Poppy & Co. Salon Between Effortless and Elevated

A promotional graphic for Poppy and Co. hair salon features a large maroon sign with pink text and a pink flower logo, alongside vintage-style photographs of women with styled hair and phrases 'Color, Rinse, Repeat' and 'Hair you can live in'.

Before there was a sign on the door or a chair on the floor, there was a vision. Our client came to us at the very beginning, not with a logo to refine or a brand to refresh, but with an intention. She wanted to open a salon that felt different from the traditional experience. Not rushed. Not intimidating. Not performative. A space where people could come as they are, feel comfortable in the chair, and trust that their hair was being handled with care and thoughtfulness. Poppy & Co. didn’t exist yet, but the heart of it did. Our role was to translate that heart into a brand that could carry it forward.

Industry

Personal Care

Service

Services

Brand Strategy

Brand Identity

Verbal Identity

Merchandise

Storefront window with the logo 'Poppy and Co.' and a flower design, reflecting a bicycle, street scene, and people passing by outside.
A white and burgundy outdoor sign for Poppy and Co., a modern hair salon, placed on a sidewalk next to potted plants.
Brand guidelines booklet with pages showing story, vision, tone of voice, wordmark, primary type, color palette, icon, visual overview, and photographs, all set on a patterned background.

The Tension

The salon industry often splits itself in two directions. On one end: hyper-minimal, trend-driven spaces that feel polished but cold. On the other: overly traditional salons that feel dated or impersonal.

Our client didn’t see herself in either lane. She envisioned something elevated but easygoing, refined yet grounded; a neighborhood salon with taste.

The tension wasn’t about fixing something broken; it was about defining something nuanced. How do you build a brand that feels modern without being trendy? Professional without being intimidating? Warm without being overly sentimental? That delicate middle ground became the space we set out to claim.

Additionally, with the name chosen by the client, we wanted to create a brand that wasn’t easily confused with a floral shop. It was really important to create something that was unique within itself while not rejecting the essence of the name.

A decorative sign with the text 'POPPY' on a brick wall, surrounded by green ivy plants.
A maroon and green floral-patterned silk scarf hanging on a gold rod against a pink textured wall, with a small part of a green plant visible at the bottom right corner.
A white coffee mug with a black floral design on it, placed on a flat surface against a dark background.
A red bag with yellow handles leaning against a beige concrete wall with green plants on top. The bag has yellow text that reads 'DEEP COLOR GLOSS TRIM' and a small yellow logo of a flower near the top right corner.

The Expression

The identity for Poppy & Co. was built to hold that balance. Strong, typographically-led structure gives the brand confidence and clarity, while subtle gestures and softened accents introduce warmth and rhythm.

The color palette leans into rich, grounded tones which are inviting rather than flashy, timeless rather than seasonal. Every decision supports the same core idea: elevated without feeling exclusive.

The voice mirrors the experience our client set out to create: calmly modern, welcoming, and quietly assured. What began as a dream of a different kind of salon became a brand that feels intentional, lived-in, and ready to grow into the space it was always meant to inhabit.

A hair salon interior with clients getting hair services, large mirrors, salon chairs, a chandelier, and a red ceiling.
Two smartphones displaying an Instagram profile of a hair salon with photos of women with styled hair, and the main photo showing a woman with long, wavy blonde hair.
Hand holding a red trucker hat with gold embroidery that says 'POPPA AND CO.' in a living room with a beige chair, a potted plant, a glass table, and a large wall art piece.
A young woman with light brown hair and hoop earrings looking over her shoulder, wearing a beige T-shirt with red text and standing against a wooden wall.
A young woman with long, wavy hair and gold jewelry posing outdoors against a wooden fence background. She is wearing a beige t-shirt with red text reading "Fair You Can Live Now" and light-colored pants.
A person tying the waist of a pink apron with a dark flower design on it.
Person dressed in a beige sweater and white pants holding a purple tote bag with green handles, standing on a cobblestone street wearing black and white sneakers.