On November 1st, Holy Moly Salon and Gallery opened at 7819 SE Stark Street in the former Harashay storefront with four stations and a back wall dedicated to showcasing local artists. The owners designed the newly renovated space to offer an “elevated experience” that is approachable to area residents and serves the full spectrum of haircare desires for all people.
Owners Jamie Roy and Rachel Jones had worked together at Fringe and Friends prior to the pandemic, remaining friends as Jones went on to create Grace Harry Salon. “We continued to cut each other’s hair and go to continuing education classes together,” recalled Roy. “We always thought about hair the same way, passionate in the same way, and have the same ethos for what a salon should be.” Jones discovered the storefront on Montavilla’s historic main street and brought in Roy to transition into this space. The speed at which they approached the new partnership is summed up in its whimsical name. “It’s just fun and reflects how we feel because we didn’t have any plan of opening a salon together. Within days of seeing this place, we just signed the lease. So it’s like holy moly, what’s happening?” explained Jones.
They appreciated that the previous tenant of the space used it for haircare as well because it required less work to reconfigure the shop than if they had to transform it from an incompatible business. However, they discovered it would require plumbing updates and some electrical work. Overall, they are pleased with the reduced amount of basic work the older building required, allowing them to focus on filling the ample floor space. They soon discovered that instead of needing to be creative to make the space seem less cramped, they would instead need to think on a larger scale. “With the big space, we would put furniture in here, and then it would look tiny compared to the space. A couple of bookshelves we got were half the size at first, and we said, ‘Well, that looks wild.’ So we had to get bigger bookshelves,” remarked Roy. Fortunately, the ordered Minerva styling chairs and other finishes filled in the space well, with the capacity to expand the number of stations as stylists join Holy Moly Salon.
The partners chose many furnishings they had appreciated from their combined decades of experience in the industry, but decided to have a custom-built front counter. The upsized shelves around that counter offer products from local makers along with purchasable supplies of the hair products the shop uses in their services. “We put a lot of thought into the products that we chose,” Roy said. They primarily offer products by Innersense Beauty, Cult + King, Lulu Organics, and Afterworld Organics. They focus on smaller brands because they feel those producers bring more practical experience into their lines. “A lot of the smaller brands come from hairstylists who are not finding products that they like, so they create products in small, cool little brands that do everything right,” said Jones. Sustainability in product lines is also important, with some options utilizing refillable containers. For those that do not offer refills, Holy Moly has joined Green Circle Salons, a network of shops working to recycle most of the materials used, including traditionally unrecoverable and hard-to-recycle items such as hair clippings, foils, excess hair color, aerosol cans, and color tubes.
Environmental impact and neighborhood integration are core concerns for the partners. “Community was a big part of what we talked about when opening a salon,” recalled Roy. They envisioned the location being more active than just serving the salon customer base. This perspective included integrating event space uses and art shows. The “Salon and Gallery” in Holy Moly’s name is intentionally balanced to include the owner’s vision for the salon’s place in Montavilla. “The gallery wall is designated in the back. Right now, we have an artist, Sara Murphy, who has these ceramic altars,” explained Jones. “I’ve brought on a friend who’s curating the space. We’re still trying to dial in how often, but every two to three months, we’ll have an art opening potentially.” The salon does not currently offer walk-in services, but they encourage visitors to come in to schedule an appointment, browse their retail offerings, or view the artwork on display.
Both Roy and Jones are excited to join the active business district on SE Stark Street and will work with local customers to meet their salon needs at a rate they can afford. Holy Moly Salon and Gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but hours may shift based on appointment schedules. They are looking to bring in two or three more stylists in the near future. Each person working from this salon will set their own pricing and availability, with the potential for walk-in services in the future. Stylists post their booking schedules and rates online at holymolysalon.com, and customers can call (503) 964-5244 during business hours to schedule over the phone.
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