Wildflower Salon has new digs. Owner Emily Anglemyer, right, moved the hair salon last month to the space formerly occupied by Brandt Gallery. Her friend and associate, Meghan Burrowes, left, recently joined her in the business. Previously co-located with Wildflower Boutique, the salon sought to expand. (Photo by Carol Simmons)
At Wildflower, style and community
- Published: December 15, 2016
There isn’t a barber pole outside the new home for the Wildflower Salon, but proprietor Emily Anglemyer and her associate, Meghan Burrowes, hope that their hair salon offers the welcoming, community vibe of a classic barbershop.
“We want people to feel comfortable hanging out,” Anglemyer said recently.
Anglemyer opened the door to the new space on Nov. 1, after taking on the lease the month before. She originally went into business about a year and half ago with Danyel Mershon, of the Wildflower Boutique. Mershon sold clothing and accessories in two rooms, and Anglemyer styled hair in another. The two young women had been high school classmates in Springfield, Anglemyer said, and sharing space in the Xenia Avenue shop helped them launch what was a first business venture for each.
“Being there made the opportunity for everything to run smoothly before we had our own spaces,” she said.
The growth of both ventures, along with the opening of shop space in a building across the street and down the block, offered the chance for both the salon and boutique to add more room to their expanding individual enterprises.
In taking up residence in the new space — most recently the Brandt Gallery — Anglemyer took out a wall, redid the floors and lighting and repainted the interior.
She also brought in Meghan Burrowes, a hair stylist she met about eight years ago when they were both studying hair care at the Aveda Institute Columbus.
“We’ve been best friends since then,” Anglemyer said. “So now we’re finally doing hair together.”
Burrowes, a native of Tipp City, said she had been working in Dayton for the past six years, before coming on board at Wildflower.
The young women are still working on the salon’s décor, but they’ve made a lot of progress. Anglemyer designed many of the larger pieces — the front counter, the wood-framed mirrors on the walls. She described furniture design as one of her “hobbies.” Burrowes contributed a collection of glass bottles that decorate the shelves behind the counter.
“We have almost identical tastes, and it’s been so easy to mesh together,” Burrowes said. At the same time, they both describe Anglemyer as the larger “vision” person and Burrowes as the “details” person, which creates good balance in their working relationship.
The shop features two salon chairs, a hair coloring station and a sink and chair for washing — not to mention an evolving waiting area that the women want to make warm and inviting.
The women said they offer a full-service salon, and specialize in color and hair painting services. Prices range from $45 for a cut and style to $10 for a fringe trim. Coloring services range from about $65–$95. They use and sell the Kevin Murphy line of products, which they describe as PETA and environmentally friendly. They said they will work with clients to determine what is best for their lifestyle. “Consultations are very important,” Anglemyer said. At the same time, “we will tell you if it won’t work,” she said.
The stylists also do hair for weddings and other special events, and are hopeful that their proximity to Mills Park Hotel will increase some of their special-event work. Anglemyer said the new space also has brought in more men as clients. Before, when she was located in the women’s wear boutique, a lot of men assumed that she concentrated on women’s hair as well, she said. New clients also are coming in from Dayton, following Burrows to her new site. “It’s a destination for them. They’re so excited about that,” she said.
“Who doesn’t want to come to Yellow Springs and hang out for the day,” said Anglemyer, who lives in the village and has a young daughter at Mills Lawn School.
The women said they are really enjoying the street-level space with its many windows. “It’s a good place to be, with people walking by and seeing us working,” Anglemyer said.
And they both love their work, they said. “It’s the best of both worlds (combining) practicality and artistry,” Burrowes said. “And I consider all of my clients my friends.”
Anglemyer agreed. “You don’t go many places where it’s so intimate — not many people touch your head. Some of the most intimate and rewarding conversations I’ve had were with people I was meeting for the first time in my chair.”
The women are continuing to accept new clients, and are planning a Grand Opening for the community to visit the shop on Saturday, Jan. 7, from 7–9 p.m. Everyone is welcome to come by and “hang out.”
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