3 (Easy) Low Budget Beauty Salon Interior Design Tips

So, you've decided to open a salon. You want to help people up their look with makeup, hair and nails. The location has been rented, the theme set, services and pricing settled, but now you're trying to find the best ways to bring your vision to life.

For any new business owner, it can be tricky to get yourself going. For salon owners and stylists, being able to focus on the fun stuff and to start making money, is the point you want to get to ASAP. But how can you get your new business up and running and all on a budget?

3 Affordable Salon Design Tips

While this is by no means an exhaustive list as there is plenty of tricks to the trade. If you're just getting going, here are some places to start:

1. Buy in Bulk. Do you think bulk shopping is just reserved for your grocery trips to Costco? Actually, commercial office furniture companies and manufacturers regularly extend discounts to larger orders. Plan exactly what you will need ahead of time, get everything with the same company and do some research on checkout order discounts or ongoing sales.

You may only need one salon reception desk, but buying it at the same time as your other nail salon furniture is what will save you. Don't forget that liquidation is another great way to get the essential furniture easily. Starting off, remember to keep it small. Maybe you want to be a 10-station salon. Start as a 3-station salon and slowly work your way up as business becomes steady. Even for an order of 3 salon chairs, you could still qualify for discounts.

2. Use Paint to Renovate. Does the space you're renting need some walls torn down, put up or covered over? Do you need designated areas to separate nail salon services from hair styling chairs? The simplest way to go about this is with paint. Paint is a great way to add decoration. Using tape, you can portion off areas, shapes and even create cool patterns and designs on your walls and ceilings. Furniture paint or glow in the dark paint can also be used to take your items from basic to fabulous, with little time, money and manpower.

3. Maximize the Vintage Finds. The things people do with used or “pre-loved” items is amazing. If you already have a theme to your salon and you know exactly what you need, besides the professional equipment, try saving money by thrifting your decor.

You can get cool lamps, retro technology, rugs and pillows and even vintage salon finds. The real magic in doing this is not only in saving money, but in what you can create. Could you cover the ceiling in patterned lampshades or use different, thick-framed mirrors at every station? What if your barber shop furniture had an 1800's theme? Pairing the right vintage finds with imagination and your planned, then painted areas will create an awesome space that feels luxurious, calming and Instagram-worthy.

Image: Pinterest - Chelsea Flower Show

Here are a few extra low-budget salon design tips:

Make selfie moments: If there is a designated flower wall or area designated for posing with your new nail design or hair style, people will be tempted to use it to take selfies. This not only makes your space highly-shareable but is free marketing as well.

Small touches count: Candles and music are extremely affordable and while they may not lend themselves much to the overall salon layout, atmosphere and ambience absolutely adds to the impression your business will give and if people will come back.

Personable: This is free. A great conversation, an uplifting comment in an otherwise terrible day and some laughs, like the above, aren't beauty salon design features, but people return for relationships and quality service just as much as for decor.

Conclusion

Right away you may not have all of the money you need to bring the visions you have for your beauty salon business to life, but that doesn't mean that you can't get a well-designed salon space for less money.

Take into account what you need and when, what you are willing to compromise on, ways to upcycle and remember that anything created isn't the end all be all. The person standing behind that reception desk for your salon and the quality services people leave with will speak more than large amounts of money put into decoration. Design attracts business, quality retains business, relationships grow business.