Michael Christopher Designs Salon & Day Spa
January, 25 2007


Style maven gets new look of his own Delaware business pioneer rethinks salon.


Michael Christopher Designs Salon & Day Spa is accustomed to giving people a new look, but on the eve of its 31st anniversary, the Wilmington salon is getting a new look of its own.

Michael Christopher Hemphill, the salon`s owner and creative force behind the improvements, has invested more than $300,000 to modernize the 6,000-square-foot salon and better equip it to meet the needs of his clients and 80 employees.

"It was beautiful before," said Alexis Tweddell, 40, of Middletown, who has been going to Michael Christopher for nearly eight years. "The fact that he wanted to remodel and update and make it cutting edge is always Michael."

At the salon`s grand reopening Friday, the clients will notice a "salon of the future" featuring different chambers, each with its own atmosphere, music and furniture. Flat-screen computer terminals sprinkled in the waiting area near the entrance and the "hair coloring theatre" give the salon a high-tech feel.
There are 25 pod stations accented by shimmering screens hanging from the mirrored ceiling. The electric plugs and hair equipment that previously rested on a shelf in front of each station have been shifted to shelves behind each station, taking away the clutter in front of clients.

And then there is the shampoo chamber. The warm, dimly lit room has a blue sky ceiling panel, a yellow hologram projected on a deep blue wall and barely visible black sinks. Meditative music plays in the background and the sounds of the water from the tap sound more like small springs. "People come here not to relax, but for a relaxing experience," said Hemphill, who caters to about 300 clients a day. "Why not make it an experience that people want?"

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