It was just 2 and a half years ago, in early 2009 that after having worked in salons both in Lincolnshire and in Penzance, I made the decision, then just 22, to take the step into the world of business and start my salon.

Having experienced first hand being a manager, and a stylist, in some larger salons, I realised that so many salons were missing the touch of a qualified and experienced hair stylist in the running of the business, and often this meant that clients weren’t given the service that they should have been. Because of this, even at the very beginnings of Kelly Anza Hair Design, my plan was to create a comfortable, cosy atmosphere for clients to relax in, and still get the exceptional service and professional hair styling they deserve.

From viewing the premises on Parade Street, Penzance, to opening the doors to my first clients, it took no more than 4 weeks to completely revamp, style and decorate our tiny building space into a cosy, yet luxurious salon. I have to thank my team, family and friends for helping make that possible! Of course, opening in such a short space of time was a risk, as it meant us all giving up work for a couple of weeks and putting our all into the salon, but luckily it paid off and I don’t think any of us have looked back since.

My team of 4 soon grew into a wonderful team of 6, and the salon started to feel a bit too close for comfort. We soon realised that to cope with the overwhelming success of the salon, we were going to need more space – any guests will know how little room to manouvre there is – and so after just 6 months of business we extended onto the second floor of our salon.

And things haven’t slowed down since – under 2 years after expanding the salon, I realised that, thanks to the unrelenting, and quite honestly overwhelming support of our loyal clients, friends and family, the team (which now consist of 5 stylists, 2 juniors and 1 assistant) the business had well and truly outgrown our building. I don’t think any of us realised when we opened that the salon would be such a success – opening a new business in the middle of the recession was a risk, but thanks to a lot of hard work, we’ve not only made a small business work, but we’re having to move to larger premises to keep up with demand.

So my dream come true of opening my own salon has taken a massive jump, and at the age of just 24, I will be lucky enough to be opening my own salon on the main High Street in Penzance. When I first saw the building, I could see how the space could be used as a salon straight away, and I knew it was the place for us – but not without some very, very hard work. Since viewing the space just 2 months ago, the entire ground floor of the new Kelly Anza Hair Design has been entirely refurbished.

Between working late nights to see to clients and train our assistants, I’ve also been frequenting local auctions to source out vintage furnishings and helping out redesign the building – it’s every stylist’s dream to open their own salon, but to completely design their own and put their own stamp on their local High Street, that’s just unbelievable. Still avoiding the clinical, cold look of many high-end salons, we have kept the comfortable, unique, vintage-inspired look we’ve come to be known for, complete with beautiful vintage furniture, like our gorgeous seat in reception, which was originally made in the 1700s – it’s inspired the entire room!

We will be closing our Parade Street premises on the 5th November, and are reopening on Thursday 10th November in our new salon, in 29 Market Jew Street, right next to the Victorian Tea Rooms!

Without our amazing clients, friends and families, none of this would be possible, and we can’t wait to show you what you’ve helped us achieve. And to thank everyone, the team would love to invite all of our clients, past, present and future to the Kelly Anza Hair Design Launch Party on Saturday 12th November, where you will be treated to a tour of the new salon, a glass (or two) of champagne and a few Paul Mitchell goodies too! 

If you’d like to make an appointment with a member of the team, or would like to learn more, phone the salon on 01736 361 878, or pop in and visit us!