Restoring Beauty, Resisting Waste, our Sustainability Mission
George and I recognised early on that the building industry and salons were far from sustainable. We work diligently to ensure our projects are as ethically sustainable as possible.
For instance, many salons wash hair colour down the sink, which is an environmental hazard. Similarly, the building trade has a reputation for poor recycling and reuse practices, often favouring replacement over preservation. We actively challenge this wasteful approach.
Where have we gone wrong with the ‘replacing culture’ that seems prevalent in all areas of modern Western society?
Is it marketing and trickery? A lack of education to fit modern needs? And has it led to the demise of family values and religion? Perhaps this same mindset—where newer is always better and fixing what we have is seen as too much effort, has fueled our throwaway culture. We see it everywhere: fast fashion, promiscuity, single-use plastics, and in construction, where buildings are rudely patched up rather than restored. But what if we shifted our thinking? What if we embraced craftsmanship, longevity, loyalty and the beauty of materials and relationships that already exist?
When did the British natives loose their religious values ? Anyway, back to HARE, I got a little excited.
Our studios incorporate recycled scaffolding boards treated with natural seasoning and oils. We repurpose metals from previously loved furnishings, and our insulation is made from horsehair boards. All our paints are ethically sourced, and we even use homemade stencils for our branding to avoid plastic waste. Our flyers are printed on recycled paper, our chairs are second-hand and reconditioned, and all products are ethically and locally sourced. Even our wash basins are second-hand. While these choices contribute to our studio’s unique aesthetic, more importantly, they align with HARE’s sustainability driven ethos.
We are also excited to recycle hair. Locally, Jack Thorne of ‘Thorne Design’ uses hair for compost and plantings, Green Salon Collective repurposes it for ocean oil spill clean-ups, and an eccentric artisan in Devon even makes hats from our clippings (don’t ask us how!). The key takeaway is that the hair gets repurposed instead of being dumped into landfills, as has historically been the case. Would you like some of our hair for compost ? please get in contact, its amazing for scaring away birds.
Our shop designs emphasise the natural beauty of each building.
In Woodstock, we restored the fireplace. In Eynsham, we spent weeks sanding and naturally staining the beams. In Witney, we uncovered a stunning old limestone wall that had been painted white. Similarly, someone had covered the exterior wooden boards with white paint, and we painstakingly multi-tooled and hand-sanded away this act of historical vandalism over several months. Admittedly, leaving the boards painted might have been easier and more cost-effective, but we take immense pride in restoring a building’s natural charm.
That said, we must take a moment to call out a certain representative from Historic England who prevented us from laying a beautiful floor in Eynsham because it wasn’t in keeping with the "nature of the horse stable." Considering 1 Mill Street hasn’t housed horses for two hundred years, this decision felt absurdly rigid.
Why is England so steeped in these nonsensical limitations?
Could this excessive protocol be holding us back? Too many rules, too much red tape, and, frankly, too much nonsense!
