Brush Hair Salon
Looking for a new hair salon? Try Brush Salon in Gastown, where a minimalist space and top-notch service fuse with style and elegance.
Walk down most any street in Vancouver and you’re likely to stumble upon a cafe or a hair salon. Or both. With so many options, how do you figure out which one’s for you? No, we’re not talking about a cafe (that’s a whole other story).
Finding the right hair salon (and the right stylist) is almost like dating. You want someone who gets you, who listens to you (or just lets you Instagram in peace), and who’ll encourage you to try something different (but not be too pushy). And trying a new hair salon is kind of like going on a blind date. Despite the fact that you’re in dire need of a new cut, you want to show up looking your very best. The way you dress, the way you act, all those things will give your new stylist a clue about who you are — or at the very least who you are trying to be.
But just as your stylist is checking you out, you are checking out your stylist and your potential “hair home.” After a successful first date, er, haircut at Brush Salon, I chatted with co-owner Calvyn Cass about what makes Brush special.
The place Brush Salon, 62 Cordova Street, Vancouver
Owners Calvyn Cass and Michael Gibson.
The look Concrete floors, white walls, and super cool Eames-inspired chairs set the scene at Brush, which can best be described as industrial modernist chic.
First impression Upon arrival, your coat is whisked away and you are invited to sit in a mini lounge next to a large picture window overlooking Cordova Street. Water, tea, and a good selection of magazines are offered while you wait for your stylist.
Looking back on the first year
I think we are still that baby salon that’s finding its footing. We want to be a part of more charitable work and bettering the world, we want to focus on our stylists building their skills to be the best in the city and doing so by accepting the guidance of the other great stylists this city is already home to. There is a lot we want to be a part of still and until we figure out where we might land I don’t want to put ourselves into any box. The one thing I can say is that beyond all else is that we love what we do and we value quality. You will always be relaxed in our salon and we will always do our best to make every client leave happy.
Hair colours trends
We are a bit biased in our salon. Anyone that looks at our work on social media will see we obviously love our soft and natural colours. I think that there is a big movement in fashion colours. You’ve seen girls like Kylie Jenner and Kelly Ripa make turquoise and pinks popular this past year and my hope is that we will see more of that in the coming year as well as those granny greys. I personally always love a beautiful copper, but it can be a bit challenging to convince the ladies in that direction sometimes. I hope the terrible ombre jobs will disappear in the coming year. The at home kits have caused a wild fire of bad hair in this city.
A clean, minimalist space
We both love minimalist aesthetic but my husband Michael is fully responsible for the design of Brush. He knows me and knows that I hate clutter and it can make me a bit crazy. My deal with him is that I would let it slide at home more if he at least had our work place a space of serenity for me. He sourced out mostly everything himself online and with the help of our contractor and friend, Jason Lyle of Lyle Construction.
Girl, roots are for trees
The neon sign [by Endeavour Neon] was the cause for a little bit of arguing. Michael had a vision and we went through about 50 different tag lines but in the end it was perfect. If anyone knows us, then they would know how fitting it is for us and could probably even visualize hearing us say it.
Running an eco-friendly salon
Green Circle Salon is a program available to all salons throughout North America. It was a no brainer for us when opening BRUSH because we wanted to make sure our carbon footprint was as small as possible, and they are the only way for us to do so. We are able to recycle everything, from our hair trimmings, foils, leftover colour, plastic wrap and everything besides food waste.
Calvyn’s Vancouver
drink of choice Bourbon Sours at Tuc or The Keefer Bar.
date night Chambar. You’ll probably find us there multiple times a week.
favourite cafe PRADO Cafe on Hastings. Love the mochas.
