You’ve found your perfect salon space and can’t wait to set up and decorate! You know exactly where your reception, wash sinks, dye mixing, and chair stations will go; now, you can buy everything that makes a space a salon.
Hair and beauty salon lighting is the most important aspect of setting a tone in space while ensuring an effective work environment.
In this article, I’ll share exactly what lighting fixtures work best and why each category is important!
Understanding the Different Salon Lighting Fixtures & Solutions
There are four main lighting solutions in any given space.
- Ambient lighting includes all the fixtures that we may not notice immediately, but it gives us a diffused light across the entire or majority of a space.
- Task lighting has a specific purpose: to help us see better in high-use areas, not just a hallway.
- Accent lighting can draw people (and customers!) to a specific area.
- Decorative lighting is just that. It adds more personality to the space.
All these lighting types are important, especially within your salon or barbershop.
In this guide, you’ll find design ideas and more information about each type of lighting, as well as some great fixtures available now for your salon.
Ambient Lighting Will Brighten Up Your Entire Salon
Ambient lighting generally lights the entire space with an even, diffused light.
Picking the right ambient light is important as this is the most noticeable type of lighting – even if people don’t directly see or notice the fixtures.
Why is this then?
Have you ever entered a space and felt dingy? This is most often because the ambient lighting is not bright enough!
Conversely, too strong lighting can create a harsh, warehouse-like environment when it’s not necessary.
When picking the ambient lighting for your salon, consider the color temperature you desire. Warm tones are comforting but can look stuffy when too extreme, and cool tones look clean and crisp but can create a greenish tinge on the skin when too cool.
Another point to consider is: how high are your ceilings?
If your ceilings are very high, your lights need to be stronger to reach down and fill the space.
Read on to see some examples of common salon ambient lighting solutions!
Salon Track Lighting: A Common Ambient Salon Light Fixture
This is when multiple bulbs are along a single bar or track.
A track lighting fixture can either be installed during construction to be flush with the ceiling or purchased after construction and installed then.
The post-construction fixture will not be flush with the ceiling. So installing one of these will make the lighting slightly more noticeable if your ceilings are not very high.
Track lighting also helps block out your space as it can be set up in sections around each area in your salon.
Having one track over the wash stations, another along with the chairs, and so on will be very helpful in blocking out the different areas of your salon.
Track lighting can also be selected with different finishes to help either hide or make your lighting stand out. A white fixture on a white ceiling will hide the track lighting, whereas a black or metal finish fixture will make it pop.
If you want your track lighting to be noticeable, just be sure to match it to your other finishes!
Tile Lighting: Another Option for Ambient Salon Lighting
These include flatter fixtures that flush with the ceiling or be installed after construction.
If you want your salon to be welcoming, be careful with this type of lighting. It is very easy to verge on the edge of stuffy fluorescent lighting found in warehouses and older office buildings. Instead, opt for a simple but beautiful piece like the one linked below.
Recessed Lighting: A Fantastic Way to Hide Your Ambient Salon Lighting Fixtures
Recessed lighting is commonly found in retail establishments, as it provides powerful lighting without being intrusive.
Installing recessed lighting may require an easy retrofit, but the effect it will have on your salon is major.
The main thing to be aware of with recessed lighting is where you are locating the lights. A dense cluster of lights may be too bright in an enclosed area (like your retail area), but you want to have enough lights to brighten the space.
Spacing the recessed lighting around your salon and ensuring you’ve covered every area your customers and staff use will completely transform your salon with this lighting system.
Chandeliers: A Good Way to Blend Ambient Lighting with Decorative
A good chandelier could be the perfect element in your reception area to help set the tone of your salon.
Chandeliers come in all sorts of styles nowadays too. Modern styles with sleek silver finishes can create an air of polish, while classic chandeliers can bring a sense of femininity and regalness to the salon.
Don’t be afraid to play with the number you have, too. One dead center on your ceiling may make a great statement, but consider how two or three in a line above the styling chairs would also look.
Task Lighting Helps Your Stylists Achieve Amazing Results
Task lighting is the next most important lighting category.
These lights will give you and your staff full visibility when performing essential functions at work.
These lights are much more direct and oftentimes brighter in a more concentrated spot than the ambient lights above.
There are many tasks that go on in a salon, so many task lights must be considered. Below are some examples of salon task lights to consider as you plan your salon.
Salon Mirror with Lights
Not only do your stylists need to see what they’re doing, but your clients also want to watch and make sure you are both on the same page regarding their hair.
A mirror with lights around the edges helps provide direct light to your client and your workspace.
Think of this as a desk lamp for hair stylists.
This mirror has the lights flush with the mirror, which provides a sleek look to the chair station and takes up less space.
Salon Mirror with Exposed Light Bulbs
A salon mirror with exposed light bulbs can provide an old Hollywood glam feel.
This style could be great in a salon or a barbershop—it’s all about the vibe you’re looking to achieve.
The salon lighting solution included below also has an added benefit: the fixture can show three different types of lighting temperatures. This is a huge benefit as it will show how colors look in different lighting situations, such as warm light versus daylight.
Showing color in the correct color temperature is paramount when dyeing hair or applying makeup, two activities that will almost certainly occur in your salon!
However, mount these lights evenly and symmetrically above/around your mirror as they come on a string. Salon lighting should not cast strong shadows when viewed head-on!
Pendant Lights
Pendant lights are also a great way to enhance your salon’s aesthetic. Simple, sleek designs abound, as do more complex and bohemian styles.
Hanging a pendant light directly over the chairs can also provide crisp, direct light.
The one included below has an art-deco feel, perfect for the salon looking to amp up the old-school glamour. Be sure to get the correct length of the pendant for your ceiling, as some cannot be adjusted.
Additionally, you don’t want your clients hitting their heads on the lights or your stylists unable to use tools due to cramped space! Keep your pendant light higher than you may think, and you will save yourself, your stylists, and your clients a lot of frustration.
Strong Overhand Salon Light
A lighting solution that can be worked directly under is a huge asset to a few key salon employees.
Estheticians need direct, bright light when delivering facials, peels, and other skin treatments. Additionally, your colorists will thank you for providing crisp, bright lighting at the mixing station.
Being able to see exactly what colors they’re mixing and how accurate they are prior to applying them to the client can go a long way toward a satisfied customer rather than an angry review.
Strong light with an overhand enables your colorists to mix directly under the light and your estheticians to position the light directly over the client’s face.
Salon Reception Lighting
A well-lit reception area sets the entire tone for a client’s visit. A long bar light behind your reception desk will help block off your waiting area and clearly visualize where to check in for your arriving customers.
You can also use something like the below to dramatize and give attention to your reception.
Accent Lighting: Helping You Make More Sales
Accent lighting is meant to bring a person’s attention to a specific place.
For a salon, this will most likely be the retail area, which is often adjacent to the reception and waiting area.
This means that your accent lighting should be unique and illuminating without being too distracting or taking away from the tranquility of your salon entranceway.
Led Strip Lights
An ideal solution is strip lighting that is flush with the shelves. Nowadays, there are LED strip lights that can be cut to fit any length and have an adhesive back, though I recommend utilizing a stronger adhesive periodically to ensure that your lights don’t droop.
Sticking this strip lighting along the underneath front edge of your shelves will illuminate all the shampoos, conditioners, and other styling products you wish to promote and sell beautifully without wasting valuable shelf space.
This light strip is a good option for salon retail shelves. You can cut it to fit the size of your salon retail shelves.
Decorative Salon Lighting: Allow Your Salon’s Personality to Shine
Decorative lighting is your time to show your style uniquely.
While the rest of your lighting should be cohesive and fit the theme and aesthetics of your salon, decorative pieces can tie it all together.
These pieces do not serve major lighting purposes; those needs have been fulfilled by the categories above. Rather, decorative lighting can be mainly about aesthetics, and the lighting element is secondary.
Salon Sconce Lighting
A wonderful way to add personality to your lighting is a sconce.
These wall-mounted fixtures provide style and can go so many places. Putting one on either side of a doorway or styling station will fill out a room.
A matching table or floor lamp will bring everything together if you have space. Just be sure to match all the finishes in your lighting and cabinetry.
Conclusion
Picking out salon lighting is about more than just aesthetics.
The right lighting can make or break the atmosphere of your salon, improve essential business functions, and make your staff’s jobs much easier and more efficient.
Personality can shine through when the best salon lights create a harmonious space for your clients and staff.
I’d strongly recommend you also review the hair salon design ideas listed here. You’ll see how the choice of lighting is vital to bring to life your salon decor.
