“Clients should feel your style through the interior design and be inspired by color combinations, professional equipment, and well-calibrated lighting. In our studios, lighting is not merely a technical detail but a crucial factor that impacts the quality of our services and the comfort of our guests.” – Alexey Osipchuk

The PARK BY OSIPCHUK Studio

Russia / Saint Petersburg 

What was the concept behind your vision for your establishment?

In 2014, the first PARK BY OSIPCHUK studio opened its doors. Today, we proudly operate three studios, each located in the most picturesque areas of Saint Petersburg, along the city’s iconic canals and waterfronts. PARK BY OSIPCHUK stands out in the industry with a clear mission and a unique approach. Every stylist on our team exclusively employs a patented haircutting technique developed by our art director, Alexey Osipchuk. This technique eliminates tapering, allowing us to restore the hair’s natural density, create new, inspiring silhouettes and optimize working time. This technique is a true revelation that thousands of stylists worldwide have embraced. It offers a fresh perspective and a new approach that inspires professionals.

PARK BY OSIPCHUK boasts a team of over 60 talented stylists and welcomes over 4,000 clients monthly, solidifying our position as the undisputed leader in the Russian market. Our expertise extends to artists, musicians, opinion leaders, and influencers, further affirming the widespread appeal of our haircutting technique to a diverse clientele. Continuous growth and an expanding client base are the best proof that our work brings joy and satisfaction to our guests.

How does your space work with light where it’s required? What made you choose your color scheme, furniture, and finishing touches?

When selecting locations for our studios, our main requirements were large windows and plenty of natural light. This is essential not only for the work of our hairstylists but also for the creation of high-quality content. Natural light is a huge advantage for stylists and photo and video shoots, which is why we pay so much attention to the lighting in our studios.

In our new PARK BY OSIPCHUK studio, which opened 1.5 years ago, we enhanced the natural lighting with the unique Expert Light system. Thanks to its exceptional qualities, this system enables us to achieve multiple goals:

  • Perfect color rendering: We’ve achieved a 98% match between artificial light and natural sunlight. With high color rendering indices in 15 spectral colors, both stylists and clients can see the results of hair coloring in the most accurate light possible.
  • Neutral white light: The color temperature of our professional lamps is close to neutral white light. This ensures that hair can be colored from cool blondes to warm pastels without distortion.
  • Diffuse lighting: Our studios use only diffuse lighting, which protects stylists’ vision and prevents excess light on the front and top areas of the head.
  • Flicker-free: PARK BY OSIPCHUK’s professional lighting is flicker-free, with a less than 0.05% flicker coefficient. This prevents headaches and protects stylists’ vision.
  • Even lighting: Lighting levels in all work areas are designed to ensure that mobile workstations can be placed anywhere without compromising the even illumination of the client’s head or creating shadows.
  • Harmonious design: The professional lighting is seamlessly integrated into the PARK BY OSIPCHUK design concept, adding a touch of beauty to the studio’s aesthetics.

In our studios, lighting is not merely a technical detail but a crucial factor that impacts the quality of our services and the comfort of our guests.

PARK BY OSIPCHUK’s third studio is a grand project spanning approximately 400 square meters and featuring over 30 workstations. The design was created to inspire both our team and our guests while reflecting the core values of PARK BY OSIPCHUK. We invested significant effort and time into developing the design of this new studio.

We spent several months working with an architect on the layout, forecasting foot traffic and creating comfortable, functional zones. Inspired by industrial style, we incorporated natural concrete and metal with inherent corrosion into the interior. An intriguing design choice was the combination of gray tones with the dark green of WELONDA’s professional equipment, a leading supplier of beauty solutions.

At PARK BY OSIPCHUK, we emphasize the ergonomics of our workspaces to ensure maximum comfort for both our stylists and clients, using market-leading equipment from WELONDA:

  • Hydraulics: Our hydraulic chairs feature a 20 cm lift and lower range, allowing stylists of all heights to adjust the chair to suit clients of all sizes. This ensures the health of our stylists and the comfort of our clients.
  • Lift system: Our shampoo stations are equipped with the Lift system, which comfortably accommodates clients of all heights. The sink moves smoothly up and down on its base, providing a more pleasant experience.
  • Triple filtration: Our sinks feature a triple hair filtration system that eliminates blockages and unpleasant odors. They do not need to be disassembled for cleaning. 
  • Opticlear mirrors: All PARK BY OSIPCHUK studio mirrors are made of Opticlear’s most transparent glass. This eliminates any color or geometric distortion.

Thoughtful ergonomics: The space’s overall design is thoughtfully designed to accommodate the flow of artists, clients, and students. With double passageways and separate areas for washing, storage, and laboratory, the ergonomics project has taken into account every detail of PARK BY OSIPCHUK’s business processes.

“Uniqueness makes us special. It allows us to stand out. When we enter the industry, we often want to be like everyone else. However, striving for uniqueness fosters the habit of being different, which attracts new clients, apprentices, and students.”

The studio’s interior features red accents to infuse the space with dynamism. For example, the red corridor connects the client area with the academy, which serves as an impromptu gallery of the PARK BY OSIPCHUK team’s most relevant work. 

The studio is divided into several main zones:

  1. Lobby: A spacious lobby featuring products from world-renowned producers and the most relevant magazines worldwide.
  2. Client zone: This area is equipped with 17 workstations, unique Expert Light system, and WELONDA equipment, ensuring high-quality services and maximum comfort for clients. 
  3. Washing area: Equipped with seven professional hairdressing sinks to provide efficient and comfortable service.
  4. Academy: It can accommodate up to 40 people for theoretical classes and up to 15 for practical sessions. The academy’s quick transformation capability is a special feature; WELONDA mobile workstations allow seamless transitions from theory to practice.

Additionally, the studio includes several storage areas: a separate warehouse for the academy, a COLOR BAR area, dye storage area, a clean room, and multiple workspaces for the creative department.

How did you set up your retail and product storage areas?

Our new studio features several separate storage areas to keep things organized and functional. Dyes, supplies and all necessary items for the academy are stored in distinct locations. The COLOR BAR area is also in a separate, restricted-access room beside the dye storage area. This setup allows for color mixing and material preparation to be done out of sight, ensuring the studio remains clean and comfortable for clients.

How does your space create a relaxing environment for your guests? 

In our new studio, we strived to create a special atmosphere that inspires clients with music, light and the exceptional work of our stylists. It is important to us that clients feel the entire team’s energy. To achieve this, all work areas are open, allowing stylists to observe their colleagues at work. However, thoughtful space planning ensures that both stylists and clients still feel a sense of privacy.

Music plays a crucial role in our studio’s atmosphere. We collaborate with a company that creates special music sets tailored to our space. After carefully discussing the music concept, we decided to divide the music into several scenarios:

  • ACTIVE DAY: Dynamic music for an energetic day.
  • CALM DAY: Soothing music for a relaxed atmosphere.
  • ENERGY EVENING: Energetic music for the evening.
  • CALM EVENING: Soothing music for evening relaxation.

This approach allows us to create the perfect music selection each day, making the client’s visit to the studio cozy and pleasant.

We prioritize our guests’ comfort, offering them the finest drinks in our branded cups. In the summer, we treat our guests to freshly made hand-made lemonade. The warm and welcoming atmosphere we create ensures that our guests always feel at home and are eager to return.

Did your budget and timeframe go according to plan?

Renovation is a complex process that doesn’t always fit within the planned budget and timeline. Although we aimed to stay within our original plans, we ultimately exceeded the budget and the schedule. This is common with such projects, as renovations require a team of skilled professionals, from architects to contractors. In addition, unforeseen circumstances, unexpected events, and controversies often arise during the renovation process, requiring careful attention and involvement. Managing these changes effectively is crucial to ensure that budget and schedule adjustments are not critical.