congratulations Rixon Hair on such great results!