Steampunk’d Salon & Gallery

A his and hers business with a salon on one side and an art gallery, in the making, on the other.

Salon owner, Shawna Jackson, specializes in hair; cutting and coloring. Hair has always come easy to her and she has a passion for making people feel good. If you’re looking for a salon with an amazing atmosphere and an experienced hair stylist Steampunk’d Salon is the place to go!

Shawna’s husband, Nick Jackson, is an artist and musician who is opening an art gallery/performing arts studio on the other side of the salon. The gallery is currently still in the works, but will be used for his watercolor paintings, events, and live music.

How did you get into this type of business?

It’s his and hers, my part of the business is the salon and his part of the business is the art gallery, and that part is still in the works. My husband is an artist and musician, and I’ve been doing hair for almost 30 years. I'm from Edmonton, AB, where I took my schooling at N.A.I.T., (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology), did a year of apprenticeship in a high-end salon, and achieved my Red Seal. I’m always training; I have worked as a color educator for 7 years, in addition to working in the salon, and worked many hair shows. I really wanted to be a scientist and I was going to go back to school and take sciences or become a teacher but I have studied hair so much that I've discovered it’s really a science; the science of color and shaping.

What is your favourite aspect of being a business owner?

To be able to control my own business and use the color line and products I like. My first pick is L’Oreal Professional and I’m the only salon in this area that uses L’Oreal Professional products and colors. L’Oreal Professional is one of the top products in Europe, it’s not really strong in the Maritimes, and so far in the Yarmouth area I’m the only one that carries it. I’m also the only one, in this area, that carries Paul Mitchell products. The best thing about having my own business is the freedom to do hair the way I want to do it, instead of the way somebody else wants me to do it.

Where do you hope to see your business in the next year and 5 years?

In the next year I’m hoping to have the art gallery up and running with events being held in there. Within the next 5 years I’d like to continue to keep the salon successful and have the events/art gallery grow, bringing the opportunity for people to enjoy this building as much as we do. I also hope to see the outside more steampunk’d. I’d like to see the decor in this place go back in time to look like a building from 1888, which was when it was built as The Milton Library. We want to take it back to make it look historically accurate. I want people to walk into our salon/gallery and feel like they could be anywhere in the world in this old structure.