When Melinda Lombardi moved Up North, complete with 23 years experience behind the chair as a professional stylist, she found that it was a little trickier to find a salon to base herself at than she thought it might be. “When I arrived in this area, you were essentially an employee,” she explains, “so, once you had a clientele, there was nowhere to go. And I was surprised to see that, although there were lots of nice, tiny little salons, there were really no amenities to speak of; which made me think - where would I want to work?” Fast forward to today, and Lombardi - now married to husband Tony and the mother to 4-year-old Ella and 20-month-old Leo - is at the helm of the sleek and luxurious Salone de Capelli, which opened its doors quietly on July 9th of this year in Building 50 of Grand Traverse Commons. With its relaxing, elegant decor of deep reds, sandy beiges, black, Tiffany blue, and warm woods, the salon is immediately appealing, complete with artwork from Chicago’s Dave Moore and quirky accessory furnishings from Chuck Mack. Add in the cup of coffee or tea you’re offered upon arriving - that’s Light of Day tea and a special coffee blend made especially for the salon by their Grand Traverse Commons neighbors Higher Grounds, thank you - and you’ll feel welcome right away. “The space really makes a difference here,” Lombardi points out, “the architecture is just so beautiful. Another thing that I think adds to the atmosphere is the fact that all of our stylists rent space; they’re all independent contractors. We don’t train or teach them, we just offer a beautiful space. So this isn’t like a starting point for our stylists; they’re all very well-educated in hair and they’re very meticulous.” The stylists can, of course, provide the entire range of hair work, from hair design and shaping to straightening, highlights, and color; and Lombardi is always looking for new talent to add to the accomplished Salone de Capelli team. Although the stylists are top-notch, which is obviously a draw, there are plenty of additional reasons to visit the salon, including their “green theme,” as Lombardi puts it. “The majority of our products are all organic,” she says, “and we use organic oil infusions in, for instance, our Extreme Pedicure, where you can choose your scent. It’s really nice.” Other services that the salon offers include eyelash tinting, hot stone chakra balancing, wraps, massage, and facials; and you can shop retail at Salone de Capelli, too. They display several walls of perfectly-arranged beauty products, with name brands like B.O.A., 5280, Simply Organic, and Mirabella. “And our makeup!” Lombardi says enthusiastically, “we have the most wonderful pure mineral makeup - once you wear it, you’ll never go back to wearing foundation.” Salone de Capelli offers occasional specials, as well; their current indulgent offering is by the duo of Massage Therapist Susan Robinson and Skin Care Specialist Chris Murin, via which the client can receive a one hour basic facial and an “Awe-Inspiring Massage” for just $99 if booked by November 15th. And the surprising bonus is that you can book all of this online. “I wanted to create a retail environment along with the salon services,” Lombardi explains, “and I also wanted to try booking online, which has turned out wonderfully; booking online is huge now. We were one of the first salons to do online booking, so we essentially have a receptionist 24 hours a day, which is great for working women who arrive home after we’re closed - they can just go online and select their services and book them right away.”
Salone de Capelli is located at 800 Cottageview Drive in Suite 1050 (in Building 50) at Grand Traverse Commons; you may get more information about their salon services and even book your appointment online at www.salonedecapelli.com, or telephone them at 231-933-9897.
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