After working in her fair share of salons for nearly 10 years, Marie-Anne Labrie (aka. @pinklablonde) wanted to open her own salon so she could create an environment that fit her values, style and aesthetic.
“Hair salons can sometimes be very dark and cluttered,” she says. “As a colour salon, I wanted to create a very light and clean space that I truly loved.”
Labrie opened Pinklablonde Club in July of 2021 in Montreal’s Old Port. “Opening a space in this area has always been a dream of mine,” she says. “It’s full of beautiful, old architecture and makes you feel like you’re in Paris.”
Bigger and Better
When first planning her salon space, Labrie was only expecting to open a small studio, but as the renovation process began and progressed, her plans did the same. “At first I was looking at smaller spaces but once I saw this space with the big windows, I fell in love. That meant we needed to redo the old plan because it was based on a much smaller space,” she says. “After we redid those, we updated the electricity and plumbing to make sure those made sense and that they would meet our needs as hairstylists.”
Labrie and her team worked with Unu Construction and renovated everything in the space except the flooring. “Our furniture is custom-made, and we got our stylist furniture from Lanvain Design,” she says. “The renovation took two months because we were rushed, but it was a longer process than expected because of how big the space ended up being.”
Style and Substance
Throughout the design process, Labrie kept her focus on creating a salon that was stylish yet practical. “We really needed it to be functional because we’re a big team and because I knew I wanted to rent the space out for photo shoots, pop-up shops and other events, as well,” she says. “Because of this, I didn’t want to create a location that looked like a hair salon, but at the same time it had to function like one. Once you move the styling chairs, the space doesn’t look like a salon and we can really do whatever we want with it.”
Known for her colour transformations, Labrie knew the importance of having a good colour bar. “We built a huge one that’s 20 feet long so our team could have enough space without walking into one another,” she says. “All of our colour is displayed on the wall so we can see it, and we have everything set up at eye level. This way we don’t have to reach too high, and we can see everything that we need to so we can grab products very easily and nothing is in the way. We wanted this section to be functional but also pretty.”
A Luxurious Experience
Labrie wanted to create a clean space that offers a luxurious experience for all of her clients. “We were inspired by the Jacquemus head office and the look of high-end retail stores in Europe,” says Labrie. “Oftentimes these stores feel like a showroom and the space is very airy, which is what we were going for. I would say the salon is very minimalistic, rejuvenating and calming. You feel good instantly when you walk in.”
“It’s funny because this space is a reflection of my home,” she adds. “Whenever someone who knows me personally comes into the salon, they say it’s an extension of my house because it really reflects my personal style. I chose to incorporate a lot of white and neutral elements partly because I was concerned about regretting the colours, and because it’s one of those shades that never really gets old.”
To offer her clients an even more unique salon experience, she’s also included design elements that she hopes will help them feel more at home. “We have a coffee bar with our own coffee beans, which our clients love; they often have their morning coffee here, which is great,” she says. “We also have a special sink that we call the ‘hidden experience’ as it provides steam and deep treatments that clients really appreciate.”
“We also have a special photo area where clients love to get their before- and-after photos taken,” she adds. “I want to make sure that our salon is doing as much as we can, and that each chair is providing the best experience for every client.”
DETAILS
Opened in 2021
SPACE
4,000 square feet
TEAM
20
BRANDS
L’Oréal Professionnel Kérastase Pureology Shu Uemura Olaplex
@pinklablondeclub
WEBSITE
pinklablonde.com
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