Jan. 31—Lindsey Pekarcik and Renee Healan have styled hair at the same local salons for two decades, and they recently brought their experience to Kirtland with the opening of Craft Hair and Spa.
Craft has been serving clients since the end of November. The salon offers services such as haircuts, colorings, stylings, extensions and blow drying from its location at 9264 Chillicothe Road, Suite 1.
“We wanted to open a modern, high-end salon that had a friendly, comfortable feel for clients to come in — welcoming — and offer great services for hair,” Pekarcik said.
The two hairstylists first started working together 20 years ago at Raun Hairdressers and Day Spa in Willoughby.
“I worked there for most of my career and went through a lot of my continuing education through Raun,” Pekarcik said.
During that time, she also served as a liaison for Bumble and Bumble, traveling to New York City for lessons that she brought back to Raun.
Both later worked together at Posh Hair Studio and Spa in Willoughby Hills, which Healan said she founded 10 years before helping launch Craft.
“I had extensive training with different product lines, hair color lines,” she said.
Healan said Craft was an opportunity to try “something new.”
“It’s just always been like a passion of mine, so we went for it, we did it,” she said. “Our beauty salon is kind of like our dream salon here at this point.”
They both said that remodeling was their biggest challenge in opening Craft, with Pekarcik noting that it was formerly “a salon with tanning beds.”
“We tore down the ceiling and exposed it, we painted from top to bottom, we tore up the floors, and built some of these walls,” she added, noting that family and friends also helped.
“The buildout was a challenge, and the stress of just working at another salon and building this one at the same time,” Healan said, noting that the remodeling process lasted about three months.
“But the rest of it was great,” she added. “Decision making went really well, Lindsey and I work really well together and we kind of have the same vision, so it all worked out perfectly.”
Both owners also expressed appreciation for their new salon’s community.
“We love the small-town feel of Kirtland, and Kirtland has a great support system, I feel, with small business,” Pekarcik said.
“I like the city,” Healan said. “It’s small and quaint and part of my family grew up here. I’ve always liked Kirtland, it’s just a cute little town.”
The co-owners noted that business has been good in Craft’s first two months, with Pekarcik adding that she and Healan “both have a full clientele.”
She said that of the services that Craft provides, she enjoys blonding and providing “an authentic experience to customize each client so they leave happy.”
Healan offers hair extensions in addition to cutting, styling and coloring.
“I just want my clients to have a relaxing experience and feel great when they walk out the door,” she said.
Pekarcik said they also have a nail technician who offers manicures and pedicures, with plans to hire additional hairstylists and another nail technician in the future.
Both Pekarcik and Healan expressed a desire to see their salon grow in the coming years.
“We’ll be here for hopefully many years to come in the future,” Healan said.