Joey Scandizzo’s Updated Salon Gets the Full Treatment

Architecture and interiors practice Kennon carved intimate moments throughout renowned hair stylist Joey Scandizzo’s updated Melbourne salon, masterfully merging a metallic, high-octane look with pockets of sensuous calm, all within a historic Victorian Italianate building

Not many can say they emerged from Melbourne’s lockdown looking better than before. But with the help of architect Pete Kennon, founder of Melbourne-based firm Kennon, Joey Scandizzo’s hair salon in South Yarra has resurfaced looking refreshed and revitalised. Part of a recent brand overhaul, the flagship salon is now a worthy home base for the award-winning hair stylist.

The 1890s Victorian Italianate building once served as The State Savings Bank of Victoria, a landmark structure with opulent detailing that had lost its lustre over the years. ‘The facade hadn’t changed, but inside there were layers of old walls, lowered ceilings and dark rendering. We stripped it all back and now, instead of tapping on false walls, you feel the integrity of the existing building,’ Kennon says.

After reinstating the building’s original elegance, Kennon then conceived a masterplan that involved diving up the space to reflect the customer journey. The atmospheric front room — always a hive of activity and music — has been reorganised to accommodate individual workstations for each stylist. ‘Rather than using a big shared mirror, we created individual ones that provide a sense of personalisation and intimacy,’ says Kennon. Conducive to one-on-one engagement and intimate conversation, these nooks are softened supple arches, honeyed timber, round-edged detailing and custom plaster.

Functionality is seamlessly disguised within the beauty. While the ribbed arches appear to glow effortlessly, it took extensive consultation with specialists to get the illumination as close to natural daylight as possible. And the application of the striking terrazzo that covers surfaces was a precise and considered move. ‘We proposed various materials and tested them by spilling hair dye on them,’ Kennon says. ‘We tried every tube of colour and left the spillage on overnight, eventually choosing this dark grey base with coloured flecks because of its ability to hide stains.’

In the ultra-minimalist wash and colour area to the rear, Kennon’s concept was for the aesthetics to echo the practical use, so the walls have been panelled in clinical metallic sheeting while futuristic dichroic glass forms partitions between the basins and changes colour depending on perspective or shifting conditions. ‘It’s where clients have their hair coloured and washed, so it just made sense on so many levels,’ Kennon says.

Text / Carli Philips
Images / Timothy Kaye