DESIGN: THE PINK DREAM

THE PINK DREAM

ENTER A DAZZLING PINK OASIS WITH LUXE BOHO VIBES, A HANGING GARDEN, BEAUTY SURROUNDING CLIENTS AT EVERY TURN AND WHERE ANYONE CAN FEEL AT HOME WHILE HAVING A DREAMY HAIR SERVICE IN ASH CROKER’S CHAIR, WRITES ARIANA PEZESHKI.

The Salon by Ash Croker is a boho oasis from the moment you enter the Clovelly based salon doors. You are immediately transported into a pink-washed space pulling from eccentric Filmmaker “Wes Anderson’s artistic vibes” and one of the world’s bestknown hotels associated with Hollywood stars, the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.

The Salon is filled with charm and playful beats drifting through its walls while clients sit back and enjoy their hair services sipping on sparkling water, beautiful Byron Bay teas, coffee or Tanica botanical spirits. Next year, The Salon will also be looking to introduce a food menu for clients to enjoy during their service.

Entering Ash Croker’s stylish salon not only offers a wellrounded holistic experience but an environment that leaves clients with heavenly hair and the best vibes to carry through the day. Through the corridor and down to the back is a hanging garden courtyard inspired by Palm Springs.

“It’s a creative, feminine, fun and most of all welcoming space, my inspiration evolved over time and I started focusing on mood boards for each space in the salon. Soon the salon was filled up with plants and variations of shape and shades of pink with the Palm Springs courtyard vibe to follow,” Ash said.

Ash has come a long way from her mood boards and inspiration, now laughing at her original vision for The Salon being “two chairs and then a processing table”. Now, you’ll find an array of pleasing architectural visuals from the gold finishes, arched mirrors, pink epoxy floors, Italian sourced (and of course painted pink) light fixtures, and beautiful hanging plants and internal gardens in the spa area. In the courtyard, a custom made pink table boasting red metal and vibrant pink leather is a statement piece.

Designing The Salon came with its challenges. “The biggest challenge was that we were still open for business while renovating, so the front of The Salon was done and then they did the back and joined the spaces together and, of course, the job ran months late over Christmas last year,” Ash explained.

In the past two years, Ash has done two renovations and one expansion and, as most renovation projects do, the project “went over budget, but I couldn’t say no to some of the amazing things my interior designer found.” The Salon grew at a rapid rate “despite the pandemic making it so hard”, as many salons in the industry can attest to.

When it comes to clients, the space is meant to feel calming and a haven within which to sit back and feel recharged and escape while everything around them is being taken care of. Ash’s goal is to create a low key but luxe aesthetic that is both relaxing and fun as soon as you walk through her door. Functionality is of course at the helm of salon design, including 14 working stations and then six processing tables.

“I really knew what I wanted the space to look like but also how I could make it more functional than when I first built The Salon, it’s seamless to look at but it also has so much hidden storage,” Ash said.

Ash is always looking to improve and has plans to redo the front salon floor in the future, but is nevertheless content with the work so far. When asking Ash about her favourite aspects of The Salon, some hero pieces stand out.

“I love the lightbox archways and full-length selfie mirror, the pink edging reminds me of a dollhouse my pop made me,” she said. “The space is everything I hoped it would be. I love the space and I’ve learnt so much on the way, but I’m always thinking about what’s next.”

For more information visit www.thesalonbyashcroker.com