Before You Buy a Single Thing for your Suite, Read This

The week I signed my lease on my first salon suite six years ago, I was equal parts thrilled and completely overwhelmed.

I had a blank room, a big vision, and absolutely no idea where to begin. And then, before I could even pick up a single piece of décor, a global pandemic shut everything down. I spent months in a COVID lockdown spiral, scrolling Pinterest, saving inspiration photos, and dreaming about the space I was going to create. And somewhere in that time, I figured something out that changed everything about how I approach salon suite design. I found my framework. And it all starts with one thing: your heart item.

Start With Your Heart Item

Before you buy a single thing for your suite, you need to find your heart item – the one piece that makes you feel completely, undeniably you. It's the item you build your entire design around.

For me, it was a disco ball.

Sounds simple, right? But that one decision told me everything I needed to know about my design direction. My disco ball reflected my love of music, paid homage to my years at Coachella (six years running, and it has now become a mandatory annual pilgrimage to the desert), and captured the fun, elevated, slightly unexpected energy I wanted my clients to feel the moment they walked in.

Your heart item doesn't have to be a disco ball. It could be anything - a vintage chair, a piece of art, a specific light fixture, or a plant so dramatic it deserves its own Instagram account. What matters is that it's deeply personal, something that couldn't belong to anyone else's suite but yours.

Once you have it, everything else gets easier. Your heart item becomes the backbone of your salon design.

Build Your Color Story

After I found my heart item, the next step was building a color story – and my disco ball pointed me straight to it.

I wanted a white base. This was inspired by the iconic Rachel Zoe, who once said that her life is filled with color, so when she's home, she wants white and calm to reset her mind. That has always stuck with me over the years and hit me differently when I was designing a space where I'd spend 40+ hours a week. A clean, white foundation would give my suite that sense of clarity, let every other design decision breathe, and let the hair become the star!

From there, I added camel brown leather (it was the it color at the time and still feels timeless), green through plants to bring in warmth and life, gold for a metallic pop, and black to add moments of depth.

White. Brown. Green. Gold. Black. Five colors. That's it.

Your color story doesn't need to be complicated – it just needs to be intentional. Pick three to five colors that feel cohesive and come back to them with every single purchase. Your color story is what makes a space feel curated rather than chaotic.

Choose Function Before Form

Once your color story is set, resist the urge to jump straight to the pretty things.

The most common mistake I see first-time suite owners make is buying anything and everything they find cute without first having a clear direction.

Salon suites are small spaces. Clutter accumulates fast, and when your purchases aren't united by a clear vision, the space starts to feel chaotic rather than intentional. Even worse, you end up spending money on things you don't need or that you'll eventually have to replace.

Instead, start with the functional items you need to actually do your job – your chair, your styling station, your storage. These are also the items your client interacts with most, so they're worth the investment. From there, layer in your decorative elements using your color story as the guide. Think of it this way: function sets the foundation, color story creates cohesion, and your heart item gives the whole space a soul.

The Salon Design Checklist

If you're standing in a blank salon suite right now, wondering where on earth to begin, here's the order I recommend:

1. Find your heart item. The one piece that feels most like you. Let it lead.

2. Define your color story. Three to five colors, maximum. Repeat them throughout the space.

3. Invest in your functional pieces first. Your chair, mirror, and storage are non-negotiables — get these right before anything else.

4. Add decor in layers. Start with less than you think you need. A well-edited space always looks more intentional and high-end rather than an overfilled one.

5. Leave room to grow. Your style will evolve, and your suite should too. You don't have to do everything at once.

Your Suite Is Worth Designing Intentionally

When I finally got to move into my suite after months of waiting, something unexpected happened. My income tripled. My dream clients started booking. My space became the one everyone in the building wanted to see.

That wasn't an accident. It was the result of designing with intention from the very first decision, the heart item, all the way through to the final finishing touches.

After my first year in that suite, my business had completely transformed. I was able to upgrade to my dream double-window suite and take my client experience to the next level. All because my intentional salon design did the subconscious work for me.

You deserve to love where you work. And it starts with knowing where to begin.