Creating the best experience for guests at your salon begins with their first impression—your waiting area. It’s more than just a spot to sit. It’s where clients begin to engage with your salon.
Clients want to feel like they’re squeezing a little vacation into their day. Rising to meet those expectations can go a long way toward cultivating loyalty.
If your waiting area has been more of an afterthought than a focal point, it’s not too late to turn it around.
You can design a unique space with salon waiting area ideas. Explore why your waiting area matters, what makes customers feel welcome, and get inspiration from these creative concepts.
Why Your Salon’s Waiting Area Matters
People visit your salon to transform into the most beautiful versions of themselves. This expectation sets the scene for what kind of environment you need to create.
A therapeutic experience is expected by 88% of your customers. Setting the stage for this begins with your reception area.
The aesthetics, tone, and amenities you provide in your salon waiting area impact how guests feel. You want to convey a relaxing vibe while staying on brand for your business.
The details matter in your salon waiting area. You want their visit to be memorable for all the right reasons. Once they enter your shop, you can transport them to a serene or vibrant space.
Comfort is a primary consideration when designing your salon waiting area. This ensures that guests feel relaxed and happy to be there. It shows you’re all about pampering them, starting in your salon reception space.
By creating these warm and inviting experiences, you’ll demonstrate how much you value them and their time. All these touches lead to greater customer loyalty.
Even if your space isn’t big, you can still create a clean, bright, and impressive atmosphere. Failing to put the effort in here could be a turn-off, so it’s crucial to prioritize salon waiting areas. It can be just as critical as the salon equipment you purchase.
You have the opportunity to provide experience-based consumer interactions, and every component matters in creating it.
RELATED ARTICLE: Salon Client Retention Strategies
Key Elements of a Welcoming Salon Waiting Area
Your salon has great opportunities to attract and retain customers. The salon industry generated $52.2 billion in the US in 2023. These services are in demand, with 91% of Americans having visited one in the last year.
The industry is also highly competitive. This is another reason your salon reception area should create a welcoming environment. This space can be a differentiator that helps you retain salon customers.
So, what makes such a spot welcoming?
Here are the main elements to consider for your salon waiting area.
Front Desks and Check-In
Traditional reception areas have a desk as a focal point, with guest services professionals to greet customers. Typically, they’ll have a computer or touchscreen, as technology for salon operations is now the norm.
However, you don’t have to have a front desk for guest services and client interactions. Some salons are going front desk-less to remove the barrier (the desk) from these experiences.
Either way, check-in needs to be easy, frictionless, and engaging.
RELATED ARTICLE: Front Desk-Less Future
Seating Area
The next part of a welcoming salon reception is creating a cozy, comfortable seating area. Being practical matters. Distinct chairs or sofas may look attractive, but you don’t want to build a space more for style than comfort.
You’ll also need to ensure you have enough seats based on your salon size and the average number of appointments per hour.
Product Display
A salon waiting area usually has some shelves of products. While guests are waiting, they may also want to shop.
Keeping this area tidy and optimally displaying products will be essential to maintaining a welcoming environment.
Selfie Stations
Going to the salon often results in a fierce and fantastic new look. Women and men post fresh cuts and colors on social media daily.
Having a selfie station as part of your reception area can inspire guests to take photos and tag your salon.
Make sure there’s good lighting, natural if possible, and a picture-perfect background.
Wall Art
How you decorate your walls in your salon reception can also add to the welcoming aura. There are many options to consider for your themes.
You can include lighted signs with aspirational quotes, modern art, murals, or other distinct wall treatments.
Entertainment
Another frequent feature of a salon waiting area is offering entertainment to clients. Many include flat-screen TVs. Other options include magazines and books to read.
To get a little higher tech, provide a QR code for wi-fi access. Then, offer beauty-related content or playlists.
Refreshments
Nothing says welcome like complimentary beverages and snacks. You can create a coffee or cocktail bar. Set up a fridge of drinks and baskets of tasty bites.
[PHOTO: REFRESHMENTS]
6 Salon Waiting Area Ideas
Now that we’ve reviewed all the necessary components, it’s time to present a few salon waiting area ideas.
1. A Natural, Inviting Space
One excellent idea for your salon waiting area is a natural design that incorporates hints of mother nature. Creating such a space can be relaxing and therapeutic for your customers.
Consider these elements:
- A “green” wall of faux or real plants, which doubles as a selfie station
- Lots of natural light, which aids serotonin and endorphin production
- Bright and wonderfully scented flowers
- Shelving that mimics the look of a garden with winding vines
- Seating that’s outdoor-inspired while also being comfortable
Combine all these things to bring a fantasy garden to life.
2. Bold, Vibrant, and Modern
A salon reception area with modern tones can include bold art, rich colors, and streamlined décor. In cultivating such a spot, visitors will feel the energy from the space. You can captivate their attention with a look that is one of a kind.
Modern salon waiting area ideas include:
- Bright wall colors or art
- Neon lights with catchy sayings, which can be great for selfies
- An interesting pattern for floor tiles
- Sleek, simple couches
- Floating glass shelves for displays
3. A Farmhouse Spin
The farmhouse aesthetic has become extremely popular, thanks to many HGTV shows. It’s rustic yet comfortable. Many people love this look and will find such a scene charming.
To create a farmhouse design for your salon, you’ll want to weave in details like weathered wood and distressed paint. Wall art that includes metal will also add to this theme.
The seating should be plush and neutral. Bring in color on the walls or floor and stick with blues, greens, and grays.
Shelving should also incorporate metal that works well with wall coverings. A fireplace is another way to add another bit of farmhouse charm.
4. Going Baroque to Ensure Nobody Wants to Go Home
On the opposite side of simple and natural is baroque. Its attributes consist of elegance and glamour. You don’t want to go overboard, as it can become overly embellished.
When guests step into a space like this, they’ll feel like they just entered a palace. If luxury is what you want to convey, this is a gorgeous salon waiting area idea.
Baroque elements can include:
- Antique furniture (just make sure it’s comfortable)
- Crystal chandeliers
- Richly patterned wallpaper
- Metallic accents in gold, silver, or pewter
- Marble-like flooring
- Bountiful bouquets of faux flowers in decadent vases
All these pieces fit together to whisk visitors away to a grander time.
5. Serenity Designs Enchant Guests
A popular option for a salon reception is to design a spot that focuses on serenity. Make sure all details produce a relaxing and chill atmosphere.
Put people at ease. Let them lie back on comfortable couches and chairs and take in the space like a breath of fresh air.
The key to capturing serenity is keeping things simple and neutral. Color is minimal, while texture delivers visual interest. For example, you could use textured wallpaper or mix in metal and wood on shelving and furniture.
Keep the space serene by burning candles with pleasant aromas and audio of classical music or ocean sounds. Lighting should be natural or low, so no abrasive overhead fluorescent lights.
A real wood front desk and tables will also contribute to this mood. Finish with more spa-like touches like velvet fabric for seating, plush pillows, and wood-look tile floors.
Your clients and employees will feel instantly calmer by spending time in such a tranquil space.
6. Location-Themed for Cities with Personalities
If your city has a unique atmosphere, you may consider remaking your reception area to include this. Examples could include:
- Playing up the sin in Sin City (Las Vegas)
- Developing a cowboy and western-influenced space in Texas
- A coastal California vibe
Incorporate small things throughout the reception area that reflect your city’s personality. Don’t go overboard. You don’t want it to look like a tourist trap. Instead, take inspiration in subtle ways.
Some examples include:
- Ranch-inspired shelving for products and barn doors
- Neon lights on the wall of funny phrases
- Seashells and sand to evoke a beachy atmosphere
- Selfie walls that mimic the actual backdrops people often take snaps of in your city
Showing your city love can be a great way to engage clients, as they are likely passionate about what makes your location special. It can also go a long way to welcoming new customers who’ve recently relocated.
Any of these salon waiting area ideas will help ensure visitors have an experience that’s more than transactional. They’ll recognize the care you’ve taken to deliver such a space for their enjoyment.
Investing in your reception area is an investment in customer loyalty. Best of all, the design may get clients talking and sharing on social media. It’s the best kind of endorsement.
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How You Can Start Working on Your Salon Waiting Area Right Now
You don’t have to have an official plan to start brainstorming. Look around your salon and think about what might fit into the overall aesthetic without requiring a full décor change. Then take these tips and get started:
- Build an inspirational mood board of potential waiting room ideas and what they’d involve stylistically.
- Assess your current space and determine what’s working to create a great experience for clients and what’s not.
- Define the budget for revamping your salon reception area to help narrow down what you can execute from your mood board.
- Get feedback from your staff and clients about what they’d like to see in your waiting area. Pro tip: to solicit this information from customers, consider using a survey after service.
- Determine if there are any limitations within your space that could impact construction.
- Browse sites like Pinterest to find inspiration once you decide on a theme.
