Chemistry Salon - Making Beauty Sustainable
Morgan Kruizenga, owner of Chemistry Salon, in Berkley, Michigan has always thought of herself as a steward of the earth. When you meet her, you immediately feel her warmth and feel like you have known her for years. That is the same feeling you get when you walk into Chemistry Salon. Her entire team is like a big family helping each other grow and be better. We wanted to highlight Chemistry Salon and show what a truly amazing transformation took place from an old transmission shop into something truly beautiful and inspiring.
You may have heard of Morgan, as she has been doing hair for over 30 years. She has also trained with multiple companies to name a few, Vidal Sassoon, Davines and Mahagony. Originally from Michigan, she found herself working with Toni & Guy in New York as an ambassador to the midwest. Morgan launched the New York Madison Avenue Salon and advanced within the company to Art Director. She then returned to Michigan, created her own education program and begin looking for a new space for her own salon.
When looking for property for a salon Morgan found an 80 year old transmission shop that had been around since the 1940s. This is where the 10 month transformation begins. Morgan’s husband drew out the plans for the salon with colored pencils and tin foil. While running the environmental tests on the property and researching with Green Circle Salons, she discovered that hair salons created a lot more waste and water contamination than the oil/transmission places. “What is the point of creating something beautiful, if I am not being responsible while doing it. The technology is there, they have made it easy, so why not do it!” Morgan explained. She decided then that her goal was to create have the smallest carbon foot print possible for her salon. You can see her dedication, commitment and passion for her craft, education and the environment through out her salon.
Chemistry Salon has radiant heating installed in the floor with copper pipes. The building is heated with water running though the pipes that rated to last for 200 years. Sensors in the walls regulate the temperature so that it remains 64 degrees all year long. The stations are built upon beautiful slabs of Detroit live edge wood. Clear view Swedish cabinets made from recycled materials have been installed at each station. The original glass garage door was replaced with a modern energy efficient version, but the look remains the same. The doors can open and suddenly the salon is open to the outside, which is amazing on a nice day. The front of the salon is full of natural light. To ensure that perfect light was available at all times she had LED Color rendering lights installed through out the salon. This allows her stylists to see the true colors they are working with. The floors of the salon were specially created for them out of recycled paint chips. The salon is decorated with a mid-century modern, industrial look. It is warm and inviting. Morgan’s goal was for people to feel at home and not want to leave. Her entire design of the salon is very well thought out. Everything is within an arms reach. Morgan states.“ I wanted all the supplies, recycling, everything a stylist could possibly need to be available so they can create with out distraction.”
When deciding on which brand aligned with her values and her salon Davines and Green Circle Salons were a perfect fit. Davines is committed to creating farm to shower, sustainable products, a perfect fit for her goals. Morgan had Green Circle Salons come into her salon and help make sure everything was set up correctly. Green Circle Salons allows salons to repurpose and recover up to 95% of the resources that were once considered waste; materials such as hair, leftover hair color, foils, color tubes, aerosol cans, paper and plastics. Morgan is passionate about education, the environment and her craft. We hope you are inspired by this transformation and we encourage you to see what you can do within your own salon to lessen its carbon footprint.