Located at Fitzgerald’s Woodlands House Hotel in Adare, Co Limerick, Revas Spa & Hair Studio opened in 2007, with owner Orla Fitzgerald making many changes to the spa since then.
The recent revamping of the hair salon was the first time this part of the business underwent a total refurbishment. “We have a lot of repeat business, so we wanted a more up-to-date, yet relaxing environment for our clients, which was also more user-friendly for our staff,” she explains. “The salon has remained the same size as it previously was, but a different layout gives an overall feeling of more space.”
As a destination spa and salon that offers a range of beauty, skincare, hair and body treatments, the interior of Revas Spa & Hair Studio is very important to the ethos of the business as a whole, notes Fitzgerald. “I wanted to create something that was modern, but with an earthy feel, which was both comfortable and functional for the team. It needed to be bright and spacious for them to work in, and it also needed to still tie in with the overall feel of the spa.”
Planning began about six months in advance of the work, which was important because of the nature of the project. “The trickiest part was when it was going to take place because we knew the salon would have to temporarily close. It is always more difficult to facilitate a refurbishment project when a business is established and open, so we planned for those six months and scheduled a closure in January of this year. We shut the hair salon for two weeks so the revamp could be done, and the spa remained open.”
Once the time frame for the project had been decided, a collaborative approach was taken in order to bring it to life. Fitzgerald worked with Co Limerick-based interior designer Mairéad O'Doherty to decide on the overall aesthetic she wanted. “I have used Mairéad’s services for many years, so for this project I worked with her to choose the various colours and textures for the new-look salon, and to define my vision for the space.
“Richard Barry from Xpert Professional assisted with the layout design, advising on the best way to make it functional for all the staff. Lisa Mulvihill is my manager and she and I discussed what we wanted from the refurbishment with Mairéad, who then devised something from a visual, functional and budgetary perspective.” A core part of the project was adding light to the space.
“The salon was already quite spacious, but the original design was predominately cherrywood, so we wanted to introduce something lighter to give the illusion of more space. We sourced the natural wall surfaces from Surface Wow in Tallaght in Dublin, while the flooring came from ATT Flooring in Co Limerick. We opted for Pahi units, which were all sourced from Xpert Professional, with Richard's guidance. After speaking with our clients and staff, we decided not to change our existing styling chairs. Instead, we sourced new fabric from Xpert and got them reupholstered locally by Murray Upholstery. We added a reception desk and waiting area to the salon itself.”
Already offering a wide range of services, including blow-drying, cutting and colour, the studio has now expanded its menu. “We have begun to offer some more holistic hair treatments, such as the Ori Lab Ritual, thus bringing a more spa-like experience to the salon.”
Fitzgerald says that she and the team are very proud of the finished project. “I think the atmosphere is among the things that make the new space unique. We have had a really positive response from our clients, many of whom have been with us for 25 years. And the ease of use of space is a big hit with our stylists, who all played a part in the design. The overall result has made the investment very worthwhile. It is very important to be able to develop and change with the ever evolving business landscape.”
This article was published in the July/August issue of PB/HJ Ireland.
