Here are five Instagrammable salons you won’t find on the high street…
We’re all for supporting your local town centre here at Layered Online, but sometimes, you just need a change of scenery. So we’ve done some digging and unearthed a series of salons that offer a little break from the norm. Pay them a visit to get fabulous hair, enjoy great service, and discover a unique location, location, location.
Jess Barber-Cruz at Gossamer City Project, Hackney
Not Another Salon alumni Jess creates quirky cuts and to-die-for colour from her little Pepto-pink bolthole in East London. Just like the nearby BoxPark in Shoreditch, Jess’s ‘unit’ is part of a converted shipping container collective, but the Gossamer City Project is an altogether more secluded and leafier affair.
Jess’s salon is one of 66 spaces that surround a central courtyard – a sun-trap adorned with lush ferns and 'Flying Bouquets' (a series of ultra-modern, non-naff hanging baskets). Most unit renters are fellow independent creatives, meaning there are plenty of cute coffee shops and chic studios you can peek into pre- or post-appointment. Rumour has it, Dua Lipa and Lana Del Rey’s hairstylist Anna Cofone sometimes hangs out here too...
Douce, Cambridgeshire
Your nan's caravan, this ain't! The award-winning Douce is housed in the sleekest of silver Airstream trailers, and what it lacks in size, this 100 per cent mobile salon more than makes up for in style.
Featuring two cutting and styling stations and a fully functioning backwash basin, the retro-luxe interior is decked out in muted teal, teak and coffee-coloured leather. But the true beauty of Douce is its flexibility. Need on-location styling at your countryside wedding? Not a problem. Desperate for a trim, but working late? Take advantage of Douce's late night openings an a choose a day when they are pitched up on your route home. With four regular spots in and around Cambridgeshire in rotation, you really are spoilt for choice.
The Box, Deptford
Don't be fooled by the name – this Deptford salon is anything but square. The Box sits in a meticulously restored Victorian railway arch, which gives the space a cosy yet quirky feel. The curved, exposed brick walls are paired with chipboard and raw wood furnishings for an industrial feel, but this is offset by neon lighting and sherbet yellow hairpin table legs, inspired by LA's Venice Beach.
A former Best New Salon and Best Salon Team nominee at Creative HEAD's illustrious Most Wanted Awards, The Box snapped up a Time Out Love London award in 2018 for its superb services and equally top-tier staff. Box clever and book in now.
The Chapel, Marlow
What better place to reach hair heaven than in a converted church? The Chapel salon in Marlow, Buckinghamshire is housed within an 1880s Grade II listed building, and retains many of the property's original features, including beautiful stained glass windows, historic stonework... and a graveyard! But don't be put off – beyond the heavy oak door lies a thoroughly warm, spacious and modern salon, furnished with squidgy blush pink sofas, cosy throws, soft-focus lighting and natural wood accents.
And the services (ironically, offered every day but Sundays) are top notch too. Personalised to a T and with appointments charged based on your time spent in the chair rather than an accumulated price tally, you'd be hard pressed not to be a convert by the time you leave.
The Shed, Bridport
Nestled in the picturesque grounds of the Symondsbury Estate, The Shed (which is no longer an actual shed) is surrounded by more than 1500 acres of farmland and ancient woodland. The salon itself is housed in a red-brick outbuilding with authentic thatched roof, that retains the cosy, country charm of the rural surrounds, but with a distinct upmarket vibe.
Inside, the decor is a mixture of clean, natural stone and reclaimed wood, echoing the eco-credentials The Shed prides itself on, and the business is a flagship location for high-end sustainable brand Davines, so you know that the vegan-friendly hair services are five star. Parking is ample and free, and once your 'do is done, the beaches of the stunning Jurassic Coast are mere moments away. Book in for a well-deserved hair holiday.
