Although there is no sign advertising its location, Gaba Hair Story is one of the most popular hairdressing salons in Warsaw where you have to book months in advance, its popularity as much the product of celebrity hairstylist Gabriela Zalewska’s talent as the salon’s immaculate interior design and unique ambience. Conceived by Gabriela and co-owner Lukasz Kadej, the salon was primarily designed in terms of aesthetics and atmosphere, welcoming clients into a space that feels like the home of a worldly sophisticate. Located in a stately tenement building, the light-filled venue subtly combines the grandeur of early 20th century Warsaw with the understated elegance of mid-century modern design. Custom-made pieces, handcrafted objects, and contemporary artworks further add to the project’s eclectic sophistication and dreamy sensibility. “I wanted to work in a unique hairdressing salon, so I created my own one”, Gabriela says, and indeed she has.

Gabriela and Łukasz’s aesthetically-driven approach to the salon’s design is encapsulated in the meticulous restoration of the building’s heritage features, most notably the plaster cornices, intricate parquetry floor patterns and wall panelling; the renovation was indeed so meticulous that it required a three-month extension so as to factor in the drying time needed for the decorative plasterwork. Featuring large arched windows and tall ceilings, and painted in a luminous white, the salon’s spaces feel bright and airy, a sensation further enhanced by the purposefully sparse furnishings. Minimalist pieces such as cubic side tables made from travertine stone, Calacatta Viola and steel, and metal sheet chairs and shelving units imbue the salon with a sculptural sensibility. A layer of flair is also added through vintage pieces like Hans Wegner’s Flag Halyard Chair, one of the most flamboyant pieces to emerge from Danish mid-century modernism, along with a pair of large, cloud-shaped, free-standing mirrors that were custom-made for the salon based on Gabriela’s design.

It’s telling that the hair salon’s largest space is the waiting room, an elegant lounge where clients can relax, read a book or work on their laptop surrounded by beautiful objects as they wait for their colour or conditioning treatments to take effect.  The room itself is centred on a massive, four-metre-long oak table, which was custom-made for the project, above which Davide Groppi’s Simbiosi deconstructed chandelier ethereally hovers – a piece that Gabriela and Łukasz spotted while in Portugal and snapped up immediately as they knew it would be perfect here. The rugged, chunky volume of the table is juxtaposed with a mix of iconic vintage chairs; from the Marcel Breuer-designed S 32 V Cantilever Chair and Verner Panton's 1-2-3 Easy Chair from the 1960s, to postmodernist pieces from the 1980s like Karl Friedrich Förster's Trix Chair and Terje Ekstrøm’s whimsical Ekstrem Armchair in burnt orange. Voluptuous ceramic vases by Anissa Kermiche, burning scented candles and a collection of fashion and travel coffee books further enhance the waiting room’s understated sophistication and laidback, contemplative ambience.

The salon’s idiosyncratic aesthetic extends to its dedicated hair washing room which features an incredible striped floor made from several types of stone such as marble, onyx and travertine. A paradigm of craftsmanship, the floor’s beautiful design is matched by the comfort of the washing chairs imported from Japan which fold out like a business class bed, ideal for the salon’s head and hair spa treatments such as scalp peeling and neck massages. In this environment, complemented by gentle music, dimmed lights and the aromas of scented candles, even the simple act of having your hair washed becomes a special ritual.