“I feel lucky to have come up in hair in the early 2000s because it was so much different than it is today.”–Hollianne Davidson
Lindsay Marullo Photography
When salon suite ownership was legalized in New Jersey, Hollianne Davidson, a hairstylist and salon suite owner of Revolution Hair, says “I almost cried.”
Davidson, a beauty pro with 22 years in the industry, including salon management in her early 20s, welcomed the intimacy of a suite after COVID lockdowns.
“I gave up a 15 year clientele to stay home to keep my babies -one a newborn– safe during the pandemic. I slowly dipped my toe back into salon work and then went full force March 2024, opening my own suite.”
At Revolution Hair, Davidson says she “serves hair, not hate” and while she likes all types of work, people find her for her pixie cuts, updos and color corrections.
“I also love my autism and special needs children who come to me for that low sensory, homey, and one-on-one vibe.”
Dare to Design: From Safe to Self-Refective
Her first interior design attempts for her current space were what she thought a 30-year old “should do”–subdued, and a bit “boring,” she says. It didn’t reflect who she was or what she liked.
“While business was great the decor was certainly not it, and I decided to ditch it for a revamp of my old 2012 Revolution vibe. Black and white with touches of aqua . A whole lot of gallery wall, and my damask tone- on-tone focus wall. My brother hand placed stencils for days to complete it.”
Today, her eclectic suite is a mirror of her personal style and tastes, including hidden messages from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Even the damask wall has a Victorian vibe. A self-described DIY Queen, Davidson shares a few of her sweet suite touches.
A DIY Revolution
- A lot of my wall art is printed from Walgreens and placed in a thrifted frame.
- The focus of the gallery wall is my Marie Antionette photo, which was actually my first MODERN SALON Feature in 2012 . I like the full circle of it all.
- I’m also a huge Alice in Wonderland (inspired by the book by Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) nerd so you can pick out little nods all over the suite (with it not being too kitschy.)
- A big talking point is the vintage aqua fridge–everyone loves it.
- My clients’ favorite game is to look around and see what new I have added to the walls since they were in last.
Her approach to hair blends an old-school work ethic with an eye for modern trends. “I feel lucky to have come up in hair in the early 2000s because it was so much different than it is today,” she says. For her, every client relationship is deeply personal—her clients are truly like family.
And in one more unique twist, Hollianne has also worked as a mortuary cosmetologist for the past 12 years.
As she puts it, she’s been there “from your best days to your worst.”
For reprint and licensing requests for this article, Click here.