Style diary: Going blonde at HAUS Salon

With spring on the horizon and a trip to Austin, Texas, next week for the SXSW music festival, I decided it was time to lighten up my locks. Luckily, Charlie Brackney was able to get me in to new salon he co-owns, HAUS (which I previewed a week after its opening for Vita.mn).

It was my first visit to the salon as a client, and immediately I was struck by how busy the salon already was, among its six stylists (three are colorists, three focus on haircuts). Charlie greeted me with a hug - and a miniature can of Sofia Coppola champagne and a lavender chocolate.


He introduced me to my colorist for the day, Brittany Eyler, who had moved back to Minnesota after being in Atlanta for the past six years. She and Charlie had worked together way back in the day at Juut, and when he brought up his plans for his new salon to her, she moved back to her home state to work there.


They started out by going over what I was looking for, and brought out some inspiration books and pulled up images on an iPad to come up with some additional ideas to help make the look unique. (Some of Cate Blanchett's and Gwyneth Paltrow's past 'dos were among the inspiration.) They ended up deciding to lighten my already-blonde ends to make them even brighter, as well as brightening my locks around my face, while keeping some of my darker blonde throughout to give it depth. We took a "before" photo in their mini photo studio and Brittany got to work.


As I waited for my hair to get be-foiled, I took in the surroundings - Jonathan Gomez Whitney's modern/industrial custom-built stations, fireplace and fixtures; and the familial, relaxed feel of the stylists, who asked each other for opinions on their looks as they worked.


After the foils set, my hair was rinsed, washed, and blown-out. When the final results were revealed, I was positively glowing. Even Charlie commented that it was the best blonde color job he's ever seen, which is saying a lot - the ambitious 27-year-old used to work as Juut's creative director. I got my "after" photo taken, and I was ready for spring.


HAUS Salon is located at 4240 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis, 612-827-4287, www.haussalon.com

New salon preview: HAUS

Salons seem to open (and sometimes close) every other day in the Twin Cities, but new South Minneapolins salon HAUS has more reasons than most to catch your eye. First off, it's co-owned by former Juut creative director, Master Stylist and educator Charlie Brackney and longtime collaborator Jessica Reipke, who will act as creative manager and salon manager, respectively. I've known Charlie from my earliest days of styling, and he's always impressed me with his boundless ambition and focus. And at only 27 years old, he's also in the running to be the youngest salon owner in town.


The truly exciting thing about the salon is the massive amount of talent involved. "It sort of landed in my lap," Charlie told me modestly. But there's nothing modest about having world-renowned graphic designer Mike Cina doing your logo and branding, nor amazing interior designer Jonathan Gomez Whitney creating your interiors, let alone Stuart Lyle (whose jaw-dropping portfolio is filled with rebranding work for Thakoon, Brooks Brothers, and Jimmy Choo), who is creating the salon's website and collateral. On top of that, mplsart's Emma Berg (longtime Fox Tax curator) will be acting as the salon's in-house curator and Kate Iverson will be handling P.R.

The salon just had its soft opening a couple of weeks ago and is already "exceeding goals," Charlie tells me. They're planning a grand opening (coupled with an art opening) the second weekend of May. And later this month, Charlie will be headed to New York to style for Cutler Salon at New York Fashion Week.

Here is a preview of the salon's interior:





(HAUS is located at 4240 Nicollet Ave., Mpls., 612-827-4287)

Jonathan Gomez Whitney designs for Emma Berg

Interior designer Jonathan Gomez Whitney is the gold standard when it comes to local design. He's designing the interiors for the new ROBOTlove space and now-defunct sneaker store Status, as well as for a hot new salon opening this fall (details to come on that!). Just published are photos of his amazing kitchen design for the home of arts curator, mplsart.com director and fashion designer Emma Berg.


Emma has this to say on Gomez Whitney's design:

"Jonathan’s exciting and new ideas on how to address my bare kitchen for a remodel were refreshing, the planning process was creative and collaborative. Each design he came back with toped the last. The kitchen cabinetry work and shelving that Jonathan built is breathtaking. It is a perfect balance of unique visual pleasure and functionality. The kitchen is always the first room in the house that I show people and they are always taken aback. I don’t think anyone has been in there without needing to feel the curve of the upper cabinets. My kitchen truly is amazing!"

View more images at www.gomezwhitney.com.