“I wanted our space to be photo worthy for my clients and I wanted to take the guesswork out of where they could get ready for one of the most important days of their life.” Brittany Gray
Budding Beauty Business at the Rosé Room
A Place for Beauty that Inspires the Senses
Beauty Hub Magazine speaks to founder Brittany Gray about her Toronto beauty boutique.
What was the concept behind your salon/spa vision?
Coming from a performing arts background, I’ve always been inspired by the theater and specifically by the 1920s era. I collect Parisian antiques, and I’ve always loved the intricacies and detailed work that goes into Parisian design. When designing the space, I decided to hire a designer to assist me and bring my vision to life. I wanted our space to feel like the dressing room of a 1920s Parisian starlet prior to going on stage. I also felt compelled to create a space that really embodied everything that Fancy Face had become over the past 16 years.
I wanted our retail customers, clients, and our brides to feel at home in the space, but also inspired by the design and the decor at the same time. For me, I love when a space I walk into evokes a positive emotion and makes me feel uplifted or invigorated in some way. I also felt like there were very few spaces in the city of Toronto for brides to get ready on the morning of their wedding day. So much of the space is inspired by the thousands of brides that we’ve had the pleasure of working with over the past almost 2 decades.
I wanted our space to be photo worthy for them and I wanted to take the guesswork out of where they could get ready for one of the most important days of their life. We coined our storefront space the “Rosé Room” because well, the shop is a little rosé pink wonderland. Also, who doesn’t love some cold rosé while getting glammed? We sure do!
How does your space work with light where it’s required?
We are very reliant on natural light when it comes to creating the glamorous looks that we’ve become known for. As artists, being surrounded by natural light is an idyllic state, when having to transform someone into the most glamorous version of themselves. Also, when showing off our work, whether it be photographing it or filming it, I needed to make sure that we had access to wonderful lighting.
Our storefront is south facing which is such an incredible feature, as we often get beautiful sunlight pouring into the shop after noon on a sunny day. There’s nothing prettier than when the sun hits our ombré pink crystal antique chandelier and creates mini rainbows all over our shop. It’s one of my favorite things to see on our storefront.
What made you choose your color scheme, furniture, and finishing touches?
I really wanted the color palette to be a soft muted pink, along with touches of gold. I like the feeling of creating a bright and airy space, but without it being all white. I tend to lean towards traditional decor and love the ambiance created by historical pieces. With more and more people choosing minimal & modern decor, I do feel like our choices have helped us stand out from the crowd.
When it came to the design choices both with the furniture and the finishing touches we of course were very inspired by France and by pieces that both are antique and also that emulate an antique or vintage style. Every detail was carefully thought out, and the renovation from start to finish took us over five months to complete. When I took over the space, it was a rundown 70s pharmacy and we demoed it right down to the studs to be able to create a space that truly felt like Fancy Face from the inside out.
How does your space create a relaxing environment for your guests?
I’m really particular about the lighting in a space and also how the space smells and how it sounds, as I really think that you have to ignite all of your senses when it comes to decor. It can’t just visually look fantastic. It also has to ‘feel’ that way as well when you step into space. We often get women coming into our store just in awe of not only the design and decor but also the ambiance in the music that we choose and in the scents that we have lingering in the air.
Since the space is relatively small, being only 400 ft, a nice feature is that when women are getting their hair and makeup done, they’re usually only in the space with a few other women, if that. So it really creates a nice intimate setting for women to really kick back, relax and let us take care of them from the second that they step into the door to the time that they leave, hopefully feeling elated by the experience that they’ve had and by the way that they look and feel once their hair and makeup service is complete.
Did your budget and timeframe go according to plan?
We definitely spent more than we initially intended to however, I had budgeted knowing that there were going to be extra costs incurred. Once the demolition, design, and outfitting started, the time frame was definitely longer than I would’ve liked, however anything worth having is worth doing right.
How did you set up your retail and product storage areas?
When walking into Fancy Face, you’ll notice that the majority of our retail cosmetics, both makeup, and skincare, are on display right at the front of the shop. We have our products displayed on vintage brass furniture, whether it is a tall standing shelving unit or an antique bar cart. We know that when walking into a space that you’re not familiar with, it can feel a bit foreign to walk right to the back of the store, especially when services are being offered as well. We wanted our customers to be able to shop all of the products that they’ve seen both online and on social media, right when they step in the front door. When it comes to the storage for our cosmetics, we keep a small amount on site and also have a temperature-regulated warehouse facility for the majority of our stock.
What challenges did you come across building your space?
The main challenge was just reinventing the space itself. There was nothing that we took over in the space that was salvageable or that we could bring into the new design. So we really needed to think about the space from scratch and dream up an entirely new look and feel for the shop. Both from the outside of the shop to the inside of the shop, we needed to really think outside of the box, especially when it came to making a space that is quite small, feel welcoming, spacious, and inviting.
What advice would you give to a salon or spa owner looking to create their own unique space?
I would definitely recommend getting your budget in place first so that you have the creative freedom to really dream of a space that reflects who you and your business truly is. I would also highly recommend finding someone that really understands your design style and vision, to work alongside when it comes to helping you make design and decor choices, and also helping you oversee the contractors as well. I really enjoyed collaborating with Marcy Mussari who I could trust to bring my vision to life and ensure that everyone hired to be a part of the project had a real clear line of sight of how everything should all come together.
