KEY TAKEAWAYS: Your salon design sets the tone for your brand and client experience. Plan with purpose—consider your target clients, the impression you want to make, and gather feedback from loyal customers to create a functional, inviting space.

*This blog post was updated on 01/14/2025

Your salon design sets the tone for your beauty biz and client experience. It’s an expression of who you are, the customers you cater to, and the vibe you want your salon to embody.

In other words, salon design matters. Whether it’s a small space that’s all your own or a large salon shared by multiple beauty pros, optimizing your salon design matters for a host of reasons.

No matter how much space you’re working with, what your budget might look like, or how you plan to decorate your space, there’s so much potential just waiting to be tapped into—and it’s all entirely up to you.

If you’re starting from scratch when it comes to designing your salon or suite, the process can easily feel overwhelming—especially since, like we said, there’s so much potential out there! But don’t sweat it—we’re here to help.

While we can’t offer up our interior decorating and design services to you directly (although, that would be super fun), we can provide you with a few must-consider factors that you should map out before you start buying your supplies, painting the walls, and getting to work. 

So, what’s the best starting point for your design process? Right here, fam.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or revitalizing your current space, the opportunity to create the ideal space for your beauty biz is within reach–especially if you follow the pointers in the guide below!

Salon Design: Everything to Consider for Your Space

Cater to Your Clients through Salon Design

Your clients are the heart and soul of your beauty biz, and while your personal preferences should play a role in your salon design, it’s important to keep your clients in mind when planning your space.

You may not be able to appeal to every client or to get into their heads to see exactly what might attract them, but taking their potential preferences into consideration can help guide your approach to salon design. Some questions to ask yourself might include:

• What first impression do you want your salon design to make on clients?
• What type of client are you trying to attract? What appeals to that ideal client?
• Have your loyal customers expressed their opinions on salon design? What do they like or dislike?
• How will your salon design affect the client experience for the better or worse?

These questions can inform your plans for a new salon design. If you want to go above and beyond hypotheticals, you can also ask your regular customers for their insights and opinions. Consider polling them on what they like about the current design, what changes they might appreciate, and what attracts them to a particular business.

Remember, you can find a balance between a salon design that works for you, your employees, and your clients. You just need to set yourself up for success by considering your clients’ experience first.

Balance Your Brand Identity and Salon Design

When thinking about salon design, it is important to realize that it does not occur in a vacuum. The environment of your salon must complement your brand identity (and vice versa), or dissonance between the two may be confusing and distracting for your clients.

Sometimes, this harmony between branding and design can be difficult to achieve. After all, branding is complex and embodies both tangible and intangible elements. The effort to make these two concepts mesh is well worth it, though, as the two coalescing can be a beautiful thing.

The key to having your brand and design work together in harmony is understanding your brand identity inside and out. You must know the concept of your brand, the motivation behind it, and how it is expressed in the real world. When you have this intimate knowledge of your beauty business’ brand identity, a complementary salon design will be within reach!

Don’t Bury the Basics

Sometimes, the most boring parts of salon design are the building blocks that set you up for success. Lighting, hardware, and electrical outlets are the perfect examples of this concept–they might not steal the spotlight, but the spotlight can’t function without them.

When plotting the new design of your salon, it is essential to think about the basics. You may even want to map out all of your lighting and outlets on a blueprint or work with a professional to ensure you don’t overlook any needs.

Consider lighting and all the possibilities that exist for that one seemingly simple aspect of your salon design.

• How much natural light does your space get, and how can you maximize it?
• Where will you need to supplement natural lighting with artificial lighting?
• What kind of lighting will work best for your salon, and what fixtures can you use to provide that lighting in an aesthetic way?

As you can see, basic doesn’t necessarily mean simple–especially in a salon with a high demand for electric outlets and adequate hardware to conveniently power equipment, charge tools, and keep cords and wires out of the way (and out of sight).

One clever tactic you can use to keep those necessary but unsightly outlets and wires hidden is to integrate them into workstations. Stashing them in drawers and cabinets not only keeps your salon design looking nice but also makes it convenient for your beauticians and safe for your customers.

Give Visitors a Warm Welcome

First impressions are important, whether you’re greeting a loyal customer or welcoming a first-time visitor. Your reception and waiting areas set the tone for your client’s experience, so putting considerable thought into welcoming them warmly and making them comfortable with any potential waiting is a must.

While you don’t need to dedicate a large portion of your space to these areas, finding ways to make them attractive, comfortable, and relaxing is key. Try not to make the reception and waiting areas cramped, cluttered, or otherwise unpleasant.

In addition to the salon design of these spaces, consider enhancing the customer experience by implementing standard welcoming procedures, utilizing software that makes check-in a breeze, and even offering a cold beverage to clients after they stop by reception.

Salon design applies to more than just your decor, it relates to the way your space makes people feel. Enhancing those good vibes with beverages, snacks, and comfortable seating can work wonders for your beauty biz.

Focus on Functional Salon Design

It’s easy to get caught up in the visual elements when dreaming of your ideal salon space. However, focusing on the functional side of things is the best place to start. After all, your salon design should help you and your fellow beauticians thrive in your daily work–not hinder your ability to streamline your processes.

Salon design that prioritizes workstations and color bars is set up for success. When you create thoughtful, functional designs to center the rest of your space around, you give your salon the best of both worlds–functionality and aesthetic appeal.

Aim to simplify your workflow, make your clients comfortable, and improve everyone’s experience. Once you are certain your salon design checks those boxes, you can let your creativity take over and go a little wild with the aesthetic elements.

Some key things to invest in are comfortable chairs, luxurious shampooing stations, and color bars that are the focal points of your salon design. Building around these key elements will help you achieve a seamless balance between beauty and everyday functionality.

Salon design is an exciting way to make your beauty biz unique and help your clients feel at home. With the tips above, you’re sure to create an incredible environment that benefits both your business and your faithful customers.