Architect：OLSK;ElvinTan

Location：Melbourne, VIC, Australia; | ;

Project Year：2019

Category：Shops

Chiseled is the latest project by OLSK, designed in collaboration with Elvin Tan Design. The new space brings together four individual hair professionals into one salon environment.

The brief we developed was about defining this new brand through the architecture and interiors. The name – Chiseled – came from the group and formed the starting point for concept development. We thought about the process of hair cutting and styling, which formed the main design theory which is based on layers, texture and colour.

Driven by the concept of layers, textures and colour, the materiality plays an important role at Chiseled. Materials have been layered in different sections of the hair salon. We layered the material selection in sections so your eye couldn’t take it all in at one go. Given that four different personalities were coming together into the one new space, we had to ensure each individual had the opportunity to give input, and that the final design outcome was a reflection of their aesthetics, all while maintaining a level of design consistency. One way this has been achieved is that the floors and ceilings are treated in a singular finish – terrazzo for the floor and pressed metal for the ceiling – this brings a level of cohesiveness throughout the entire space. From the barber side, cool metallic finishes and concrete-look paint add a fresh, yet subtly masculine feel, while the hair salon side is dramatically warmed up by vertical Spanish tiling.

Space planning and layouts were also a key consideration, so the large salon space has been divided into several zones. Closer to the entry and reception are both the barber and hair salon services providing visibility from the street. The washing and colouring requirements have strategically been located to the rear, with the colouring stations featuring a green wall and natural timbers – with minimal mirrors in sight – which helps to keep customers at ease.

A stand-out feature of the entire project, and one that came outside of the initial brief but was integrated during the design phase, is the Hub. The Hub utilises the space under the existing stairs and is located in the centre of the hair salon so it acts like a heart, servicing all areas. Instead of just making this a waiting area, we turned it into a bar where customers wait at the start of their session, then come back during treatment and then return again at the end to rebook.

The brief was to create a unique hair salon experience which blurs the lines between male, female, retail and hospitality.

Like every project, timeframe and budgets were the main challenges however the unique nature of having four very creative clients who are all self-driven was the main challenge that needed to be worked through.

We decided long before we started designing that the space could not look like it had four different styles and that the success of the design would ultimately be measured by having a consistent set of design themes and a strong theory that brought it all together. We approached the design sessions with an open mind to take on board everything that the clients wanted to achieve and then synthesise that into a sophisticated and consistent outcome.  

The project's design theory reflects the nature of hair-dressing in that it's all designed around Colours, Layers and Textures. We explored these ideas and the result is an abundance of textures and colours but layered in such a way that a consistent outcome was resolved.

Materiality played a pivotal part in creating the layers, colour and textures that defined this space. Therefore it was of utmost importance that the products selected created a were different enough to create contrast but were on the same page to create consistency. 

Tiling: Earth Terrazzo, Vibrant Blue Mosaics and Black and White Geometrics

Timber: Slatted Timber Panelling, Shelving and Storage

Metal: Pressed Metal Ceiling, Gold Accent Framing

Paint: Concrete effect paint, light grey

There's not one wall that is white.

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