Team Blonde is adding a brand-new service to their salon offerings: kids’ haircuts and styling. To that end, they’ve landed the popular trio of stylists, Edith, Aisha and Sylvia, from Oak Park’s Lemonmade, which closed at the end of December.
Heidi Vance, owner alongside business partner Jayne Ertel, said she first thought of the idea when reading an Oak Park mom’s group online. Parents in the area were lamenting the fact that Lemonmade was closing and they were losing their “beloved stylists.”
“I thought, what if?” said Vance. “Small businesses must be open to evolution in order to survive, and we thought we could bring a service — and stylists — that people wanted to our salon while expanding our offerings.”
Reorganization and construction is already underway at 7442 Madison St., as Vance and Ertel are adding the kids’ salon, which will feature kids’ car haircutting chairs, purchased from Lemonmade, and screens for the young clients to watch shows while they get their hair cut. The salon will be at the back of the boutique, walled off from the shop and the other salon rooms further back.
Vance added that soundproofing will be added as well to ensure that adult clients coming in to get, for example, a massage, can expect the same relaxing experience they could before. Meanwhile the kids can be, well, kids.
“We’re really excited,” said Vance. “We’re already booking kid clients.” She and Ertel expect the kids’ salon to be up and running on Tuesday, Jan. 21.
“Edith, Aisha and Sylvia are extremely talented. And they’re nice humans,” said Vance, who added that she’s broken-hearted for Lemonmade. “I hate to see small businesses close.”
Team Blonde’s salon and spa offerings include haircuts and color for men, women and kids, massages, nail services, waxing and facials. Their boutique sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry and other items. Vance and Ertel opened Team Blonde 18 years ago, adding salon services in 2008.
