About the project

What we did.

For their new East London salon, the client wanted a free flowing scheme that contained the specific task lighting so essential for hairdressing and barbering. To reflect their edgy, urban location, Toni and Guy requested linear lighting and this created a slightly androgynous feel to the space. They were also keen to highlight the building’s architecture as well as some of its quirkier features.

On the ground floor, where the salon is located, we created tailor-made linear lighting pendants to echo the individuality of the building’s bespoke elements - such as its striking bronze wall and beautiful steel staircase. With the ambient lighting looking good, we turned our attention to the all-important role of task lighting, which we entrusted to Darklight Design downlighters. These were installed on both the ground and lower floor.

In fact let’s sashay downstairs to the basement right now, where you may have already guessed that the level of light presented us with a challenge – an issue we were familiar with from our work at Cara Delevingne’s salon of choice, Windle & Moodie. A lack of daylight can be tricky but, with a little help from our good friend Dialux, we calculated the optimum lux levels in which the barbers could groom, and uninhibitedly so. The ceilings of the basement are slightly lower than upstairs so, instead of using pendants to provide the general ambience, LED Profilelement plaster-in trimless linear lighting was installed. This use of integrated lighting fixtures also provides a subtle distinction between the styling of the upstairs salon and that of the barber’s, whilst the linearity of the design continues to link the spaces together.

So, is it catwalk-ready? 

Have you had a flick through the photos yet? We think the design’s gorgeous and fit for a multi award-winning brand. The sleek, angular lighting echoes the minimalist layout of the salon and our client Toni and Guy absolutely loves the combination of fashion and function that the scheme delivers.