NEIUW hairspace
New Hairspace (Formerly de stijl) — Custom Salon Expansion & Interior Fabrication
Some projects are jobs. Some projects become an obsession.
The expansion of what was then de stijl salon—now NEIUW Hairspace—fell firmly into the second category.
Beginning in 2019, this project became an opportunity to bring together nearly every skill I had accumulated up to that point: welding, metal fabrication, woodworking, design, construction, problem-solving, and a healthy amount of stubbornness. The goal wasn't simply to add square footage—it was to create a space where every detail felt intentional, connected, and uniquely its own.
The project centered around a custom ADA-compliant ramp featuring a one-of-a-kind handrail fabricated from 1½-inch square steel tubing and finished in a matte black powder coat. Rather than treating accessibility as an afterthought, the ramp became a defining architectural feature, paired with a custom VCT floor pattern that guides visitors into the space.
That same language of steel and geometry carries throughout the salon. Custom laser-cut retail displays, fabricated back-bar shelving, shampoo bowl pedestals, lighting fixtures, and station backers were all designed and built specifically for the project. The lighting and station backers were powder coated white, creating contrast against the darker steel elements while maintaining a consistent visual vocabulary throughout the space.
To tie the expansion back to the original salon, custom drawer systems and cabinetry were fabricated from birch plywood—the same material that had become part of the identity of the first space years earlier.
The most unusual part of the project may be that every piece was designed, fabricated, finished, and installed by a single person. No fabrication crew. No construction team. Just one set of hands moving between the welding table, the woodshop, and the job site until the vision became reality.
What makes the project especially meaningful is that the work didn't end when construction was complete. After the dust settled and the lights came on, I spent years working inside the very environment I had built. Every handrail, drawer, light fixture, and welded joint became part of my daily routine—a constant reminder that thoughtful design can shape not only how a space looks, but how it feels to inhabit.
NEIUW Hairspace remains one of the most personal projects in my portfolio: equal parts fabrication project, design experiment, and love letter to making things by hand.
