Bright lights, banana leaf plants, and Rihanna on the sound system yield a sunny Miami Beach vibe at Brentwood’s Christina White Salon.
But beneath the carefree glamour lie design decisions guided by the business needs of a busy salon envisioned by its owners and designer as a place to build community among its clientele.
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“We didn’t want clients to be closed off from each other,” says Annie Brahler-Smith, a longtime client who helped spearhead the design. “For that reason, I chose not to have a waiting room. Instead, there are ottomans placed in the center of the space to encourage conversation.”
The salon’s color bar—relegated in many salons to a backroom, hidden from view—was brought into the public sphere, “almost like an open kitchen at a restaurant, and the stylists are out mixing color, talking to clients. The salon is social and the space reflects that,” says Brahler-Smith.
“Some clients are here for four to five hours at a time,” adds the salon’s namesake, co-owner Christina White. Christina is certified in the application of hair extensions, which accounts for half the salon’s revenue. “We want them to feel comfortable, since this is where they’re going to spend their day.”
A crisp and clean décor floods the 3,200-square-foot salon. Sherwin-Williams’ Snowbound covers the walls and a gold-flaked epoxy adorns the floors. Those floors were a splurge, says Brahler-Smith, but they’ve become something of a signature. “They keep the look minimalist but let you know you’re somewhere that’s open to new ideas.”
The Christina White Salon first opened in 2016, and business soon flourished. When the building was put on the market in 2018, Christina and her husband, co-owner and CEO Martin White, decided to buy it and expand the salon into the offices next door.
The couple turned to Brahler-Smith, who had helped them pro bono when they were getting started, and the team used what they’d learned during that first design to inform this one. More storage, better organization, and salon-friendly surfaces were essential. Brahler-Smith installed custom cabinets around the color bar to hold dyes and towels, and the bar’s quartz countertops, and the subway tile backsplash in the shampoo area, are stain-resistant.
“I’m big on function,” says Brahler-Smith. “You can say that you are, but it takes so much more to actually act it and be it.”
The salon shows a playful side, too, with patterned wallpaper and colorful vignettes. “We bring ring lights into the bathroom, which is covered in pink flamingo wallpaper, to provide the ideal lighting for photos [for social media],” says Christina.
A stocked bar complete with vintage highball glasses and a miniature gold palm tree is used for more than just parties. “We feel like everywhere is a party in here,” says Martin.
Who needs Miami Beach?
