Impactful Design Considerations for a New Salon or Spa Space

The salon and spa industry is thriving, making now the perfect time to bring your vision of a beauty or wellness business to life. Before you begin, though, it's essential to map out a few key details—starting with how you want your space to look and feel. Your design choices set the tone for your brand, shape the client experience, and play a major role in the long-term success of your business.  

From selecting the right location to planning your layout, managing your budget, and creating the right atmosphere, thoughtful design decisions can turn your vision into a thriving reality. Here are some of the most important considerations to help you get started. 

It's all about the location

One of the most important decisions you'll make is where to open your new spa or salon. While the location should be convenient for you, it's even more crucial that it's convenient and appealing for your potential clients. A high-visibility space is helpful, but that doesn't mean you need to be on the ground floor in a shopping district. A second-floor space can be more affordable while still offering easy access; just be sure there's an elevator to accommodate all of your clients. 

If you're considering a suburban location, think beyond the building itself. Outdoor space, parking availability, and proximity to public transit can all play a role in how welcoming and accessible your business feels. This isn't only for clients, but for your employees as well. 

Finding the perfectly-sized space

Think about how much space you'll need for your salon or spa. Your square footage requirements will depend on the overall scope of your business, but it's important to have a rough estimate in mind before you begin scouting locations. Here are a few important considerations: 

• The number of services you plan to offer directly impacts your space needs. The more treatments or modalities, the larger the layout required. If you're just starting out, keeping it simple often works best.
• A spa or salon sized between 1,500 and 2,500 square feet is a good target size for a new business. It's big enough, but not too big.
• Local Cosmetology or Massage Boards may have specific licensing requirements tied to room sizes or layouts, so be sure to research the regulations in your area before committing to a space. 

Let's talk about budget

While it's impossible to predict all of the applicable finances with such a wide range of scenarios, here are a few guidelines to take into account: 

• Build-out costs: If you're constructing a salon or spa in a strip mall or retail space, plan to budget around $200 per square foot for construction, fixtures, furnishings, inventory, and other start-up essentials. For example, a 2,000-square-foot space would cost roughly $400,000 to get to opening day.
• Operating capital: Depending on your service mix and region, you'll likely need six to eight months of operating capital before revenue covers expenses. Expect to set aside about $75,000 for this runway.
• Rent: Commercial real estate rental rates vary widely, but most fall between $18 and $36 per square foot annually. At $20 per square foot, rent for a 2,000-square-foot space would be about $3,333 per month, plus utilities.
• Lease terms: Most commercial leases run for five years with an optional five-year renewal.
• Purchasing property: Buying a property requires more upfront investment, but ownership allows you to recoup costs—and potentially profit—if you sell the building later. It's a bigger undertaking, but it gives you full control over design.
• Taking over an existing space: Acquiring a former salon, spa, or even a doctor's office can be more affordable upfront. Just be mindful that compromises in layout or design could impact your long-term brand vision. 

Seeking out the optimal layout

While the many nuances of the best way to use your new space will depend on the shape and configuration of the area itself, there are certainly considerations of flow and ergonomics to take into account. A few things you should pay attention to are:  

• It should be obvious to consumers and passers-by that something fun and interesting is going on inside your beauty or wellness business.
• If you end up in a ground-floor space with windows, avoid filling up the windows with chairs for waiting customers, for instance, or it will look from the outside like a boring doctor's office!
• Place retail in your windows, but not so high that potential clients can't see in and get a glimpse of your design.
• Make sure the reception area is well-lit and the entryway is obvious.
• Group your retail and reception areas near the entrance to keep transactions and ringing phones separate from quiet zones. 

In a salon, some buzz is expected, though you may want a quieter zone for color and processing. Many modern salons feature a color dispensary that opens onto the floor, like a restaurant show kitchen, saving space while keeping the process visible. Still, it's wise to include a small back-of-house dispensary for cleanup and storage out of sight. 

Spa treatment rooms, by contrast, should be calm and insulated from front-of-house noise. Lounges, changing areas, and closed doors help create this separation. High-turnover services such as waxing or makeup can be positioned near the entrance, while full treatment rooms are best placed toward the back. 

If possible, plan for two bathrooms—one for staff and one for clients—for a smoother guest experience. A staff break area is also essential, ideally with a refrigerator, washer/dryer, and storage to keep operations running smoothly. Don't forget an office space for interviews, vendor meetings, and day-to-day management, ideally near reception. 

Above all, plan for more storage than you think you'll need. On a busy Saturday, overflowing laundry and crowded supplies can quickly disrupt workflow. To avoid pitfalls, consult a design professional with salon, spa, or wellness experience who can optimize both layout and flow. 

Turning your vision into a reality

When choosing a space, the best advice is to hold off on signing a lease until you've built a solid foundation. That means developing a clear salon or spa business plan that defines your services and pricing, creating a test-fit floor plan to see how many revenue-generating stations your space can support, and building realistic financial projections based on that layout. It also requires a thorough analysis of your local competition so you know exactly what clients in your market expect. 

Designing and styling a salon or spa is no small task. It's a complex process with many moving parts. But with thoughtful planning, it becomes far more manageable and deeply rewarding. Done right, your space won't just be beautiful; it will enhance operations, attract clients, and become a true reflection of your brand.