LA DOLCE VITA

One salon group shares its plan to refocus its brand by re-centring on its Italian heritage

For some, success can lead to complacency – however that certainly isn’t the case for the Francesco Group. With 37 salons already established, in 2023 the brand made the decision to refocus on its core values, with the goal to transform all its locations into more client-centric, modern and welcoming spaces. Mia Dellicompagni, Managing Director, explains: “We hired a Brand Consultant to give an honest appraisal of our positioning and then, with all management agreeing on our objectives, we began injecting our Italian heritage back into the brand, starting with our Lilliput salon.”

When the refurbishment process began, the salon was outdated and tired, Mia tells us, adding: “We felt the time was right to move away from the classic, safe colours of beige, white and grey.” The brand opted to draw inspiration from its Italian heritage, utilising warmer shades such as olive green and persimmon orange to help transform the space. This new colour theme was also prioritised when it came to selecting new furniture, with the 11 styling stations all home to a combination of Khaki & Champagne Gold Caged Salon Styling Chairs and Khaki & Champagne Gold Cube Salon Styling Chairs from Salon Equipment Centre UK. The artwork throughout the space was another nod to the brand’s Italian heritage, with prints from the salon founder, Francesco Dellicompagni’s homeland.

Mia notes the salon’s pièce de resistance as the two large mustard Perri Boucle reception chairs, adding: “These really are statement pieces, and everyone always jokes that they want to take them home.” She also draws attention to the decking area at the front of the salon, and explains that while it hasn’t been utilised to its full potential just yet, there are hopes of creating a café culture, nestled under a beautiful canopy alongside a giant olive tree.

Back inside the salon, the walls are covered in acoustic panelling, which has not only helped rid the space of echoing, but also reinforced the modern aesthetic they were looking to achieve. Meanwhile, in a move to save time and funds, the decision was made to enhance the current flooring rather than undergo a complete refit, with black tiles contrasted against the original porcelain to add dimension to the space.

With these successes in mind, were there any challenges during the refurbishment? Mia says: “There are always problems with renovations – never did we think there wouldn’t be! But with hard work, determination, and a sense of humour, we made it through.” Reflecting on the renovation as a whole, she considers the only challenge was the salon’s lack of space – something which Mia tells us they are looking to rectify in the near-future with plans to build a storage shed; making use of space at the back of the salon.