Situated in Prahran, Melbourne, welcome 1 Maples Lane, a unique co-working salon where freelance hairdressers can rent a chair in a stylish space that builds local collaboration. Ideal for stylists looking for a hairdressing home, a bold design and no commitment, the space is open 24 hours, seven days a week, inviting freelance colourists and hair stylists to rent a residency through its communal doors.
The co-working salon is in an exclusive area of Prahran, named for its isolated address and situated away from the hustle and bustle of the main area. The all-white salon portal can be found through a graffiti-laden laneway, becoming a haven of slick, modern, stark-white design, the project of local hair colourist Nathan Jeffrey.
Nathan has pioneered the space after eighteen years in the industry, where credits including being named Redken’s Future Colourist of the year in 2008 and New York Fashion Week experience have given him a wealth of experience and knowledge to steer this important new venture. Nathan left his salon role through the difficulties of COVID and is now pursuing the more flexible option of freelance work, cultivating the space during lockdown while congregating others in this endeavour.
“The vision is for freelance hair stylists and colourists to feel at home at 1 Maples Lane,” Nathan said. “They can do what they want, how they want, when they want, in a totally transportive, Palm Springs-esque space that clients will love. From my own experiences in the industry, the goal here was to offer a working space that nobody feels smothered in. That’s why creative freedom is at the core of everything we do at 1 Maples Lane.”
The rental system at the space works on a monthly fee that offers a secure locker, hair trolley and access to the fully-stocked, single-use client refreshments bar. Each renter has access to all stations, basins and floor stock from brands such as Oribe and R&Co, as well as the salon’s communal weekly cleaning service. They must utilise their own eftpos machine, booking system and hair colour.
In its design, Nathan worked with local designer Anouska Milstein of studio a.m.i, harnessing the unique, industrial quirks of the original warehouse space, while imbuing it with modern style. The salon is anchored by a ‘colour table’ zone, where clients can sit and work or relax during colour processing, and an original Willy Rizzo coffee table from the 70’s from Smith Street Bazaar. Its adorned with white curtains that divide the space and locally-sourced furnishings, while scatterings of tall, aged cacti sourced by Nina Pederson, Fenton & Fenton potter, dot the space.
This eclectic mix of old and new defines 1 Maples Lane, with other features such as a concrete trough created by Concrete Collective with a deep-set, school art room sink, a galvanised steel front door from the studio’s pre-existing façade and metallic details throughout the space. A major design facet is the salon’s three grand Italian-hailing Maletti hair-washing basins, as set on a step-up stage and complemented by white leather massage chairs in a section that screams luxe.
1 Maples Lane is looking for applicants who fit the style, mood and ethos of the space to start renting in an all-new collab operation that prioritises flexibility, extreme style and a new idea of teamwork. If this sounds like you, head up the graffiti pathway and discover all that 1 Maples Lane has to offer.
For more information visit www.1mapleslane.com
Photography: Sharyn Cairns: @sharyncairns
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