50 Low Budget Salon Decor Ideas To Attract New Customers

If you’re looking for ideas to help you update the interior of your salon on a low budget, you’re in the right place.

We’ve come up with 50 salon decor ideas to help you make a start—from accent walls that will add some flair and colour, to replacing light bulbs with ones in funky shades, or adding some new throw pillows (or forty-seven other ideas if those aren’t your cup of tea). Your entire salon space can feel fresh and trendy, but timeless and refined.

In this blog we look at salon decor ideas throughout your entire business space:
• Reception Area
• Workstations
• Main Salon Area
• Salon Colour and Designs
• Salon Furniture and Accessories
• Lighting and Mirrors

Reception Area

1. Window display
The salon window often makes that all-important first, memorable impression, so it’s vital to get it right. One way to do this is by showing off your best reviews, any awards you might have won, or special offers you’re running.

Why not make your window display a spot for new customers to snap a selfie and post it on social media for a discount? It’s unexpected, bold, and interactive. A great opportunity for customers to interact with your beauty salon.

2. Gallery wall
If you’re looking to fill the empty spaces on your walls with something a little more exciting than white paint, consider a gallery wall or polaroids of your colleagues. This is a great way to express your brand, colours and overall feel of your salon.

3. Make your waiting area inviting with cushions
Make your customers more comfortable by adding soft textures to your waiting area. Add pillows and a cosy blanket, maybe a soft rug.
Soft textures can turn a boring couch into a relaxing and comfortable place for your customers to wait for their treatment.

4. Reception desk
Your salon reception desk is your client’s first port of call, so make sure it’s welcoming.

To create a more spacious look in smaller spaces, remove clutter and downsize furniture to sleek chairs.

One way of relieving the front desk clutter is by having a dedicated device just for checkout. This makes it easy for your staff to greet and check-in customers. An iPad, or even a smartphone, running a scheduling app can alleviate stress at the front desk.

5. Hot drinks station
A self-service coffee machine in your salon is perfect for ensuring that customers are relaxed before the treatment even starts. Whether it’s their weekly blow dry or a one-off makeover for a night out, they deserve to feel just as good as they look! A coffee machine will do just that.

6. DIY device charging station
Having lots of wires around is both unappealing and annoying. Luckily, creating clever and unique charging stations isn’t too difficult. You can recycle old shoe boxes or even bread bins to declutter the cords.

7. Consider colour psychology in your retail display
Visual merchandising for salons can turn your space into an effective “salesperson” that can entice customers to buy.

To take advantage of colour psychology, consider choosing red or yellow products, which stimulate purchases. Green and blue are considered soothing colours and can encourage conversations between customers and staff, which could help to sell more salon retail products.

8. Wall quotes
People often spend a lot of time looking for quotes that resonate with them. If you choose to display one in your salon, it may help people identify with your business. If you’re looking for some ideas for inspirational wall stickers, check out this Pinterest board.

Workstation

9. Labelled bottles
Different shaped and sized bottles located on shelves around workstations take away the ‘neat’ look of a salon. There’s a simple fix to this.
Consider using transparent identical bottles and have them labelled in a similar font. It helps to keep everything organised and looks great on a shelf.

10. Create a private space
While some people like the buzz of salon, others may want a more relaxed and personalised experience. Give every station a sense of privacy using hanging plants, curtains, or dividers.

11. Recycled shelf
Visual merchandising is all about the details. Keeping your products out in the open and neatly arranged will make them more appealing to your clients.

Here’s a low budget beauty salon interior design hack. Why not create reuse an old bookshelf as a retail shelf? It’s a great way to intrigue your clients and get them thinking more about your products.

12. Organic bamboo fibre towels
Bamboo bath towels are a great salon choice and decor piece. They are extremely soft and naturally antimicrobial. This makes them hypoallergenic and odour resistant. In addition, you can hang several bamboo fiber bathrobes from wooden pegs on the wall or on the back of the door to add to the aesthetic of a homely decor.

13. Stick to a consistent theme
When selecting a salon decor theme and colour for your workstations, stick with one type of look. Whether it’s contemporary or classic, make sure your decorations reflect this style. This will create a cohesive and polished look for your salon. The last thing you want is for it to feel like a hodgepodge of different styles.

14. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes
Avoid decorating your workstation area with items that could unnerve your clients. For example, you may enjoy the trickling sound of a tabletop fountain, but the sound may annoy some of your clients. Even colours you choose when you decorate your workstation can affect you and your clients.

15. Accessible salon workstations
When planning your interior design, make sure you don’t go overboard with trying to cram in as many washing stations, treatment rooms or cutting stations as possible.

In your plans, you might think you have the space to fit all of this in, but once you’ve got all the furniture in, your space can be quite limited.

When planning your small salon interior design, think about how your staff will move around the space.
• Are they able to move around easily and without getting in anyone’s way?
• Can they put their equipment down without getting in the way of clients or other colleagues?
• Do they have enough space to move trolleys, chairs, or stools around the main floor?

Main Salon Area

16. Add plants for a fresh look
Consider placing one or two large plants around your salon, as well as a few small pots of fresh flowers. Choosing seasonal flowers for your coffee table will keep your salon’s feel up to date with current trends.

Another creative way to use plants is by hanging them from the ceiling. It will give you more floor space and add to your salon wall decor as well!

17. Wall decals
Salon wall stickers are a quick, easy, and cheap way to update your small salon interior design. They offer personality with no commitment.
Just like clip-in hair extensions or temporary colour – they can be removed at any time and won’t leave a mark on your walls. You can change the feel of your salon without taking on a massive renovation project with this handy salon decor idea.

18. Affordable flooring
For your salon, consider some low-cost flooring options including laminate, linoleum, vinyl, and ceramic tile. Your salon floor should be durable enough to handle a little bit of everything — from the foot traffic of its clients and stylists, to the overspill from washing stations.

19. Patterned floors
If you want to add a modern twist to your salon, consider adding patterned floors to your list of stylish flooring options. Patterned floors are hot right now and will give your interior a fresh new look. There is a wide range of flooring options —from patterned tiles to fun geometric shapes.

20. Use natural materials
Using natural materials such as wood or stone, rather than metal or plastic can help to keep expenses down. The presence of raw wood and exposed brick is creeping into salons everywhere.

21. Add a personal touch
Add antiques such as candlesticks and paintings to your salon to give the space more personal flair. The older items look the better if you’re aiming for the vintage style look.

22. Selfie corner
Want to make sure people notice your salon? Add a selfie corner.

It makes for a fun, inviting space where customers can snap pictures of themselves and their new hairdos. Then, they can share them on social media—which means that they’ll be acting as ambassadors for your business.

23. Level up your selfie corner with props and a salon feature wall
To take your clients’ selfies to the next level, add props to your pictures which tie into your brand and add a fun factor. Props could include signs, balloons, champagne or even a hanging swing!

A salon feature wall is a great way to create intrigue, add visual interest and make your salon, spa or barbershop stand out in a crowd.
The possibilities are endless with this salon decor idea, but there are many ways it can be done to pair seamlessly with your salon equipment. From paint colours to wallpaper designs, to architectural details—you can have fun with a variety of colours and textures to achieve your desired look.

24. Functionality of the salon space
It’s easy to get carried away with small salon decor ideas, but always remember that functionality is the foremost priority. Effective space management is essential, and the design of your salon needs to be practical for both you and your clients.

25. Scent your salon
Did you know that your sense of smell is the strongest of all your senses? Research has shown that of all the senses, smell is the most persuasive.

Aroma can build brand identity and offer relaxation, influencing buying behaviour and increase customer demand for your service.

26. Be aware of any official rules and regulations
If you’re leasing a unit in a high-street or shopping centre, you may have to follow certain guidelines about what you can and can’t do with the space. Check these out before you get started on designing your salon’s interior and layout.

Salon Colour and Design

27. Brand and logo colours
If you’re designing a new salon, where do you start?

Think about whether your target customers are looking for a calm or energetic atmosphere and incorporate that idea into the colour scheme.
Start with your logo colours and go from there!

28. Wall paint colour: the lighter the better
This salon decor idea is quite simple: the lighter, the better. Choosing a light colour for your wall helps a room feel more spacious than it is in reality.

29. A pop of green
Green is a great colour for a salon. It draws attention without being overpowering, and it matches well with shelves and cupboards, stools made of stainless steel, and plain white walls. Tiled floors in dark colours help pull this modern salon look together.

30. Earth tones
Warm colours set the tone for this space. Brick, earth tones and metal accents create an inviting atmosphere in your salon.
Lights from multiple sources will bounce off the warm-coloured walls and ceilings, imitating the feel of an inn, bistro or bed and breakfast.

31. Rustic salon interior design
When you’re designing a space to be rustic, it’s all about embracing the aesthetic of natural and organic things. Depending on the direction you decide to take, your interior could resemble a forest lodge, a countryside cottage, or a tiny coastal home.

The flexibility of this style allows you to either go for very soft, relaxing vibes of a peaceful seaside home or the dark and mysterious atmosphere of a cabin in the middle of Bali.

32. Industrial designs
Transform your salon by giving it an industrial feel that blends wood, brickwork, exposed beams, glazed concrete floors, high ceilings, bolts, and a mix of metals.

33. Minimalist design
Even though minimalism isn’t out of style yet, you can expect to see a new look for next year. Rather than having an empty salon or one that looks brand new, the new look is all about inviting atmospheres and having minimalist furniture as your focal points.

34. Cottage core
The cottage look—with its earthy, rustic touches that evoke the countryside—is one of the hottest trends in salon design for next year. The look is meant to make clients feel comfortable and at home. This means lots of pastel colours, natural materials like wood, stone, and upcycled decor.

Salon Furniture and Accessories

35. Nature
Nature is having a significant influence on the overall salon décor. Salon owners are gravitating towards nature-inspired furniture in light greys, olives, and muted tones. These colours evoke a sense of calm that will relax your clients and help them feel at ease during their appointments.

36. Up-cycle your salon furniture
Have you thought about upcycling furniture for your salon? Not only is it cost-effective but reduces landfill waste.
There are many creative ways you can repurpose any outdated furnishings.
Mismatched shelves or worn out sofas can be given a second life and fit the aesthetics if you’re going for the vintage look of your salon.

37. Update your staff’s look
Opting to have your staff dress in the same colour to match the décor of your salon adds to the consistency of your salon décor.

38. Add a built-in bench for multifunctional seating
Having a built-in bench can take up less space and be less bulky than a pedicure chair, allowing you to work more effectively within the confines of a smaller area.
It can also work as multifunctional seating, where a manicure and pedicure can be done in unison when a client is on a time crunch or you’re dealing with bridal clients.

39. Add a trolley for easy access
You can balance both design and functionality with a trolley. Wooden trolleys are a great material which harmonise easily with the surroundings.
It all depends on personal preference and whether the trolley matches the aesthetics of your surroundings.

40. Floating shelves
You can create an effortless wall display with floating shelves.
Whether they are for art, decor items or, if you own a nail salon, they’re perfect to display the range of nail polishes.

Lighting and Mirrors

41. Balancing your salon aesthetic
You can balance your salon aesthetic with over scaled and miniature lamps. When a ceiling is low, it’s natural for people to shrink everything to hide it.
Unfortunately, this method makes things even tighter. Instead, use lamps and lights.
Play with height by placing tall items next to floor-length pieces. For example, globe lights work well.

42. Types of lighting
There are five types of lighting to consider in your salon
• Ambient
• Task
• Accent
• Vanity
• Decorative

Ambient: This type of lighting lights up the entire salon space with an even diffused light across the salon.

Task: Task lighting is used for high-use areas, especially around hairdressing stations where stylists are working to cut, style, or colour their clients’ hair.

Accent: Accent lighting draws attention to a certain area within the salon. This can be a retail display of products or the waiting area.

Vanity: Vanity lighting sources are usually placed around mirrors. Lighting around the mirror should be even, reducing any shadows around your clients.

Decorative: It’s in the name, this lighting is used for decoration. Decorative lighting adds a pop of colour and personality to the salon, such as neon signs. That’s our next tip…

43. Light up your business with neon lighting
Neon signs make an eye-catching first impression, and not only will they attract your customers but also may give your business a boost on social media. Research shows that 64 percent of people said they are more likely to be attracted to a neon sign than something that’s simply informative.

44. Remove shadows
Place lights in your salon in a way so they don’t cast shadows. Position lights on both sides of the mirrors to create even lighting on the client’s face.

45. Natural light source
To make your salon look bigger, place a mirror opposite or next to a natural light source (like your windows).
Keep in mind that fewer, big mirrors will create a more convincing effect than lots of small ones.

46. Window-like mirrors
Framed mirrors with window-like divisions make great decoration pieces and are a perfect way to add balance to the room.

47. LED mirrors
To maximise the reach of your lighting, use LED strips or artistic bulbs to create a light source behind mirrors. The mirror will reflect this light and put your client in the spotlight!

48. Ornate gilt mirrors
If you’re going for a vintage kind of look, ornate gilt mirrors are the choice to consider. They look incredible, the designs are amazing, and their handcrafted quality makes them special.

49. Size matters
Large, round mirrors are a great feature to include as part of your small salon interior design. You can make a small space seem bigger and they are a very stylish choice.
Rectangular, floor length mirrors are a great way to maximise tight spaces.
Try placing one in front of a piece of furniture with the same dimensions as the mirror.

50. Change lighting to LED bulbs.
LED lights consume less electricity and have a longer operational lifetime than traditional bulbs. It’s sustainable and best of all you will save energy and money on your bills.

When it comes to designing your salon, simplicity is key. If you have a limited budget, you can still create a stylish space with these useful salon decor ideas. And remember, there’s no such thing as too small when it comes to setting up your salon.

So, what are you waiting for? Get ready to revamp your interior with the above ideas and build your dream salon!