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Adam Reed reflects on his salon relocation, where sustainability was front of mind

KEY FACTS

Name: Arkive by Adam Reed
Address: 75 Long Acre, London, WC2E 9JS
Owner: Adam Reed
Size: Ground – 51 sqm / Basement – 76 sqm / Total – 127 sqm (1,367 sqft)
How many staff: 11
Budget: £190k (we went over budget by £40k)

Last year, Adam Reed London relocated from Spitalfields to Covent Garden, gaining a new moniker in the process. Arkive by Adam Reed is described by its founder – the eponymous Adam Reed – as a creative hub rather than a traditional hair salon. He expands on this: “I wanted it to be a place where we could showcase the team along with our ethics and our beliefs – namely, sustainability.”

Indeed, sustainability was the prominent driving force behind many decisions, with the focus of the project to use as few new materials as possible. While this was something Adam was very passionate about, he did admit that there were a few downsides, explaining: “Our biggest problem was the lead time of some sustainable materials, and also some of the sustainable paints we used required more coats than expected, which led to more expense in both labour and materials.”

Regardless of this, Adam still reflects on the relocation as a success; he believes a salon space should be somewhere that you feel inspired – something that he worked hard to achieve through the design at Arkive by Adam Reed. The colour scheme takes its cues from a blend of wallpaper and fabric from the House of Hackney – a personal favourite of Adam's – which can be seen throughout both levels of the salon, while additional colour was injected into the space using paint from British manufacturer Little Greene. This was then complemented by the sleek and minimalistic grey porcelain tiles from Florim, selected both for its high quality and sustainability.

Lighting was no exception when it came to Adam’s sustainability agenda. The combination of track lighting and large panel lighting sourced from B Corp-Certified manufacturer Shoplight, are all fitted with low-voltage LED bulbs. Meanwhile, table lamps also feature throughout the space to add a subtle warmth and create a homely, inviting atmosphere.

Something else that made the new salon feel like home was the furniture, many pieces of which were brought over from the previous premises – including refurbished Takara Belmont chairs and original 1950s Danish styling stations. “You’ll find objects that I’ve gathered over time dotted around the space, which means there is something interesting or unique to see everywhere you look,” says Adam. Reflecting on the decision to hold on to his favourite pieces, he adds: “Re-using our furniture from Spitalfields felt like we were just moving home and taking the Adam Reed brand with us.”