Salon and spa chosen by magazine as top 100 in the country

Friday, September 3, 2010

Staff photo by Bob Hammerstrom Salon owner Heather Owen cuts Adrienne Boone's hair at the H2O Salon Spa in Bedford, Wednesday, August 4, 2010. Boone is from Hollis.

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Staff photo by Bob Hammerstrom Owner Heather Owen cuts a client's hair at the H2O Salon Spa in Bedford, Wednesday, August 4, 2010.

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Staff photo by Bob Hammerstrom Stylist Elizabeth Callahan cuts Eric Cameron's hair at the H2O Salon Spa in Bedford, Wednesday, August 4, 2010. Cameron is a Bedford resident.

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Staff photo by Bob Hammerstrom Stylist Elizabeth Callahan cuts Eric Cameron's hair at the H2O Salon Spa in Bedford, Wednesday, August 4, 2010. Cameron is a Bedford resident.

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Staff photo by Bob Hammerstrom Salon owner Heather Owen cuts Adrienne Boone's hair at the H2O Salon Spa in Bedford, Wednesday, August 4, 2010. Boone is from Hollis.

Enlarge Purchase Photo

Forget New York City and Los Angeles.

For the fresh flair and fashion expertise of a high-end urban salon and spa, look no further than Bedford’s own H2O Salon/Spa, rated a Top 100 Salon in the United States by Elle Magazine.

The trendy hair and beauty boutique, at the Bedford Grove Shopping Center, filled out an Elle questionnaire it received about its services, but did not realize its qualifications would lead to a Top 100 nod.

“We filled out a survey and we were told the responses were going into an August issue,” H2O Salon/Spa owner and artistic director Heather Owen said. “Home subscriptions of the magazine come out faster than the store edition, so we actually found out because we had a client come in and say she saw us in Elle Magazine. Then I ran over and bought it right away, we were so excited.”

H2O is the only New Hampshire location to be recognized by Elle, along with 99 others around the country. It shares the spotlight with Los Angeles’ Serge Normant at John Frieda Salon, Woodley & Bunny in New York City and Rossano Ferretti in Miami, among others.

“Maybe we’re like a small fish in a big pond,” Owen said with a laugh. “But it’s an accumulation of all the hard work, determination, creativity and dedication of our staff. It’s all of those things that it takes to be in the Top 100 in the United States.”

The proof is in the staff, for one thing – a group of seasoned stylists, estheticians, massage therapists and nail technicians from around the country and globe that are constantly perfecting their skill.

Owen’s background in a multitude of hair modalities offers a one-of-a-kind education in the edgy, precision cuts of British hairstyle and the free-form techniques streaming straight from the scissors of stylists in France.

“The best part of giving back is being able to take someone who wouldn’t normally have had the exposure to things we’re doing, and really seeing the ‘Aha!’ moment,” Owen said. “We have an incredible group of people dedicated to their craft.”

As part of H2O’s unique ongoing training program, senior stylists attend a weeklong course at Bumble and bumble University, an advanced educational facility for cutters and stylists in the Meatpacking district of Manhattan.

On top of the salon’s knowledge of cross-continental style trends, as soon as clients walk in the door, they receive a complimentary seven-step consultation on everything from face shape to maintenance lifestyle, to tailor treatments to the individual – a combination of services rarely available to New Hampshire residents.

“I’m constantly in contact with my friends that do the runway and say, ‘OK, what do you see coming out of fashion right now?’ ” Owen said. “Seasonally, we have trend-focus staff meetings where we tear sheets of magazines and tack things up on a bulletin board, and people talk about what they see going on with fashion right now, so it’s constantly fresh and constantly feeding the creativity.”

But it’s also the salon and spa atmosphere that makes H2O stand out.

The salon space – painted a cool turquoise, ornamented with metallic geometric shapes, black leather lounges, funky prints taking off on Audrey Hepburn and a draping curtain of dazzling shells – transports the visitor to a hip salon and spa in the middle of a city quadruple Bedford’s size.

“I wanted to bring a really metro feel to New Hampshire,” Owen explained about her unique decor, “and I wanted a really creative environment to work in.”

Plus, H2O’s exclusive “color bar” equipped with everything a salon goddess could want when she’s coloring her hair – magazines, a social seating area, European ionized steam heaters that cut highlighting time in half and even wine after 4 p.m. – is one atmosphere not matched by many in the Granite State.

“Who wants to look at themselves in the mirror when they’re covered in foil?” Owen laughed, explaining the concept of the color bar. “A group of ladies will make appointments at the same time and sit and talk and have happy hour after 4 p.m. when wine is served. It’s a social environment.”

Beyond the salon, the back of the H2O space, painted a deep, chocolate hue, complete with tranquil soundtrack and original art, accommodates guests looking for massages, facials and every other pampering one can imagine. Pedicures and manicures – including the latest style of gel nail wells that can prolong even a hair stylist’s manicure – are also available.

The salon even offers its own lines of one-of-a-kind products from the creative and skin-conscious imaginations of Owen and her sister, Gretchen Harding, a master stylist at H2O. Owen’s H2O Mineral Cosmetics is a 100 percent all-natural line designed specifically for skin care, while Harding’s organic, professional-grade skin and body care line, Ritva, even includes products for men.

Owen, who has more than 20 years experience in the salon and spa industry, including international stints at London’s Vidal Sassoon and Paris’ Jacques Dessange, migrated to Bedford from the D.C. metropolitan area and opened H2O’s doors in February 2005.

“When I first came to New Hampshire, I moved here for family,” Owen said. “I decided I needed a quality-of-life change. In D.C., I had three-plus locations, I was working 60 hours plus a week. I had no time for a personal life … the way of life up here is so great.”

Owen’s salon was already commanding statewide recognition within three years of operation. In 2008, H2O was named the place for “Best Hair Color” in New Hampshire Magazine, followed by “Best Salon” awards in 2009 and 2010.

Still, Owen can’t get over the honor of being one of Elle Magazine’s top picks.

“In D.C., my location had 42 employees – here, I have 14,” Owen said. “For a salon our size to be recognized in that manner is even more rare.”