INTERIORS
CHASING RAINBOWS
Rainbow Room International’s George Square salon in Glasgow has had a beautiful refurbishment to celebrate its 20th anniversary
Name: Dylan Brittain and Yasmin McMail
Address: 30 George Square, Glasgow, G2 1EG
Owners: Dylan Brittain and Yasmine McMail
How long have you been in the premises: 20 years
How many staff: 20
Design: Designworks
Budget: £200,000
Since opening in 2000 the Rainbow Room International George Square salon has seen many changes to the area, not to mention a pandemic – so it was decided a 20th anniversary was the perfect time for an interior makeover. “We felt it was time to update the salon to reflect who we are and the journey we’ve been on over the past 20 years,” owners and directors Dylan Brittain and Yasmin McMail explain.
One of the group’s most central Glasgow salons, The George Square salon sits within the historic Merchants House Building. It is one of the area’s most-known squares surrounded by architecturally important buildings, shops, bars and restaurants. Dylan and Yasmin took inspiration from places they had travelled to around the world, including Paris and New York for the redesign. “Our vision was for the salon to look timeless with the expensive feel of a Parisian salon and the cool vibe of a New York loft.”
With key colours of blush pink, emerald green and dark blue, the salon has a high-end feel. The team was keen to work with the original features of the salon, such as the fireplace in the reception area. Panelling was brought in to fit with the architecture and pillars were exposed to create a designated waiting area.
DYLAN AND YASMIN’S TOP TIPS
WORK WITH EXPERTS
Experts will be able to advise you on what will work best for your layout and how to make the most of the space.
THINK ABOUT YOUR CLIENTELE
If you have a set target market, think about what styles and colours would attract them to your salon. It’s good to do some research and talk to your clients to see what they would like to see.
DON’T FORGET THE FINISHING TOUCHES
Soft furnishings, crockery, flowers and ornaments really finish off the salon and can enhance a client’s experience.
Hanging gold pendant lights are a focal point of the main salon area and reception and they add a sense of warmth, glamour and sophistication to the space. One of the most successful features of the redesign is the way in which colour designates and enhances the separate areas of the salon. The reception area has a lot of green and the styling stations feature dark blue seating. One of the bathrooms is blush pink with an Aztec style wallpaper and the other is dark green featuring dark green metro tiles on the walls and black and white tile flooring.
It also goes without saying that COVID-19 was a huge challenge for the newly designed salon, particularly as the first wave hit just as the salon was about to reopen. “We had an incredible launch strategy and had built a fair amount of buzz and hype which we weren’t able to capitalise on fully,” the duo explain. “By the time we opened, we had to strip all of this back and put new safety measures in place.” However, despite the storm it’s fair to say the new-look George Square salon is the rainbow at the end of it.