Salon Today - June 2008 - (Page 30)

salons of theyear RFIRST RUNNER UP: Gene Juarez Salon & Spa— Southcenter G Gene Juarez is no stranger to beautiful salon and spa design. Even after opening seven locations, the eighth manages to make a fresh statement. CEO Janet Denyer describes the newest outpost, tucked into an upscale Seattle shopping center, as classically chic. “This salon is more whimsical and leaves more of an urban impression, even in a suburban location,” Denyer says. “Also, the salon energy is completely different from the spa energy.” And that difference extends far beyond mood lighting and candles. Through a clever design, A pop of color, a unique lighting ﬁxture and photographs of Gene Juarez-styled models add interest to an elegant interior. RGene Juarez Salon & Spa—Southcenter Location: Seattle, Washington Opened: March 26, 2007 Owners: Evergreen Paciﬁc Partners Website: www.genejuarez.com Salon style: warm, contemporary, inviting Square footage: 7,000 Styling stations: 44 Treatment rooms: 4 Equipment: Belvedere Furniture: Utility Inc. Top retail lines: Bumble and bumble, Institute of TRI Design: Midori Yoshikawa Architects: Miller Hayashi, Brad Miller Judges’ comments: “The epitome of the 21st century—luxurious and modern.”—Nelson “Spectacular lighting perfectly complements the high-energy design.”—Prais the spa and salon live in completely separate worlds within the 7,000 square-foot space. When clients ﬁrst walk in, they strut down a long, white hallway, dubbed “the runway,” which leads them to the hair studios. The salon is a modern, white space, bedecked with textured wallpaper and punches of red pod-like armchairs. Hanging crystal light ﬁxtures and gallery-sized canvases featuring Gene Juarez-styled models soften the salon ﬂoor. Each shampoo “suite” is a different hue. About halfway down the runway, Denyer describes an Alice-in-Wonderland-esque “porthole” where guests can veer off from the main corridor and be transported into the spa area. The spa is set off by natural stone walls, glass doors and monochromatic treatment rooms, such as a chocolate brown suite with a lighting element that resembles a spray of bubbles. Since Gene Juarez relocated into an existing location, the ﬂoor installation was a challenge. The grade of the building didn’t allow the team to install their usual light wood ﬂoor. Instead, they opted for ECO ﬂooring, which is made from recycled tires. It was an easy decision, Denyer says, because it’s reasonably priced, environmentally friendly and comfortable for artists to stand on all day. Visibility was another hurdle the Gene Juarez team faced in their new shopping-center home. Denyer explains that although it can be difﬁcult to get noticed in a mall location, they utilized the runway as a pedestal for an eyecatching retail space. “We put it on the runway so that it’s highly visible from the outside,” Denyer says. “It’s all white-on-white with shelving that ﬂoats on a curve. We didn’t want a ﬁxture that was stuck to the ground.” It’s attention-grabbing features like the runway that Denyer attributes to a 23-percent spike in guest visits. “People want to know what’s going on,” she says. “That’s the goal—to keep new people coming in. We have a lot of momentum.” n WEB WATCH Want to see more photos of our winning salons? Visit www.salontoday.com 30 | June 2008 www.salontoday.com http://www.genejuarez.com http://www.salontoday.com http://www.salontoday.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Salon Today - June 2008

Salon Today - June 2008 Contents Editor's Note Reception Fashion Sense Roundtable Introduction Juut - Grand Prize Winner Gene Juarez - First Runner Up Dennis Bartolomei - Second Runner Up (tie) Sine Qua Non - Second Runner Up (tie) Republic - Third Runner Up Salons of Distinction Products Owner of the Year

Salon Today - June 2008

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