Creative Freedom is at the Heart of New E+L Salon

1499
E+L Salon owners Erin Dressander & Lauren Glowacki
E+L Salon owners Erin Dressander & Lauren Glowacki

The idea for E+L Salon was hatched one evening over glasses of red wine by two friends who’d spent years working in salons and wanted to create their own where they could let their creativity thrive.

“We started our own business with the purpose of seeking out creative freedom and designing an atmosphere that is new to Grand Rapids,” explained Erin Dressander.

Dressander co-owns E+L Salon with Lauren Glowacki. The salon takes its name from the pair’s first name initials, but it also stands for “Elevate+Love.”

E+L Salon opened on Jan. 2 at the newly completed Fulton Square development, at 1 Carlton Ave SE. It is a full-service hair salon that also offers facial waxing and makeup for all genders.

E+L Salon has an industrial modern vibe, with accents of reclaimed wood, stainless steal and sear suckered leather chairs.
E+L Salon has an industrial modern vibe, with accents of reclaimed wood, stainless steal and sear suckered leather chairs. Photo by Willow Noavi Photography

The salon carries the Scandinavian product line Sachajuan.

“We are the only salon in Michigan that carries them,” Dressander said. “They are always striving to make their brand simply understood and easy to use. While most product lines strive to oversaturate their brand, Sachajuan believes in the exact opposite. It fits nicely with our mission at E+L Salon.”

The salon also offers an inviting and relaxing atmosphere, serving locally roasted coffee that can be enjoyed at a custom made bar. So, Dressander said, “Feel free to bring your laptop.

“The vibe is a minimally curated space with well thought out experiences. It houses many locally made fixtures as well as local beauty industry goods. The space is meant to invite the community in to be pampered, comfortable and leave with amazing hair,” Dressander said.

"It is our goal to be ourselves as stylists so that our guest's experience is everything they had hoped...and maybe a little bit more," Dressander said.
“It is our goal to be ourselves as stylists so that our guest’s experience is everything they had hoped…and maybe a little bit more,” Dressander said. Photo by Colette Write

Stylists at the salon are encouraged to be themselves. “We really have no boundaries. Each stylist is an individual and is treated as such. We aren’t here to mold or shape them into a vision of what we believe…we think they are already an amazing human and their individuality will attract so many cool people.”

Prior to opening E+L, Dressander and Glowacki both worked at salons for nearly decade each. The pair met six years ago when they were employed at the same salon.

They chose the Fulton Square location because of the walkability of the neighborhood, the quality of the building and the onsite parking.

“Fulton Square is nestled in an amazing walkable community, a modern building and free parking lot amenities offered, which we all know is a definite bonus,” Dressander said.

*Main photo by Willow Noavi Photography

Facebook Comments