Have you been to the T-Room at Hotel Normandie located at Nook Avenue in St. Ann’s Trinidad?! Peep their work on their social media sites. The T-Room is not a tea room so don’t get ahead of yourself. It’s a salon run by Tanja Banduwong, a German and her powerhouse creative team. Germany among other nations has understood creative culture and the value of it for their society. They have done exceptionally well in providing innovative contributions to the world in the past decades. They have taken the time to value learning about creative culture and design management and teaching this to their own citizens via various institutions in their society. Their whole creative thinking process, their mindset to progressive culture and education seem to be constantly evaluated and improved upon. They understand the critical success factors of creative culture to their country’s national development and diversification. This is one of the reasons I like the T-Room among others because here lies the most honest and authentic example of the birth and growth of a creative culture in a stable and eponymous field of hair styling.
Photo Credit: The T-room Squad
https://www.facebook.com/pg/HairbyTanja/about/?ref=page_internal
Tanja is a qualified and skilled professional in hair and makeup styling. Although she is an educator in this field she has her fair share of stripes and stars to prove that she has the caliber of experience to take salon style in Trinidad to the next level. Her leadership style is open and collaborative without compromising respect among her team. She has managed to foster a work ethic and creative culture that is second to none in Trinidad. Although Tanja is the girl boss here she is far from being the stereotypical aloof “manager” as she is also on the floor “working it” with her squad. The team is constantly learning and expanding their skills. The squad is professional and the family type of camaraderie she has fostered with her staff is reflected in how they treat each other and their clients. Tanja took the ladies of the T-Room to Italy for training and development and creative culture immersion last year. A great experience in one of the more established fashion destinations in the world! The ladies at the T- Room set the bar high as one of the few examples I have seen of women supporting and advocating for each other to be and do their best in the creative field. The T-Room is a fun and exciting salon where their love for what they do emanates from their A-class haircuts, colour treatments, corrections, keratin treatments and styling services for men and women (and of course their overall aura and vibes).
Photo Credit: Pastel Hair
https://www.instagram.com/thetroomsalon/?hl=en
Photo Credit: Undercut
https://www.instagram.com/thetroomsalon/?hl=en
Photo Credit: Braided by the T-Room Braid Bar at The Decibel Expo
https://www.instagram.com/thetroomsalon/?hl=en
Photo Credit: Bridal Hairstyle (On Location)
https://www.instagram.com/thetroomsalon/?hl=en
Every detail of design has been accounted for at the T-Room. The logo is pretty cool too with strong lettering enclosed by a wreath like crown. The salon even has a mascot, his name is Chino. He is a well behaved groomed family member of the T-Room. The staff members come in all shapes and sizes with so much soul and passion for their job. They usually wear black but there is so much flexibility and personality that they get to play with outfitting and expressing themselves without the confines of a uniform. The interior design of the salon is another major appreciation factor about this creative space. People underestimate the role that design plays in our lives. For instance you may wear a particular silhouette, style, colour or fabric because it makes you feel some type of way. You may love a salon or spa because it makes you feel special. In these instances people neglect to ask themselves that one question, “why?” Why do I like this space? What is it about this shirt or this hairstyle that makes me feel this way? Why do I want to cut or colour my hair? Why did I choose this cut or colour? Some of us are not even conscious of the power behind “wearapy” and design therapy which is a “must have” for any thriving creative lifestyle and culture.
Photo Credit: The T-Room Squad at Milan Fashion Week
https://www.instagram.com/thetroomsalon/?hl=en
The interior design for the T-Room was done by Christy Maingot, a local interior designer of CMID in Trinidad. The T-Room looks like a combination of modern, contemporary styles and a bit of glam. This is no easy task for an interior designer to acquire the skill of mixing styles. Christy’s management of elements and principles of design in this space is magically harmonious. Although the salon works by appointment only, the spatial planning is sensible, on point with proportion and scale, rhythm and flow for easy breezy functioning during peak times. The colour scheme looks more monochromatic as the shades of white, cream, brown, gold and bronze are well placed throughout the T-Room. The space is perceptually bigger with the application of vanity mirrors, white washed walls and the obvious reflection of light from the artificial light sources on the smooth and shiny surfaces. There is open and closed storage with shelving which makes the perfect balance in a room that is neither too warm nor too cold. The salon has a huge glass window so the positioning of a window bench with the view of the hotel lobby was an ideal use of space. The throw pillows are nice additions as their textures and patterns soften and accentuate the style and vibe in the salon without emasculating it. The use of leather (if not leather like upholstery) for salon chairs and benches appeals to the sleek modernist in all of us whilst being easy to maintain and durable. Intriguingly, the flooring has a wood grain finish appearance and the ceiling hints to subtle industrial vibes. Another example of style mixing is seen here. The dynamic diagonal lines on the ceiling beams are painted in white to blend in but still stand out by creating some transformational, directional and exciting energy in the room. These diagonal lines form triangles which pair up with the geometric shapes of the overhead rectangle lighting to manage earthly grounded feelings.
CMID (Christy Maingot Interior Designs)
http://www.cmidinteriordesign.com/the-troom-salon/
CMID (Christy Maingot Interior Designs)
http://www.cmidinteriordesign.com/the-troom-salon/
I love that this space is a haven where anyone, any age can feel safe to put themselves in the hands of internationally trained professionals. The T-Room squad allow their clients; to explore and experiment, to challenge style status quos, to redefine, to reclaim and redeem an unprofessed love and care for themselves that has been long overdue and often resonates in the mantra, “I am beautiful and I am ready to take on the world, now hear me roar.”
Photo Credit: Braided by the T-Room Braid Bar at The Decibel Expo
https://www.instagram.com/thetroomsalon/?hl=en
The T-Room gets my 5 stars for excellent customer service, professionalism and creativity.
Keep up the fabulous work ladies !!!
To see more of T-Room
Visit their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/HairbyTanja/
Visit their Instagram Page : https://www.instagram.com/thetroomsalon/?hl=en
Book an appointment: 1.868.235.3679
Email: tbanduwong@gmail.com