When it comes to the design of your salon, the appropriate lighting is one of the most vital design factors. It can have an influence on how your clients feel about the services your salon provides. It also ensures they are able to see your work in the best possible light while showing the interior of your salon off to a stunning effect. With that being said, here we provide you with some top tips so you can get salon lighting just right:
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Quality really does matter when it comes to salon lighting, and while you might have a budget to be mindful of, don’t go for the cheapest option. Fluorescent bulbs and some of the lower quality LED lighting can be pretty flat. Instead, look for bulbs that have a high colour rendering index (CRI). High-quality optics are also essential to make sure there is just enough sparkle to your salon to show the shine, dimension, and depth of the stunning hair you produce.
Overhead lighting fixtures give you the general lighting required to carry out your tasks while lighting the overall space effectively. Salon owners should not rely on one centre pendant in the middle of the room. Instead, lights need to be strategically placed so that all areas have sufficient lighting so that your salon team can see what they are doing. Of course, what the “right” overhead lighting looks like depends on the size and configuration of your salon and every salon is different. Consider the intricacies of the environment and the tasks being carried out on a daily basis to determine the right level of lighting overhead and where it should be placed.
There is no denying that lighting can be a considerable expense for salons, especially when you consider the energy crisis in the UK at the moment. The good news is that there are energy-efficient options available, with LED bulbs being the most obvious example. With high CRI options available and a broad assortment of colour temperatures, these bulbs are perfect for salon environments. While they may be a little bit more expensive when compared with the other bulbs on the shelf, they last for much, much longer, and so they will ultimately save you heaps of money in the long run.
How your customers look while they are in your salon chairs is of huge importance. If a guest feels great about the way they look, it will reinforce the positive experience they have at your salon. This leads to repeat business in the future and ultimately more revenue. This is why it is important to focus on getting rid of shadows. The easiest way to achieve this is to make sure the light is positioned at the mirror, on either side, lighting the complexion directly. Make sure you choose a flattering temperature bulb as well. If you use spotty lighting above, such as track fixtures, this will create shadows as well, so you will want to avoid this.
We are sure you have heard stories about customers having their hair dyed, only to then go outside and feel like their hair is a completely different colour from what they witnessed while looking in the mirror in the salon. The simple solution here is to make sure you choose bulbs that accurately render colour. This is determined by something we have mentioned a few times in this post - the Colour Rendering Index. This represents the quality of light and its faithfulness to render colours. Always look for bulbs that have a CRI of 86 or greater.
As you can see, there are a number of different ways that you can really take your salon’s light game to the next level. Do not underestimate just how important great lighting is. Not only is it beneficial in terms of making sure your salon looks amazing but it is also imperative in enabling customers to see their new hairstyle, or the effects of any other treatments you’ve given them.
