Salon, Old Friend

One of my favourite things to do is imagine that I could build a home from scratch, with money or time being no object.

The two central themes of my personality take me in two different directions.

Firstly, a gothic mansion modelled on the Addams Family residence/Casper and Christina Ricci's spooky abode - with a distinct Halloween tinge, dark, drapey and velvety with winding staircases and hidden rooms and giant wardrobes. Turrets and a library bursting at the seams.

And secondly, a giant vintage Americana warehouse, all red brick but with 60's pastel interiors and neon signage. Multiple floors and mezzanines all in matte. A bowling alley, an art deco cinema room and a monochrome tiled salon. The kitchen would look like Rizzo and Frenchy might drop by, with cadillacs picked apart and rebuilt into furniture. There'd be a bunch of plastic landlines that operated as intercoms of course. And an old-timey elevator.

These ideas cannot marry. I'm going to need two houses. What a drag.

Anyway. I'm always unconsciously on the look out for inspiration for these daydreams. And recently I came across an amazing salon, which cried out to me. Cried out like Nicole Kidman for curtains in The Others. This place was founded in the 60's in Sydney.

Behold, the Marie-Louise Salon:

ISN'T SHE A BEAUTY

I mean, this is the Scarlett Johansson of salons, ladies and gents.

The original owner Nola Mehzer had ran the Marie-Louise with her brother George until she passed away in 2009, upon which the salon remained closed for a few years. Nola had been cutting Sydney's hair for decades, apparently keeping ducklings in a huge bathtub and waltzing around with a cockatoo, whilst styling. It sounds like Nola was an infinitely cool broad.

The Mehzer siblings also founded a soup kitchen called 'Our Lady of Snows' when they won the lottery in 1982. So the Mehzer's are good people.

Also the interior of the Marie-Louise does not disappoint.

 When the Marie-Louise was eventually sold, the new owner of the building held a sort of farewell closing sale in order to offer locals the chance to buy up all of the vintage merchandise and furniture. Everything from the mirrors to the hair dryers and the dye bottles were up for grabs.

Personally, I'd have had my eye on this wardrobe:

And one of these chairs:

 I would not have missed the chance to accessorise my house in salon.

 The new owner of the Marie-Louise, Naomi Doyle, documented it's encore on instagram at @patches_mcgee and images of the salon can be found under #marielouisememories

The exterior is listed so that's good news.

And although I'll never be able to get my hair cut at ML I'll always have the Beauty Bar in NYC to fawn over.

Long live 60's interiors. And long live blue rinse.