Inspirational Interiors: Barber Shop Design Ideas
It’s the start of a new season, so what better time to start thinking about fresh barber shop décor ideas for 2020. And while you might want to wait until the upcoming Christmas rush is over, it’s never too early to start planning your salon’s new look.
As part of our Inspirational Interiors blog series, we’ve spoken to hair and beauty salon owners to get their top tips for redesigning their space. This month it’s Ian Hoyos’ turn, owner of West End-based Champs Barbers.
Ian, who goes by the name Champ, says, “The most important thing in the barber shop is the barber’s character has to be on the wall. The walls have to be telling stories and that’s why themed barber shops work. People love a story!”
Read on for his top tips for barber shop interior design…
Small barber shop interior design ideas
Limited on space in your salon or barber shop? Then be prepared to make compromises. Champ says, “The main challenge was that we were limited on space. We’ve got beautiful Belmont chairs but because of limited space, we couldn’t get the beautiful Belmont sinks that go with them which was a shame.”
Have a theme
For Champ, his boxing background meant his barber shop theme was easy to pick! “I boxed as a kid and that’s where the name, inspiration and theme of the shop comes from. The first shop was very homely - we had a sofa for people to sit on. We had to move out of that as we got busier. The inspiration for the next shop was a boxing gym changing room locker that I basically grew up in. All my boxing memorabilia is all over the walls. The idea was to make the upstairs feel like a locker room and the downstairs like a bathroom with a wet floor look.”
“I found bouncing light off the mirrors worked a lot better than putting loads of lighting in the shop.”
Think about budget
You’ve planned for a refit, new equipment and redecorating. But be prepared to spend more! “The hardest thing when you’re revamping is to stay on budget, I wanted to go for a top end chair because we’re in the West End. I wanted to give my customers the most I could. I love working on those Belmont chairs. From barber to barber there’s nothing like working on the best chair there is.”
Always be on the lookout for inspiration
Looking at other salons and barbershops on Instagram or talking to our Salon Services design team are great ways of getting inspiration for your refit. Yet Champ recommends being open to ideas from everyone you meet… even at the most unexpected times! “How we decided on lighting for the shop was a funny story. We do a lot of TV stuff and I was filming an advert with boxer David Hayes. The TV lighting guys came in and I saw how they were working with the light for the cameras. I asked if they could turn the lights round to show me what would work in the shop. I found bouncing light off the mirrors worked a lot better than putting loads of lighting in the shop.”
Stay true to yourself
He’s keen to remember where his passion for barbering came from. “I started off in my bedroom in my mum’s house and grew from that into her kitchen. My mum used to cut hair on a Saturday in her living room and our house was like a big salon. That’s where my inspiration came from, going from generation to generation.”
