When passionate people who are driven by the desire to make people's lives better connect, wonderful things happen. In meeting Chrystal, it was a memorable evening on the town as she was a recipient of "20 Under 40" at a formal gala. We had connected online shortly before that night and I felt a bit apprehensive to go up to her on such a momentous night for her. But, I decided I should introduce myself briefly to have that face-to-face introduction and I instantly was drawn to her spirit. The sparkle in her eyes combined with her ability to fully engage those around her over her genuine desire to be of service was the first thing I noticed about Chrystal. Advise is what comes natural to her. Long before this project came to fruition, I would meet her serendipitously at a local breakfast spot where we both would be eating alone. Quickly, we bonded over being business owners, black women who loved talking about hair and makeup and most importantly, and our drive to succeed in our respective fields of business. Chrystal L. Hair and Makeup is a full impact, empowering personal mission for this woman and it was a pleasure to work with her in making this salon space shine as brightly as she does.
This is the story of a collaborative salon getting designed and installed during COVID-19. Chrystal was moving her salon space and needed to include a retail space with her station which needed to be functional, space-saving and as colorful as her personality! The result is a beautifully functional light and airy salon space that is anything but stuffy. There is an ease and excitement when you walk in to the salon located in the heart of downtown Columbia. The concrete floors and clean white walls and ceiling details create a warmth that makes your heart happy.
Bringing original pieces of artwork into the space was essential so I asked local artists Jenny McGee, Jenn Wiggs, and Lisa Bartlett to participate in adding some color, texture and personality to the walls throughout the salon. The transformation is both simple and striking.
A positive aspect of having some time to really devote to learning new software programs that lend their visuals to show clients the look and feel of any space. Here are the renderings created to show Chrystal what the space was going to feel like once completed.
| 3D Renderings |
The process looked something like this at the beginning of the move-in. Then, as it comes together, there is such a cool AHA moment of the space making perfect sense and feeling and resembling the client. They are in their element within the space by the end. I truly love making spaces make sense for my clients. This salon space has all of the ingredients of a super funky, cool place to get beautified.
| Before |
Working on any projects during this time will be something that I never forget. And, to make it even more perfect, an artist and friend, Marie-Josee Thiffault created an exceptional original piece of art that we are adding to the bathroom space of the salon that conveys what an unprecedented time we moved the salon in.
For all of the art shown here, please visit the SHOP for pricing, sizes and artist details.