Best Small Salon Design Ideas To Use Your Space in 2024

If you are looking for the best small salon design ideas for your business, this article is for you. Check out our hair salon decor ideas created just for small spaces.

Jump to the Section You Like

1. Small Salon Layout Ideas To Maximize Your Space
2. Top Small Salon Design Ideas For You Inspiration
3. Conclusion

Small Salon Layout Ideas To Maximize Your Space

The average salon is about 1500 square feet, but many salons are much smaller than that, ranging from a spacious 1000 sq. feet to tiny mobile salons and studios. So, how much space do you need?

The answer is surprisingly little.

By using some effective space management strategies, you can create a salon interior with an inviting atmosphere and enough space for both your salon equipment and your clients (plus room to spare).

Let’s take a look at some small hair salon layout ideas that help you create more space.

1. Small Salon Suite Layout: Since studio salons are part of a larger building, you probably won’t need your own bathroom (saving a bit of space). Choose salon chairs with a small footprint that uses minimal space and plain white walls to reflect light.
2. Small Home Salon Layout: One way to deal with small space at home is to take advantage of natural light. Make sure not to block any windows, and keep your storage area separate for extra room. Invest in a professional shampoo area.
3. 500 Sq. Foot Salon Layout: Finding the right small space salon design may seem challenging, but this layout will often include only one or two washing stations, using a salon chair design with a small footprint and multifunctional seating.
4. 100 Sq. Foot Salon Layout: Suitable for a studio or suite, these layouts can include elements like full-length mirrors to open up the space, along with a portable styling station and shelving for more storage space.

Pro tip: making the most of your salon business’s layout is about workflow and staying organized as much as it is about interior design.

Salon software for small business owners can make scheduling, appointment booking and inventory management much easier, saving you space, time and money.

Top Small Salon Design Ideas For You Inspiration

We’ve done our best to come up with a ton of small hair salon decorating ideas to help you build the salon space of your dreams, no matter what size you are working with.

Here are some of our top tips, small salon décor ideas and examples you can use.

Studio Salon

Some small salon suite decor ideas that work well in studios include large framed mirrors to disperse light. Try to avoid too many dark colors in small spaces- sheer curtains and natural materials work well to keep the room looking larger than it is.

Tacari Salon in Michigan uses wood floors, floor length mirrors and a modern design to create the illusion of a bigger space. They also avoid bulky workstations in favor of small storage units.

Do not miss our post on salon reception desk.

Mobile Salon

Salon ideas for small space are never more important than in a mobile salon business- you really only have a tiny amount of room to spare. A minimalist salon design is best here, preferably one that flows easily between spaces.

You can include natural elements like windows for better lighting and a bright or neutral color scheme, along with multipurpose or mobile salon furniture. Here’s an example:

Small Home Salon Ideas

Many salon decoration ideas will also work in your home salon- the key is to invest in furniture that works well in your space.

You can use mobile storage carts and wall shelving in the main salon rather than cluttering up the floor with multiple items. Consider getting equipment with wheels, like a portable hooded dryer or mobile styling stations.

Mops Hair Salon is a great example of a small low budget salon interior design that looks modern and uses mobile elements to create space.

Small Salon Suite Ideas

Small hair salon ideas for suites include wall mirrors for additional light or a brightly colored salon decor to liven up the space.

You can also use your seating for multiple purposes- this studio’s couch doubles as both a waiting area and a place to dry your hair. They also use industrial accents like sliding doors to keep the floor space open.

Basement Salon

Some of the best small salon decor ideas specifically for basement locations include recessed lighting to maximize ceiling height, along with a willingness to work with the space’s existing features.

If you have an area under the stairs or an overhang, this is the perfect place for low-lying backwash stations to save space in other areas. Studio S Salon in Santa Barbara does this very well:

Low Budget Small Salon

Finding the right small salon decor ideas doesn’t have to break the bank. An uncluttered layout with enough room to move around can do wonders, and so can the right accessories.

Consider investing in a statement piece like a neon sign or a large print, then compliment it with some fun vintage or secondhand furniture. Take a look at this salon’s fun use of wall art.

Small Salon Reception Desk And Waiting Area

To start, get creative and look for a small reception desk for salon staff (even vintage furniture and sideboards work well here), and paint this to stand out.

Small salon waiting area ideas include setting your reception desk into a corner- it’s a great way to gain more space in your waiting area.

Make your waiting area instagrammable with furniture that suits your brand, and consider adding a window seat with some cushions.

Small Salon Shampoo Area Ideas

You’ll need about one backwash station for every two styling stations, but you can keep things classy and not looking cramped by investing in smaller shampoo bowls, combined with narrow but plush chairs.

Small Salon Hair Station

Depending on your space’s layout, you can use either double-sided hair stations or choose ones with a narrow footprint. Some salons even hang mirrors on the wall and use mobile trolleys and shelves, instead of a traditional station.

Paint Colors For Small Salon

The paint colors you choose are an important part of your small salon interior design, and you don’t have to stick to just white.

Bright colors like lavender or pale blue are your friend and will help open up the room. Consider adding a lighter colored-accent wall to add length to the room or a fun mural for an instagrammable look.

Small Salon Lighting Ideas

The right lighting is crucial in any salon, but especially in smaller ones. You want lotf of ambient and task lighting, but don’t want to create clutter or risk clients banging into fixtures.

A combination of recessed or track lighting, plus sleek wall-mounted fixtures work well as small salon decor ideas, especially if the task lighting is interesting and compliments the salon’s overall look. Here are some examples of creative lighting.

Do not miss our post on salon station ideas.

Conclusion

Coming up with small salon decor ideas might seem hard at first, but in reality it can be a lot of fun.

Some of our favorite small salon design ideas are the ones that think outside of the box and take advantage of existing features like pillars, corners or even industrial elements in the space. Sit down with your team and don’t be afraid to get creative.

Citations

Design for wearability
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/729537/

Design basics
https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Jeo8

Handbook of control room design and ergonomics: a perspective for the future
https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=DR9UyqLkgH8C&o