It's all about CLIENTS

A luxury hair, make-up and beauty salon just outside of Edinburgh, November Collective is a unique space designed to meet each and every client’s needs

“November Collective aspires to offer a more versatile environment for its clients”

KEY FACTS

Name: November Collective

Address: 3a, Bankton Centre, Edinburgh, Livingston EH54 9DA

Owner/s: Christopher Laird & Emma-Louise Cantwell

Size: 150 square metres (over two floors)

How long have you been in the premises: One year

How many staff: 12

Budget: A healthy six figures

November Collective is a collaboration between Edinburghborn hairdresser Christopher Laird and make-up artist Emma-Louise Cantwell. The salon space was brand new and built from scratch, using Christopher and Emma-Louise’s specifications – something they note was only possible thanks to a landlord that gave them full creative control.

With ten styling stations, three backwashes, four make-up chairs, two beauty pods, two nail stations and a private room, the duo certainly had a lot of space to play with. Discussing the layout, Christopher explains: “We wanted to avoid anything traditional; for example, we didn’t want colour clients having to sit in the same position while their colour develops, so we created different zones, which means the client can move around freely during their appointment.”

Breaking from tradition ended up being a repeated theme; discussing the salon’s furnishing, Christopher says: “It didn’t feel right to include generic pieces so we sourced bespoke furniture.”

Furthermore, recognising that lockdowns have changed the way people live and work, the November Collective aspired to offer a more versatile environment for its clients – through the addition of a communal workspace on the upper level of the salon.

Christopher and Emma also recognise that clients want to enter the space and completely switch off; the New York loft inspired-design helps to achieve this thanks to the use of luxurious materials – think taupe leather chairs and green velvet beauty stools – creating a feeling of calm. For the floor they opted for engineered oak. “It’s a timeless and authentic look, and is super durable, which is so important in a busy salon,” says Emma.

Meanwhile, the salon also features a moss wall and is entirely glass fronted across the two floors, which look out on the Murieston Water and stunning woodland.

The design at November Collective not only focuses on the clients, but the staff too. The space is flooded with natural light and muted tones. “It’s designed to be gimmick-free and to provide a ‘blank canvas’ in which to work,” explains Christopher.

Inspiration for the design was taken from five-star hotels, local bars and Ibiza spas to ensure the salon would appeal to a diverse clientele, and culminated in a luxe, calm and inviting space, with a natural flow ensuring functionality is not lost.

CHRISTOPHER‘S TOP TIPS

1 Don’t take any shortcuts when it comes to electrics, plumbing, ventilation and lighting – it’s so costly to put thing sright retrospectively so we ensured we invested larger chunks of money into the parts of the salon we wanted to last.

2 And on that note You can never have too many electrical sockets!

3 Don’t be afraid to adapt the space once you are working in it. We meticulously planned the space before the build started, but found some areas just weren’t quite right once we added our team and clients into the mix.

1 hji.co.uk