Tim Rundle Studio has designed the new East London premises for Glasshouse salon, utilising a carefully selected palette of materials and furniture to reflect the brands sustainable and ethical approach to beauty and wellness. Glasshouse Salon are pioneers of organic hair colour and modern cuts and have recently expanded the existing retail aspect to their business, promoting products across the self care spectrum that adhere to this approach.

The salons founder sought to create a new space that would reflect this ethos, both aesthetically and ethically while eschewing tired eco-cliches. Alongside 12 styling stations and 5 hair washing units, the interior also had to accommodate a growing retail business and provision for a future therapy room. Flexibility for hosting events, workshops and organic hair product training sessions was also key to the brief.

The project began prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, but was developed and built during the height of it, requiring reconfiguration part way through the design process to allow for social distancing and covid-safe customer service while maintaining a functional working capacity. Dividers that reference Japanese shoji screens were adopted in the styling area, albeit swapping out the delicate traditional paper for a durable and wipeable polymer.

Finding a distinct lack of well designed products with decent sustainability credentials in the salon furniture market, the designers selected to create an almost entirely bespoke furniture package. Furniture items that didn’t make sense to custom make were sourced from brands that produce within Europe and the UK.

Client glasshousesalon.co.uk

Year: 2021

Photography: Genevieve Lutkin

Coming soon - Renovation and Interior design for the living spaces of a detached Victorian house in South London.

The brief called for a space that maintained the relaxed attitude of the proprietor's apartment where clients visited before the salon was opened. On an exceedingly tight budget, we converted a storage loft space into hair salon. Bespoke furniture and equipment was sourced from local suppliers in Hackney, the London borough where the Salon is located. Space constraints called for intelligent solutions; such as cutting stations with integrated lighting and a ‘shared table’ waiting space.

Collaboration with Lauren van Uden

Client: Glasshouse Salon

Year: 2012

Photos : Damien Van Der Vlist