Through the 13 years Sarah Smith and Calvin Ireland have worked together as hair stylists, they never imagined that they would open their own salon.
But this summer, when a storefront opened at 8 Merchants Plaza in downtown Bangor, the pair toured the space and “it felt right,” Smith said.
Their studio, Sage Salon, opened this month in the space that used to house Designs by Aaron, the jewelry store that moved to Brewer in July. The salon is one of multiple new businesses that have opened downtown this fall after several restaurants set up shop on Main Street.
“We are like brother and sister,” Smith said, explaining that the duo wanted to create a cozy space where clients feel like they can be themselves. Smith joked that she and Ireland have their own version of HIPAA, the medical privacy law, for all the gossip that’s shared in their salon chairs.
The duo offers color, cut, blowouts, facial waxing and precision men’s haircutting services.
“We’re as nonconforming as you can be for a salon,” Ireland said, noting that the salon is open to men, women and nonbinary clients of all ages and hair types.
It took about two months to get the space ready for opening, Smith said, and the pair did most of the work themselves, including painting the walls green and putting in each hair station.
Sage Salon is one of five hair salons downtown, joining Headlines Salon on Union Street, Aykari Aesthetics on Exchange Street and the Noble Root Salon and the Girl House on Main Street.
Ireland added that he and Smith are excited to be in downtown Bangor and use the salon as a community space.
“We don’t want this to be just a hair salon,” he said. They plan to host events like book clubs and holiday celebrations in the space, Smith added.
Smith and Ireland also noted that their salon is dog-friendly, and they sometimes bring their dogs — Tatum and Del Rae, respectively — to work.
Interested customers can make an appointment via email or by messaging Sage Salon on social media. Their hours are roughly 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Smith said, but can schedule clients outside those hours and on Saturdays by appointment.
Correction: An earlier version of this report misidentified the number of hair salons in downtown Bangor.