Most of all declutter. Only have out what you use for clients while they are there. Put the broom and dust pan away. Hang your extra bibs in a closet somewhere. Get rid of the fake flowers over the window.

Don't have family laundry out in the laundry room and take the chair out. No one is going to be sitting in the laundry room are they? Replace that chair with a coat stand by the door so clients don't have to hang their coats on the bathroom door crowding the tiny workroom even more.

Do you need the ceiling fan? You aren't going to be running the fan while cutting hair. Replace it with a nice chandy.

Get some cute comfortable chairs to replace the metal folding ones. Get a table for the magazines and put it by the chairs, and get rid of the magazine basket on the floor in the doorway.

Put up three separate Roman shades on the three windows instead of using two. It will look so much better.

Get rid of the magazine rack in the bathroom. No one is going to be in there long enough to read and it is unsanitary. Is the toilet installed on a angle like that or is it sitting there waiting to be installed? Get a wire basket for small hand towels for them to use and a container to toss the used ones. Consider getting paper towels in a dispenser. Clients won't want to share one little hand towel with everybody else. No drinking cup needed. Get a pretty container for the soap. Invest in a thick floor to ceiling shower curtain to conceal the shower. Put matching curtains on the window in there. Replace the flooring with light colored tile.

Find someplace to store the hairdryer that is not next to the toilet. It seems so unsanitary. Maybe just keep it out in the laundry room and put it where the chair is now.

Don't have your calendar on the wall for clients to read. Keep all your appointments in an appointment book.

Paint ALL the wood trim and doors to match. Put up some fancier shelving by the work station. Can you replace the flooring with laminate? How about a fancier mirror with a beveled edge since there does not seem to be enough room for a framed one. Add some bold art to the walls.

OK. While I was typing I see that some of the things I mentioned have been addressed as not being very functional for a working hair salon. Can you get fancier hooks for the items. Small details like that can make a big difference.

One question....Does the family use the bathroom or is it dedicated for business use only? If you do not use the shower consider filling in the space with storage. I've seen it done that way. You could get rid of the cabinets over the chairs and quadruple your storage space.

Dilly Dally - THANK YOU for such a helpful lot of advice.

A couple things: I always thought I had to have a fan in there to move the air around once in awhile (between perms, colors, and hairspray, the air gets pretty stagnant.) But, the thought of a chandelier right there instead makes me smile! It would be nice to have it on a separate switch, then I could have the incandescent lighting on unless I am doing color (then I could turn to my flourescents)

We do use the bathroom when I am not working - we are a 5 person family, so the extra shower/toilet is very handy. Don't think we could be witout that extra shower.

Just for the record - when I am working, no one is "allowed" in the salon besides me and my clients. We only use the bathroom on my off-hours.

Oh boy, NYsky, it looks like you're REALLY limited on space, especially since you can't take out walls and move plumbing, etc.
What do you think about removing the white cabinets and little chairs; putting in something for storage that's just high enough off the floor to slide a couple of upholstered ottomans underneath. They can be pulled out for seating (and, of course you never keep your customers waiting so long that they couldn't sit on a bench or ottoman for a while - right?) Keep a folding chair hidden away for those that can't.
Looking at pictures is a good way to spot obvious changes. Just generally unplugging and removing some items will make your space look more professional and clean. Like that little monitor thing -- what is it? Does it need to be there; I agree with an earlier post, the calendar looks unprofessional hanging there. Do you REALLY need all those things plugged in next to your station all the time? Maybe they could get their own power strip and reside in a receptacle in a small cart behind your chair in the corner. Get a cool looking broom and dust pan and hang them together in their own spot on the wall somewhere close by but not with the drapes and aprons.
I would definitely brighten up the floor with some light laminate or that retro black and white big square linoleum would be fun too.
To be honest, I'm struggling a little with "is this a salon with a bathroom, or is this a family bathroom with a salon attached?" I can see why you would not want to take out the shower, but I would be tempted to do it to obtain more storage and usable space for your salon. At any rate, as your customers are using the bathroom, I would coordinate the look with that of a salon. I really like the black work station in the salon - I would definitely play off that (black/white floor). But the cottage-like cabinets in the bath need to be changed. I know you don't want to go to a great deal of expense for purely cosmetic reasons, but take down the little pictures, remove the TP rack, consider changing out the faucet and towel holder (in fact, if the public is using the bathroom, I would put in an industrial style paper towel holder and put in a chrome faucet). These are all just suggestions for you to consider -- then step back and take another picture and see if you don't agree that removing some things and changing some things in small steps helps clean up the bigger picture.
If you're not familiar with Elfa closet/storage/organizing components - go to thecontainerstore.com (or maybe you have a store in your area). They're very easy to install and I can see incorporating some into your space very nicely without a great deal of physical effort, but you will want to carefully plan ahead. I think you can get a clean commercial look and blend it into the bathroom too. See what you think. Isn't this fun?! No?
Annie1971

My eye just keeps getting drawn to the broom and dustpans and aprons and not in a good way. If there is space enough, I would run cabinets along the wall under the large window, from wall to wall. In the space between the window and wall (where the clock is now) I'd have open shelving for the things that you need to keep out all the time. That way, instead of seeing a lot of little things hanging on the wall, you'd see a neat bank of cabinets and shelves. If you still need more storage, you could run a shelf over the window from wall to wall and even extend it onto the neighboring wall, over the door to the bathroom. You could store extra supplies up there, in pretty baskets or boxes or whatever.

Then I'd take down the cabinets over the chairs (because you now have more storage on the other wall) and put in a skinny broom closet in the corner to hold the broom. (Those cabinets would feel threatening if I were sitting under them.)

I'm hopeless with paint colors, but it seems to me that you want something to warm up the space to make it cozy. You really can't do fabric treatments on the windows, because of the amount of hair spray and stuff, but maybe colored mini-blinds? I agree that the laundry room and salon need to be either the same color or shades of the same color to make the space flow.

My first thought was that you had the cutest little entrance. I would play up the cottage look by using beadboard to marry the spaces together. Above the beadboard, I would use perhaps a pale linen color.

You have mostly easy fixes, ditch the fake flowers, paint the unfinished trim and window trims white, find some new seating... but the area that really concerns me for a more professional business is your entry/laundry room. It doesn't say professional and doesn't give you enough storage so I am going to suggest something kind of out there. Get a stackable washer and dryer, ditch ALL of the laundry cabinets, and in the blank space, add an armoire for storage. There would be plenty of room for all of your things, so much so, that you could take down the cabinets above your waiting area chairs.

Right behind the entrace door, that little wall there, I would add a row of old fashion wood pegs (in white) along the top rail of the bead board for the aprons. They would still be close by, but less messy.

The corded appliances seem to be taking over that wall. Can you clear off the counter of your workstation and put all of the curling irons ect. on that? It would relieve that massive tangle that is going on right now.

Just playing around, you know...

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If you mount two small bookshelves, say 12" wide by 12" deep by whatever height you have, and mount a mirror on the bookshelves, you can hide your equipment from view, yet have it close at hand, sort of like this:

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As if I haven't said enough already -- but want to say that I also like your entry door (however I think it could have a better paint job, or another coat of paint). I don't think it should necessarily dictate a cottage look in your salon, however. But I would put a punch of the same color in there in the way of towels (all the same color, neatly stacked or haphazardly tossed in a bin) or in your aprons or the protective drapes but not everywhere and not in paint.
I think you can do curtains, but would want to see a picture with all that stuff away from the window before offering an opinion. I will say that if you want to put blinds in that window, consider doing one rather than two, for a neater look. Ok, I'm done for now.
Annie1971

Thank you! I was hoping my advice packed post would not come across as brusk as that was not was intended.

I am feeling the room needs a bit of sparkle to reflect light. Are most of your clients women or a mix? Can you do an ultra feminine slant with the space? Putting in a cheapo crystal chandelier would brighten up the space. How about a fancier mirror that is still functional for salon work? Something like this hung vertical:

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For hooks for your bibs use crystal glass door knobs. They would be really decorative and won't poke an eye out.

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If the dustpan must be left out get a chrome one instead of plastic. Even a wooden dust pan would look more elegant.

A wall mount fan would take up less space and function well for the small space. With such a small space, a oscillating fan mounted in the laundry room could still move air through the salon area.

To make the cabinets over the chairs fit in better try stenciling a Rococo design on them. Add sparkly glass knobs to the doors. Since it looks like you can DIY trim around the doors and windows, add some crown to the top of the cabinets. Play around with the idea of painting the bathroom door white and doing the same stencil design on it.

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Or..........what about doing the plain wall that has the bathroom door on it, in a feminine but contemporary wall paper as a accent wall? You may be able to find a partial roll of some really cool looking paper, discounted in a sale bin. Lots of times leftovers from jobs are priced like this.

You want the "waiting room" seating to be comfortable, but I am guessing that upholstery is out due to hair and lint issues. You don't want anything bulky either. How about some cheap ghost chairs. They are see through so they look airy. Easy to clean. Feminine styling. Pull the chairs out from the wall just a tad so that the cabinets are not over the person's head. Bad Feng Shui.

You could add a cushion too.

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I would definately get some live plants for the laundry room. Nothing too Something a bit more sophisticated in greenery. People want to be greeted by something "alive" when they enter a foyer. Maybe extend the window shelf and use shiny ceramic containers. Choose something simple and geometric that does not scream "laundry room". Maybe black and white containers. Nothing too "Martha". No herbs. No flowers.

Peach walls with all the black and white accessories should work well for a salon.

dilly dally -- I just love that last 'ghost chair'! It's fabulous -- what's it called?

This is a fun project - I hope I have some time to work on it later tonite. In the meantime, tho', you mentioned a mongo a/c unit in the window in the summer. Have you considered a ductless split hp unit (see link). You could install it above your window, as it is very narrow. Might even make economic sense if your old mongo a/c unit is inefficient.

Here is a link that might be useful: ductless split hp air conditioner

Do you have a photo that shows what you see when you first open door? (The laundry room photo doesn't quite show that area.)

Do you have a need for a desk or work surface, or any other needs, like additional storage?

I can't believe how many ideas I have for you, when at the same time I am at a standstill in my own house. :) Anyway-

Outside: Repaint the door. Get a cute sign painted, or do it yourself, and hang it over the door or above your nice bench. Get some big planters or a windowbox. Get some low key seasonal decorations- wreaths, etc, and change with the seasons.

Entrance: I think you need to block the view of your laundry room. You could put in folding or sliding closet doors, or hang a curtain in a nice fabric to coordinate with others.

In salon: I would take out the dried flowers and the blinds. I would get lined curtains or shades that are washable. I think any blinds would get too dirty. Another option would be tinted window film. I would put a long shelf over the window for storage, maybe with baskets. I would look for a very small cart or cabinet that could hold your plug-in tools. You could drill a big hole in the back of a small cabinet so you could still keep them plugged in.
I would remove the shelves next to the mirror and move them to the wall where the clock is hanging. I would get a much bigger framed mirror.
I would get two cute chairs, or a washable slipcover for a small secondhand loveseat. I would move your cabinets up as high as possible b/c you really need that storage. Get a little ladder to get up there when you need to.
I would paint a soft pink or a warm beige, and get all black accessories. I think a black and white toile would be great for curtains etc. And a great little chandelier!
I would paint your bathroom cabs white and get nice new hardware- maybe crystal knobs?
There is my 2 cents! Have fun!

I love some of the suggestions above -- and especially like dilly dally's style suggestions.

So here's my contribution to this 'make over'. I was aiming to expand the apparent size of the room by use of mirrors, and keeping area under window clear of clutter. Also thought you could use another work surface maybe for preparing dyes, etc. Liked the idea of hair product display -- hopefully it's all for sale.

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Wow - thanks yet again for all the wonderful advice.

Let me try to address some things.

The broom/dustpan and capes as well as my corded irons/clippers need to stay close and they need to be easily accessible. Every salon I've ever worked in in my 13 years had similar set ups - hooks attached to the front of the station with the clippers hanging on them, and capes very nearby. I've never had to walk more than one step away to grab a cape, or to switch from a chem cape to a cutting cape after a color, for example. I know its not pretty - but, next time you're visiting your stylist, make note of where the cords and capes are - I'd be interested. Keeping the corded things in a drawer and taking them out when needed just isn't very practical. Hope that makes some sense.

I love the idea of the wall mount ocsillating fan and the chandelier!

Yes, the red door definitely needs more paint. We are actually changing that this spring. Currently, it swings inward, and we think it might be better if it swung out, so when you approached the door, you would open it towards you, to the left. And when you exited, you would push it open. (Opinions on this?)

Paintchips: I appreciate your ideas so much, thank you. I don't think I'm up for getting a stackable at the moment (washer and dryer are brand new, as is all the cabinetry) but it is a thought for the future.

I am definitely open to removing the cabs above the seating in the salon area - I too, feel uneasy about people sitting under them (My DH says he is 110% confident they will never fall on anyone) but I would miss the storage, so I do like DillyDally's ideas about revamping them, and the new chair ideas. You are correct - cloth coverings for seating wouldn't be practical.

I don't want to go too girlie-girlie because I do have some male clientele, but so far, I don't think anyone has suggested anything that is so feminine a man wouldn't want to step foot in there.

I love the idea of the accent wall with the wallpaper - I just have to be careful I don't use anything that would not suit well as a background to a person's head when they look in the mirror to see their hair. Know what I mean? The accent wall will also be refected in the mirror, so I have to look nice standing against it, too. LOL!

The "monitor" under the cabinets is a small TV. Its old, and I actually LOLed at the "monitor" comment because it made me realize that people don't even own TVs like that anymore! I guess I should be looking for a spot to hang a flatscreen, perhaps, or give the radio another try. (clients seem to like the TV)

As far as needing additional storage, I could use somewhere to display my "retail" area (hair care products for sale) as right now, they are all jammed up on my top shelf by my station. I was actually thinking of taking the doors off one side of the cabinets above the seats to create some room for it over there. Then, using my shelving by my work station for just backbar (hair care items used on clients, or testers) Would one cabinet being doorless and open with the retail in look off balanced with the one right next to it being closed still? How about if I put some puck lights in it and glass shelves? Only on the one side? Should I consider taking that whole unit down and finding another way to accommodate seating and retail on the wall? I could probably find somewhere else for everything in those cabinets.

Concerning the chair in the laundry room, I do like the chair there, but it could probably go. Every once in awhile, a client comes in the door and plops right there to wait their turn instead of right inside the salon.

My mirror does have decorative edging on it, you can't see in the photo. The edges are beveled and the corners each have a pretty etching on them. I'll try to grab a pic of that.

My powder room door is just a wood colored hollow core door. Do those paint up well? Should I look into getting a 4 panel solid door as an upgrade?

The AC idea is a good one (the slim fitter on top) Do they leak from the outside? I am picturing it dribbling all over my window, as AC's do. Does anyone own one of these? Do they work well? That is the reason I can't have blinds that go across the whole window - because I have to be able to open just one third alone for the AC and be able to close the other two at night.

Magazines - I used to have magazine holders that were actually attached to the side of my workstation facing the seats, but, they broke. I've been planning on getting new ones and reattaching them. I liked them there - they were out of the way and off the floor, and visible.

What kind of plants would work well in the laundry room? Hanging ones? Or potted ones for the sills?

And I would really appreciate some specific paint color ideas - any takers? I am partial to Benjamin Moore paint.

I will take some more pics and post in a bit.

OH - and I would be willing to repaint the bath, I suppose, but I'd hate to redo all the cabinets. I like how it looks in there, and clients RARELY ever use it - truly. I bet a client hasn't used that bathroom in over 4 months - seriously.

I'll check back in a bit.

Jlc and Mlb - I cross posted with you two - I must have been composing my last (very long) post while you posted yours.

You both brought a lot of great ideas to the table - thank you so much for all the work and thought you put into it.

I think I am going to print all of this out and mull it over some.

In the meantime - any specific suggestions for paint colors in the peachy/pink family that would be nice with black accents, but not 80's peach. Any specific color swatch names I could pick up would be wonderful. Thanks!

This may be completely impossible, but...have you considered switching the laundry room and the beauty shop area's? That would eliminate people from having to go through a "personal" area to get to your shop!

LOVED many of Dilly Dally's suggestions, especially the chandy! That would be absolutely awesome! I would consider using one large 2" wide wooden blind instead of fabric roman shades, though as it is easier to maintain cleanliness.

Seating that has storage such as the bench paint chips suggested is a very nice option. I also agree with others that your area's need to be the same color family, including painting all the trim.

No offense, but it's icky to have the dust pans hanging next to the capes. I know they need to be kept handy, but they cannot be stored next to anything that "touches" your clients!

I also would not want to sit under your wall cabinets, and it's not that I'd worry about them falling (I'm sure your DH is correct), it's a comfort thing!

The salon I use has something like the bookcase/mirror thingy I posted above. All the stylist's tools are in easy reach, but they are visually out of sight, so the station looks neat.
If you leave a gap between the window and the right side of this bookcase/mirror arrangement, you can put hooks on the window wall in that gap to hold the broom and dustpan.

Hi:
This is a fun exercise--I can't wait to see how it all comes together.
I do have one warning about using laminate flooring. My hair stylist has moved 4 times in the 5 years I've been going to her. The last shop had laminate and she & the others complained about the horrible static electricity caused by the laminate floor. Hair clung to the floor, dustpan, it was hard to sweep & everyone got "shocked."
By the way she keeps her capes folded in a tall book shelf cabinet(open shelves on top doors on the bottom where capes + towels stored). She doesn't have as many cords as you but you don't notice cords when the walls are painted (hers are a soothing camel color with black furniture). Her black broom + dustpan clips on & it just blends in with the furniture.
You've got to keep all your stuff handy.

Scdeb - Folding them and storing them on a shelf is a worthwhile idea. Thanks! And you're right about the laminate flooring. It is terrible "clingy" with hair for some reason. (we actually have laminate in the laundry room, peel and stick in the salon).

When I change the floor, I think I'd be tempted to try that vinyl "wood" plank system in a very light pattern - the Allure product?

Good luck with your project. My advice would be to decide on a direction and stick with it. You have all sorts of ideas and suggestions coming your way. Do you want cottage, clean modern, I even see some cluttered brothel potential coming into play here! Choose a style and then pick your elements. Take pictures and review often along the way. Good luck and have fun with it.
Annie1971

Regarding a chandelier (I think this might be my favorite suggestion) does anyone have any do's or do not's as far as color, style, and size?

"Currently, it swings inward, and we think it might be better if it swung out, so when you approached the door, you would open it towards you, to the left. And when you exited, you would push it open. (Opinions on this?)"

Where I live it is a building code that businesses must have doors swing outward for fast exist in an emergency like a fire. Doors that swing out are just nicer too I think.

"Should I look into getting a 4 panel solid door as an upgrade?"

Yes. I was going to suggest new things like new doors but you did not state a budget, and we do not know what all can be done so that hinders some suggesting.

If you get a new 'ductless split' AC like a PP suggested you do not need to get a fan. You can use the AC with the cooling 'OFF' and just circulate the air. Since it is such a small space, can you put the AC in the laundry room? It would keep down the noise in the work area, and there would be no cold breezes on the client. Some people get 'chilled' easily in drafts.

"What kind of plants would work well in the laundry room? Hanging ones?"

NOOOO0000! Too 1970s.

"Or potted ones for the sills? "

Extend the sill out further. Pick some fairly good sized ceramic pots. Not dinky ones. Use succulents and ferns. Don't pick plants that hang or are droopy or show too much soil. Perky ones!

Stacking panel shades would be a good solution for hiding the W/D. They are thin and sleek. Curtains are too floppy and bulky, bi-fold doors are cumbersome and ugly.

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Use your own fabric for them. Buy the tracks below or at places like Ikea. Read the 'How To" in the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Panel Track System

Posted by mjlb: "dilly dally -- I just love that last 'ghost chair'! It's fabulous -- what's it called?"

From website:

"This wonderful chair was inspired by one Helena Rubenstein had in her apartment. Its elegant curves and playful use of Lucite creates drama whether standing alone or used as a dining set."

Google *Lucite chair* for all kinds of quirky styles.

I know you said no structural changes, and it looks like the wall between laundry room and salon was once an exterior wall. However, if you could eliminate the short wall to the right of your hanging cabinets, your salon would then include the entrance. You could then put transparent, sliding panels to close off the laundry room area from view. This would carve out a completely exclusive salon space.

Where I live, (upstate NY), doors have to swing inwards for fire safety. The reasoning is that they are easier to kick in, if a fireman needs to enter.
Jo

Mjlb - yes, that was once an exterior door. Also, that laundry room is a step down from the salon, so I don't know how well that would work out in the end.

I didn't draw this in the first drawing, but my salon is also a few steps down from the main part of the house. Right in front of the door between my kitchen/salon is a small flight of stairs to walk down to the salon. Just added info.

DillyDally - any recommendations on where I could find these cute ghost chairs for less? Everywhere I've looked they are $300+ per chair.

Wouldn't they just use an ax?

The reasoning behind the outward swing of doors in public buildings, is that history has shown that in the event of fire, people rush to the doors and the crowd presses up against them. There becomes a huge press of bodies pushing forward in waves in a panicked "group think" thus making and orderly exit impossible. No one will back up to allow someone to grab the door handle and open the door. The mass of bodies just keeps pressing forward in a crush. Even with smaller groups an inward opening door takes more time for people to maneuver. A few seconds can mean the difference between a safe exit and a sudden explosive, scaring, blast of fire that takes one down.

This fire exit code may not apply to smaller businesses in some areas. Fire codes are created locally. There is no national enforcement.

You pointed out that patterned wallpaper might not be a good backdrop for admiring haircuts, etc., so you won't have a lot of wall area on which to make a statement. Your 'statement' could be the floor instead. You could mix and match colors of linoleum tile, maybe running them on the diagonal to make the space look bigger.

The Forbo Marmoleum website has tools to mix and match colors, and lots of ideas. I'm not sure which direction you want to go stylistically, but if it were country or cottage, you could bring the blue and red from your entrance onto the floor, and keep very neutral walls.

There are also some pre-made borders where you choose the color mix. The one I really like is Artisana -- scroll down in the link. The borders are 13-inches wide.

Here is a link that might be useful: marmoleum border - artisana

i didn't take the time to read all of the above answers, i'm sure they are all good and probably some say the same thing i'm going to..but i'm going to way it anyway..just in case.

you can't have that cabinet hanging over the heads of the people waiting in the chairs..the only place i can see to put it is over the shampoo area..which will give you close at hand storage there..you can paint it black to match the shampoo area..and put it up high so you can still have the mirror between..put some extra mirror where the other cabinet was or put the open shelves there up high ..but better to not ever store anything over your guests heads..

i agree with peach for the walls with the black cabinetry..and some pretty seating..peach is a good color for the skin so it is your best choice for the room.

you can also hide some of the clutter over the washer and the dryer in better prettier bins than you have (the open plastic ones) and try to coordinate all of your cabinetry ..all the same color or at least coordinating.

i think painting it all black with some distressing would be nice.

i would also consider taking the "friend" hairdryer off of the base and using brackets to fasten it to the wall so that it can be raised and lowered..it shouldn't be that difficult to figure it out, so it would swing away against the wall when not in use and would swing out over the chair ..that would be a good spot in the corner where the cabinets are now above the chairs as one of those chair areas could be for the hair dryer.

this also allows more room in the bathroom, which is way overcrowded..

try to keep things that you don't need to have out to use in some kind of storage..the bench is a nice touch outside, remember if you add a window box like was mentioned above, might cause someone that sits on the bench to bump their heads..you can dress up the area with a potted plant or a hanging plant..rather than to crowd it or possibly cause someone to hit their heads.

i think a peach or pink and black is a really cute feminine idea for the area..as long as it doesn't cause pause to any male clients..reminds me of a pink poodle skirt..

Hi guys! I just wanted to check in quickly today to tell you all Thank You again for all your help/opinions/great advice. I am still taking it all in, and DH is working on a few things, and I have a lot of follow-up questions/pics to share. It will take me a little time to organize my thoughts. I am going to try to get to the paint store tomorrow to pick up swatches to share. Thanks again.

NY

if the hollow core door is in good shape rather than replacing it prime and paint it and then put some trim on it..you can use moulding or actually you can buy picture frames or mirrors and attach them to it to make it nicer looking..to save some money..

if you use moulding painted the same color as the door it will look structural..you can caulk any spaces or seams that show..

You asked us to notice what our hairdressers do with capes and such. I've been going to the same person for 20+ years. There have been 5 shops plus her home shop. In all cases, the only cape that was visible was going to be used by me. The hand mirror, dryers, etc. were on the station surface or cabinet. In larger salons, she had more of a hike to get fresh towels, capes, brooms, etc. or to stow used ones. Her home salon had an adjacent bathroom and laundry room. The extra capes, towels, broom, etc. were in the laundry room. She had a rolling storage unit with drawers. Ultimately, I switched to her because I like how she cut hair, but the intial attraction was that she had beautiful hair that didn't look tortured and she was very tidy.

I would put the same flooring in laundry room, salon space and bathroom, something in a light color, if not ceramic then a vinyl that looks like ceramic. I would paint a taupe color if that works for skin tone. I really like the BJ Mexican Tile if it is not too dark, the blue in the bathroom would go well with it. Put up trim where necessary and paint it a creamy off white. Could you take the hanging cabinets down and stack them in a corner and paint them white? Put the chairs beside the stacked cabinets with flat wicker baskets under the chairs for the magazines. You could then put some nice artwork above the chairs.

In the laundry room I would edge the shelf with something and put matching lined wicker baskets on the shelves with sides high enough so you could not see the contents of the baskets - a dark color might look nice for contrast. I think I would consider woven wood shades or woven sliding panels in the salon area if you can get them that size.

The area by your work station is the real challenge since you want your tools to be near but tidy. I really liked the idea of the rolling cart myself - Then perhaps you could put the electrical devices in a row under the windows - it might not look so cluttered then.

Since you like the idea of a Chandie - I would bring that in but in something with clean and simple lines. Since you like the chair in the laundry room - I would either paint it white and add a cushion or put in something that matched the rest of the area better.

I am sure your space can be lovely

"Regarding a chandelier (I think this might be my favorite suggestion) does anyone have any do's or do not's as far as color, style, and size?"

You said you have a high angled ceiling. Exactly how high is it, and what is the slope?

Hello, again, everyone. Ive been busy thinking things over. I received such an abundance of great advice I wish I had unlimited money, time, and manpower so that I could seriously consider all of the changes big and small! But, I am on a tight budget and will be DIY, so I had to try to stay realistic in my dreaming this weekend. Here are some of my initial thoughts and "tentative" plans for the changes, along with additional questions.

First of all, DillyDally, here is a pic of the slope on my ceiling. The door in the pic is the powder room door. The slope travels from an 8 ceiling to 11 on the other side.

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Here is a pic of a chandelier from Lowes I am eyeing up:

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Does it look like the right scale/style/color for my space?

I took out all the rigamoral of the capes/tools. Here is a (bad) pic it looks much cleaner, and I like this much better.

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I will be storing the capes in my work station and the tools will go on the wall that the station is up against. I am planning on re-doing my shelving, as someone suggested to something prettier than what I had before. I am thinking of staggering them and putting two against the wall that my station is up against, and one on the adjacent wall (where the tools used to be.) Here is a mockup of what I mean:

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Opinions? This would give me the room I need, and look a little neater, I think. I am not sure what style of shelves to get wood? Black? Other? I have nice, new black towels to put on there, as well as some baskets to store small items, so I am thinking one shelf could be for towels, one shelve could have a couple baskets, and the other shelf could store my "backbar" items (my hairsprays and styling products)

Window treatments:

I cant decide whether I want shades or blinds on my windows. If I get blinds, should I get faux wood (for moisture resistance and easier cleaning) or white? What sort of fabric valance? Something bold with black in it? As a side note, if I go with wood blinds, should I then get wood shelves to match the blinds? Or, should the shelving be black to match my station?

I am planning on plants for the two windows in the laundry as DillyDally. I thought Aloe Vera would be nice, or maybe ivy would ivy be too "droopy"?

On the topic of the laundry room any suggestions of fabric for those windows? I was thinking of maybe some tiers or some sort something I could hang and then keep tied back just to soften the frame of the window.

Seating: The cabinets over the seating are gone took them out this weekend and absorbed the storage needs in other areas of our home. This is MUCH better without them looming over the seats. I am trying to decide between 2 chairs vs. 1 loveseat. It seems like it would be more comfortable for the people waiting to each have their own chair (if they do not know eachother.) Although, a loveseat could be nice. I just happened to see these "outdoor" pieces at Lowes and wondered if they would work?

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Of course, the red would probably be really bad next to the "peach" walls.

Retail shelving: Was thinking of putting a long shelf above the seating for hair care products. It wouldnt impede on the seating like the cabinets did, and it would be close at hand for people to look at. I could also put a retail shelf behind my station on the wall next to the bathroom door, but that wouldnt be quite as accessible. Any thoughts on which wall would be the better place for the retail shelf?

Mirrors: Someone suggested using mirrors to create space. I am thinking maybe I could get two large black framed ones and put one above the seating (above the retail shelf if I put one there) and one on the wall opposite my station (next to the bathroom door.) Thoughts?

A new floor sounds great but this may have to wait due to $$$. I am putting any bathroom renovating off also, due to $$$ and honestly that powder room is SELDOM used by clients. Very, very rarely. Months go by and no one steps foot in there. So, I am going to keep it clean (TP rack is gone, dryer is gone) but I wont change cabinetry or wall colors just yet.

I think I am going to hang a coat hook unit under the window in the laundry room opposite the washer and dryer and not keep a chair in that room at all, as someone suggested.

I am struggling to find a place for my little "friend" the rollabout dryer. I only have two options the corner of the LR (near the coat rack) or the corner in my salon (near the seating).

We are definitely changing the swing of the door. This will require a whole new door, so it will be a project.

Ronbre DH is working on the hair dryer bracket idea they sell units like this, but he is quite a MacGuyver and is trying to rig this up by retrofitting what we already have. I like your idea of "dressing up" the door instead of replacing anywhere we can save $$ is good right now.

I havent made it to the paint store yet to look for colors. Hoping to get there tomorrow. Any BM suggestions for something in the peach/tan family?

Looking forward to your comments.

I finally got some paint swatches, I will take a picture of them and post later for opinions.

Any thoughts on my chandelier I posted a pic of my last post? (sorry that last post got so long winded. I am so overwhelmed with thoughts on this space, I am really struggling to keep the project simple and affordable, hope I'm not carrying on too much)

Also am wondering what color shelves for my salon area? Should they be black to match my station, or white to match my trim?

And coat hanging fixutres? Should they match whatever color the cabinetry is in either room (white in laundry, black in salon)? Or, should I just buy all "chrome" toned?

Thanks again everyone.

I love beauty salons with flesh tone-ish walls. I agree with you completely, Caroline.

Could you maybe put a floor to ceiling pantry in the laundry room for the items you're storing in the cabinetry, hang the ironing board on that or get a freestanding? You could move the dryer there.

You could fit a loveseat in the area where the chairs are now, and do closer to the wall shelving (less head bumping risk), for product or what have you... maybe decor.

Your entrance is charming and I love the garden furniture inside and out.

Check out BM french manicure 1086 or gentle repose 1149 (classic colors deck).

I really like the chandelier you posted. My first thought is black shelves since they are more like "furniture" than "trim". Since you have a small space and lots to fill it, I'd keep colors to a minimum. You won't be changing the floor, probably, and so the pinky-peach-flesh on the walls, white trim (everywhere -- don't skip) and black work areas should be pretty much it. Then maybe an accent or two with chair pillows, wall hangings, etc. I agree with all the posters above who advised minimizing equipment on the walls and storing as much as you can, getting really classy looking storage for the laundry room so visitors don't think about what goes on there, and sprucing up the entrance. I'm really looking forward to progress pictures. You have a lot to do, so don't wait to share it until it's done.

Just a quick comment: I would use glass shelving, rather than black or white. And I would not have shelving to the right of the customer's mirror - it cramps that corner too much. That is the main view for your customer (I think). I would With the other changes you've proposed, there should be room to move those shelves elsewhere.

silverspring - I went and picked up the Gentle Repose color - I love it - I love French Manicure too. Do you think they're too light? Should I go down one on the strip? Or will they look darker once they're up on the wall? I also like "Point Beach" and "Powder Puff".

If I were going to use a different shade in the laundry room portion, would I go one darker than the salon, or one lighter?

Its great to hear that the project is moving forward!

Just a few thoughts..........

I think putting the retail shelf by the workstation crowds things too much and does not give the client time to browse. Put the display in the seating area.
I would not put a shelf up by the seating area to display retail items. They might get pilfered by clients who think they are "samples". Plus they could get knocked over all the time with clients bumping the shelves. They would get dusty on a shelf too. You want the products to looks fresh. I would put them in a small curio cabinet. One that is wide and not too deep, and has lots of glass, preferably on three sides, with minimal framing so as not to block the view of products. You can pick them up for a song on CL. Paint it black or a color to go with your wall color. Get it in a moderate size so as not to crowd the space with the two chairs. Angle chairs.

I would use floating shelves by the work station. The brackets crowd the area.

The chandy you chose looks great but maybe a bit heavy for the space being wrought iron or what ever metal it is. Maybe add a few more crystals? You can buy them at craft stores. If you Google 'mini chandelier' or 'kids room chandelier' you can see inexpensive ones that are lightweight in feel and a bit more sparkley. Maybe there is something else out there? Target?

I would not do a mirror on the wall behind the workstation next to the bathroom door. Having two mirrors reflect into each other would give it that 'Cream of Wheat' effect. It would be too cluttery and give a tunnel look to the area. I know that mirrors are important to a salon but I have never seen a salon where this is done with mirrors.

I would not use wicker baskets. Too Country. Metal would be noisy and plastic looks cheap. How about faux leather baskets? They come in many colors. Or ones covered in fabric that they sell? I've picked them up real cheap for my use at both Ikea and Homegoods. You can use them with or without the lids.

Picture it without the newspaper. It comes in white, pink, other colors:

I know I had said upholstery is probably out due to hair and dust and you agreed but what about slipcovered chairs? Upholstered chairs would be more comfortable and wouldn't be noisy like metal ones. You can get those dining room parsons chairs for a song on CL and a slipcover for $14.99. They even have 'shortie' ones that show some of the chair leg. You could change them out with the seasons and they can be washed anytime for freshening.

Here is a link that might be useful: Slipcovers for Chairs

DillyDally - thank you, once again for your wonderful ideas! I agree the retail needs to be somewhere else. I like the curio cabinet idea. Thanks for the thoughts on the mirror on the wall opposite the station. Shouldn't *something* go on that wall? If not a mirror, then maybe I should go back to the accent wallpaper, or just a paint color for accent? Artwork?

Does anyone have any thoughts on paint? Specifically, should I paint the laundry room and salon all the same color, or use a darker shade in one room? If so, which room should be the darker one?

Also - I am torn between shades or blinds for my window. I am leaning towards blinds for the privacy control. Wood or white??

What color floating shelves?? Should I go with black?

I know someone said that having shelves next to the mirror is too cluttery for the client, but I NEED some shelving there. I need my tools, towels and backbar supplies right within easy reach. Now that I cleared off the window (no more capes, no more dangling things) I really need those shelves! Its one of those "function over form" things.

See my earlier post about mounting shelves perpendicular to the wall and mounting the mirror to the side of the shelves. It really works. The salon I go to has this arrangement. Tools and product are at hand and out of the line of sight.
You could mount a shallow case with glass doors on the bathroom wall to hold products for sale.
Also, I think you should have a vertical blind or sliding panels to close off the laundry equipment.

Suero - I'm sorry, I meant to tell you many posts ago - I can't employ your idea about the mirror on the shelves - I need clearance for the top of my station to lift up and it lies up against the mirror when I am shampooing. A cabinet right there would not give me enough room to lift the station top. (hope that makes sense)

Putting the retail behind me on the bathroom is an idea I am looking into. Its really my only option. I can't put it next to my station (not enough room) I can't put it on the seating wall (above clients heads, and I don't think there's enough room for seating AND a curio cabinet) so it looks like that back bathroom wall might be my only option. They'd have to be shallow so I don't bump into it.

Ok, guys, I have my top 3 paint choices taped up on my wall. What do you guys think?

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The top color is "Creamy Satin - 1087" which is one down from "French Manicure" on the strip (she didn't have "French Manicure" available).

Middle color is "Gentle Repose 1149"

Bottom color is ""Inner Peach 1150" which is one down from Gentle Repose on the strip.

I like the depth of the upper and lower colors. The one in the middle seems too light, it is the top of the strip. The upper and lower are both "seconds" on their strip. Will they look darker on the wall and be too dark?

I am leaning towards the bottom color. Thoughts?

Can you move the workstation to to the left or right of the sink when you're shampooing a client's hair? If not, since the top of the workstation blocks the mirror when you're using the sink, you can attach a hook to the top if the workstation and an eye to the mirror frame so that the mirror is held up against the mirror, but out of the way, when the sink is in use.

You already show a 12" deep cabinet behind the sink. I'm suggesting that you bolt a narrow bookshelf to the wall above the sink cabinet, with adequate clearance for anything you'll need, and fasten a mirror to the bookshelf. Or two bookshelves. There's one that is sold by CSN stores, Mylex 41381, overall dimensions: 42" H x 11.5" W x 11.5" D.
There's also ClosetMaid Selectives R5 41.5" H x 11.75" W x 14.5" D.

As for shelves to hold products on the bathroom wall, consider recessing cabinets to give you more depth to hold the products without sticking out too far into the room. It looks like you can use the area between studs to recess cabinets.

I think putting the retail behind you or in the workstation would crowd you. Clients might like to browse while waiting and would not even see them behind you. Curio cabinets come in all sorts of sizes and like I said before you can get them for a song on CL.

The one on legs pictured above is only 24"x11"x43"H and magazines could be stored on top of it eliminating the need for a magazine basket in the area.

This one is only 10" deep and 19" wide but very tall. There are better looking ones out there but this is just to give an idea of size that would fit between two angled chairs:

You can get smaller chairs to slipcover if the parsons style is too bulky for the area:

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I like the first color paint chip. It is deep enough peach to add some punch to the room but does not show as pink, giving that 'poodle skirt' look to the space.

I've noted that you've requested paint input about half a dozen times and I'm feeling your angst on this point...I wish I could be more helpful...but I really, really think you've got to nail down the other color elements for your space before you consider on a paint color. Seating, flooring, shelving, baskets, and window treatments all play a role here. I totally love looking at paint colors so I *get* the eagerness to go there but... you've really got to hold off till these other elements are selected because you can *always* choose paint to coordinate with them, even if you have a custom color mixed. It's not so easy to pick fabric or hard elements to match a paint.

With that being said, I like that you're going in a neutral direction for the wall rathern than too peach. I'm very interested to see what kind of seating and WT you select. I liked the outdoor furniture pics you showed with the red cushions. Personally, I think it would be more fun to punch up the color accent with some red cushions and a classy valance that incorporates black, red, and cream/white rather than relying on "peachy" paint. To me, too much peach and black will look outdated rather than updated. Apricot/coral is getting really trendy right now, so if you do want to go toward the peach family I'd steer more in that direction in the fabric/treatment and still remain neutral on the walls.

BTW, I do find myself a bit conflicted on the whole wall paint issue b/c my salon has purple walls it's never bothered me one bit. My prior salon had a fabulous 1950's Hollywood glam theme complete with gray walls and life size posters of pin up girls - LOVED IT.

There has been talk about Ghost Chairs in another thread and it got me thinking about the conversation on the Ghost Chairs here and wondering.............Well? Is there a 'reveal' yet?

Even if it is still a work in progress - any updates?