Manelli Studios is a luxury micro salon and content creation studio in Aliso Viejo, California, owned by me, hair educator Mirella Manelli. It has five styling stations, a color room, and a full filming setup, and it’s the home base for Hair B&B University, Manelli Hair Extensions, and my YouTube channel.
After more than 25 years in the industry and eight years running my 7-figure salon, Rebel Femme, I sold it and started over. Not to build another big salon. I wanted a space built for creating, teaching, and doing hair at the highest level. This is that space, and today I’m walking you through every detail.
If you’re a stylist dreaming of your own salon, salon suite, or studio, this tour is for you. Steal every idea you love.
Watch the Full Manelli Studios Tour
Prefer to watch? The full walkthrough is on my YouTube channel: Luxury Micro Salon Tour: The Final Reveal of Manelli Studios.
What Is a Micro Salon?
A micro salon is a small, boutique salon with just a handful of stations, usually run by an owner and a small team or a few independent stylists. You get more control and a more personal client experience than a big salon, with lower overhead. It sits between renting a single salon suite and running a large, full-staff salon.
For me, a micro salon made sense because this space has more than one job. It’s where I do hair, where I film education, and where I build every one of my brands.
The Tour: Every Detail Inside Manelli Studios
The Entry Room
Disclaimer: The entryway for the studio is still a work in progress. This room will emulate this very site you’re reading this blog on. But with that being said, first impressions happen before a client ever sits in your chair. The entry room sets the tone for the whole experience, so I designed it to feel calm, elevated, and intentional the second you walk in. Luxury isn’t an accident. It’s a decision, and it starts at the door.
The Micro Salon: Five Styling Stations
The heart of the studio is the micro salon with five styling stations. Five stations gives me room to host education and bring in talent while still feeling personal. Every station was planned for how stylists actually move: where your tools live, where your client sits, and how you get from the chair to the bowl.
LED Salon Mirrors
The LED mirrors are one of my favorite upgrades. Good lighting at the station changes everything. You see tone more accurately, your clients love how they look, and every photo and video you take looks better. If you create content, lighting at the station is not optional.
Salon Chairs and Stations by Minerva Beauty
All of the salon furniture in Manelli Studios is from Minerva Beauty. This is my second salon furnished with Minerva. My last salon ran eight years on their chairs, so I knew exactly what I was getting. Your styling chairs take a beating every single day, and they are one piece of furniture where quality pays for itself.
Salon Trays and Trolley
The small stuff matters. Trays at each station and a trolley for color and tools keep the space clean and keep you from walking back and forth all day. Organized stations make you faster, and faster means more money.
Salon Backwash Systems
The backwash systems are where your client relaxes, so comfort is everything. A great shampoo experience is one of the easiest ways to make a service feel luxury, and it’s one of the things clients remember and talk about.
Herringbone Tile Wall
I obsessed over the shampoo area wall. The herringbone tile pattern adds movement and texture without being loud, and it looks incredible on camera. Salon walls need to handle hair, color, and constant traffic, so pick something that is as easy to clean as it is beautiful.
The Chandelier
And then there’s my chandelier. Every luxury space needs one statement piece, and this is it. It pulls the whole room together and it’s the first thing people notice when they see the space.
How New Hairstylists Build a Clientele From Zero
A Peek at the Color Room
The color room keeps mixing and color prep separate from the styling floor. It keeps the salon clean and organized, and it gives color its own dedicated workspace.
My Content Studio Setup
Manelli Studios was built to create. At the end of the video, I show you the lighting and camera setup I use to film my YouTube videos and Hair B&B University education. If you want to grow as a stylist today, your salon needs to be camera-ready, too.
Micro Salon Design Tips for Stylists
Planning your own small salon? Here’s what I’d tell any stylist before they build:
- Plan your flow first. Map how a client moves from the entry to the station to the bowl before you buy a single piece of furniture.
- Measure twice! Originally I thought I could fit 6 chairs, but after measuring the spacing between stations, I knew realistically I could only fit 5.
- Invest in your chairs. They get used every day. Buy quality once instead of replacing cheap chairs over and over.
- Light for color and camera. LED mirrors and good overhead light help you see tone and make your work look amazing online.
- Choose one statement piece. A chandelier, a tile pattern, a wall. One bold detail makes the whole space feel designed.
- Build for content. Your salon is your marketing. Design at least one corner that looks great on video.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a micro salon?
A micro salon is a small, boutique salon with a handful of styling stations, run by an owner and a small team or independent stylists. It offers more control and a more personal client experience than a large salon, with lower overhead.
Where is Manelli Studios located?
Manelli Studios is located in Aliso Viejo, California, in Orange County. Watch the full playlist on how Manelli Studios came together.
How many stations does Manelli Studios have?
Manelli Studios has five styling stations, plus backwash systems, a color room, and a content creation studio.
What salon furniture is in Manelli Studios?
The salon furniture, including the styling chairs, stations, LED mirrors, trays, trolley, and backwash systems, is from Minerva Beauty.
Who owns Manelli Studios?
Manelli Studios is owned by Mirella Manelli, a hair educator with more than 25 years in the industry, founder of Hair B&B University and Manelli Hair Extensions, and a YouTube creator with over 500,000 subscribers.
How much does it cost to build a micro salon?
It depends on your space, location, and finishes. I’m thinking about filming a full cost breakdown of Manelli Studios. If you want to see it, tell me in the comments on the YouTube video.
Want to Build a Business Like This?
A beautiful salon is only half of it. The other half is the skills, the clientele, and the business behind it. Inside Hair B&B University, I teach stylists the exact education and business systems I used to build a 7-figure salon.
Download the Hair B&B University app on the Apple App Store or Google Play, or visit hairbnbuniversity.com.
And don’t forget to watch the full tour and subscribe on YouTube so you don’t miss what’s next.
Cheers,
Mirella
