Friday, 26 June 2020

As hair and beauty salons, spas and treatment rooms prepare to re-open, their services are likely to be keenly sought by customers according to Kantar Media*, whose research suggests visiting a beauty salon is our third most anticipated post-lockdown activity. For business owners however, with government guidelines changing at short notice and a one-metre minimum now announced for hairdressing salons, whilst beauty salons and spas still have to wait for a confirmed re-opening date, many remain extremely concerned about operating profitably, in spite of assured demand, both because of social distancing measures and the need to reassure customers within open spaces, with this quandary most keenly felt by smaller, independent businesses.
One way to combat this challenge comes from Twilight Trees, a long-established creator and supplier of artful faux trees and foliage to the hospitality trade. During lockdown, Twilight Trees have been working on the design of Living Spaces™ - beautiful and rapid-innovation screen solutions, which will enable salons to operate more stations, whilst at the same time offering safety through a clear separation of territory for hairdressers, therapists and their customers.
‘Our Living Spaces screens will allow businesses all the benefits of more clinical safety screens but without compromising on design’, Susie Reid Thomas, Founder & Creative Director of Twilight Trees said, adding that the screens’ good looks are proving so popular ‘that businesses are telling us they intend using them in the longer-term beyond the current crisis too’.
The elegant, 1m-wide Living Spaces™ screens can be used either independently as station-separators or in flush-fitting rows and work particularly well especially for areas such as receptions, waiting zones and manicure and pedicure stations. The range includes printed, as well as higher-end, foliage-filled glass box screens, which are tall and wide enough to prevent coughs and sneezes travelling, whilst at the same time allowing businesses to be front-facing and ready to go at short notice, with a lead time of just three weeks. The screens are made of shatterproof safety glass, allowing for clinical cleaning, whilst presenting a premium, non-scratch finish.
Early take-up includes salons such as Richmond House Beauty in Winchester (see images), whose owner Amy Matthews, commented: ‘We’ve kept a close eye on the industry COVID-19 guidance to make sure we have everything in place to operate safely. We’ve gone the extra mile to keep our clients and staff safe with measures including the highest standard of PPE for therapists and clients, Radic8 Virus Killer air filtration, electrostatic professional deep cleaning and of course, safety screens in communal areas. The ethos of our business is to deliver exceptional treatments in unrivalled luxury and the beautiful, botanical design of the Living Spaces screens fits perfectly with our contemporary but sumptuous interiors.’
‘This is an industry where infection-prevention and control has long been understood to be a priority’, Susie Reid Thomas explained, ‘but the businesses that will survive this tough, pre-vaccine period are those who can demonstrate not only a clear sense of responsibility and fastidious hygiene levels at every touchpoint, but adaptability and imagination too. We are delighted to be able to offer businesses our ‘art in a box’ product, which fits perfectly into this scenario, whilst also being flexible, easy-to-move and of long-term quality, as salon interiors continue to evolve into the future.’
Product Tech Spec:
Self-supporting on legs, the Living Spaces™ screens also come with castor options, making them highly flexible for multiple configurations. The full dimensions of each screen are: 1.45m high, 1m wide, 0.45m deep at base and 0.12m at the top end.
There are three types of screens to suit every scenario, from printed glass with botanical graphics to glass-boxed hedging or hand-crafted, glass-box, faux-foliage arrangements. There is clear space for branding at the base of each screen, whilst specific brand colours can also be incorporated. The panels also provide space for hand-written information or QR codes for touch free interaction. The glass used is UK-manufactured and British Safety Standard BS EN 14449:2005.
The screens start at £440 + vat, making them affordable for different typologies and scales of business.
Long-term use beyond lockdown is further assured by the design being able to be changed or updated either seasonally or at the owner’s requirements, via, for example, different hand-crafted arrangements or the integration of Christmas lights and decorations.
The entire product is also able to be recycled or re-used, in line with the sustainable values of its creators. Twilight Trees is a carbon-neutral organisation for whom sustainability is a key brand value. The company’s UK tree-planting programme is combined with its commitment to the REDD initiative, seeking to protect the Amazon’s rain forests.
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*Kantar Media research - https://professionalbeauty.co.uk/site/newsdetails/visiting-a...
For more information on Living Spaces™ and Twilight Trees please contact:
Julia James of Julia James PR: julia@juliajamespr.com / +44(0)7778 158102
www.twilight-trees.com / info@twilight-trees.com / T: 01962 877 644