The Enrich Salon at Ghatkopar in Mumbai has made a name for itself by having a list of many firsts. Vikram Bhatt, Director, Enrich Salons & Academy shares his perspective on working around constraints to come up with a marvel.
The greatest constraint, as always, is to make optimum use of our resources. When it comes to building a salon, the brand identity, ambience, products, service infrastructure and people have to be bundled into a limited space, while making it look aesthetic and beautiful. Also, we have to be distinct since we are in a prime location with multiple salon options available to our customers.
The Enrich Salon at Ghatkopar in Mumbai is an exemplary exercise in design. Visit it to understand for yourself how we have worked past these constraints. For instance, the salon area is only 1,006 square feet, but intelligent use of space and height, slatwork instead of stark walls, zoning of sections and more, all contribute to making the salon appear larger than it is. A unique problem caused by a curving storefront is branding. Hence, rather than going for a single masthead, the storefront has been made prominent with the use of Enrich branding signage on two of the fronts, along with lit displays in the windows, which promote the brands available for services and products. Also, there is branding throughout the salon, which keeps the customer engaged. What’s more – it is kept on through the night! You will be forgiven for thinking that you are on an international high street! Going against the grain when it comes to the ceiling architecture, we have eschewed the industrial look where one can see ducts, wires, and more, and have opted for a simpler look, where one would be hard pressed to even see the air conditioning vents! Strategically placed ‘clouds’ add another layer to the atmosphere.
Wait, there is more – the customer steps into the salon, which at first glance seems devoid of mirrors! For the first time in India, a modern salon has adopted the 300-year old idea of installing winged mirrors which were used by the royalty in Rajasthan. So, the wings of the mirror remain shut throughout the service, opening only at the end. Once they are opened, the customer can admire themselves from all angles, and also have a talking point to take back with them.
Another first in India, the salon saves 50,000 litres of water per year by using recycled condensate from the salon air-conditioning for washing and cleaning purposes. The first green salon in India!
The first step was to create architecture, which would draw the prospective customer into the salon. The next was to use design elements, which would keep the customer thinking and talking about the brand. What resulted is a one-of-its-kind salon in India!
