When thinking of hair salons, most people think of two stereotypical places: One is the snobby, high-end, urban type of salon for yuppies; the other is the dingy salon where aging stylists still do dated hairstyles like "shampoo and set." But when you wander down the quiet, residential neighborhood of Wallingford, you come across a charming and unique hair salon that specializes in individualized hairstyles for both the young and hip and for the older, more conservative clients. It's called Sirens, located in the obscure spot of 3640 Wallingford Ave. N."I chose this location for the quiet, intimate atmosphere for my clients and for the ample parking in the back and on the streets," said Jessica Reich, 38, owner of Sirens for eight years. "I didn't want a location where my clients would have to circle the block several times to find a parking spot."Sirens, which has survived by favorable word-of-mouth alone, has an unassuming storefront with a small, red, neon sign that says "Sirens Salon" in the front window. Inside are five chairs, each with its own long vanity mirror. The colorful walls have tasteful artwork, and soft music plays in the background."I chose the name 'Sirens' because the definition of 'sirens' means beautiful and alluring women bidding you to do their will," Reich said. "They are vain and what we do is help people with their looks, so it fit as a name and goal of our salon." CUSTOMER SERVICEReich has been working as a hairdresser for 21 years. Born in New York and raised in Florida, Reich graduated from beauty school in 1987, before moving to Seattle, where her mother was already living.She worked for three salons in Seattle before partnering with Rhonda Herl at Sirens in February 2000. Herl left Sirens one and a half years ago, making Reich the sole owner of Sirens. Reich's secret to her ongoing word-of-mouth success is her emphasis on individualized care. "I work with the individual, and ask them about their lifestyle," she explained. "I don't just push the latest, trendy hairstyles on them because their hair texture may not favor the trend cut."Reich specializes on color and cut, with a special emphasis on corrective color. "We have lots of wonderful colors for our clients - everything from subtle, sun-kissed highlights and placement colors to shocking, punk-rock colors!" she pointed out. "We have reds, blues, pinks, greens - whatever your lifestyle can handle." Sirens' only other stylist, Lisa MacAuley, has been working at Sirens for one and a half years, bringing her previous clients with her. "I can personalize my business to suit the needs of my clients better in this location," she said. "There's more chill here."MacAuley, who also does colors and cuts, specializes in extensions, adding hair to hair. "The No. 1 request I get from my clients is, 'Can you give me more hair?'" she said. A DIFFERENT LOOKThere are also art shows at Sirens on a seasonal basis."We have new artwork displayed in Sirens every quarter," Reich said. "Everything from photography to oil paintings are shown." Oasis Art Gallery, just two doors from Sirens, has been handling all of Sirens' art sales for the last nine months. "Jessica had been showing artwork already at her salon, and she decided to ask us to help her out with new shows," Oasis owner Alex Strazzanti said. "We enjoy helping each other out since we're both small-business owners. It's a great coordination of efforts because it's a win-win situation.""I decided to show local artwork from the beginning because it's stimulating for my clients to have new things to look at," Reich explained. "My clients love to walk around while their hair is still processing to check out the newest artist displayed." Eydie Eskridge lives in Lake City. She can be reached at needitor@nwlink.com.[[In-content Ad]]
