Now that COVID restrictions have been lifted, it’s time to get back out into the world… and your hair is one of the first things you should be taking care of. After MONTHS of doing nothing to my hair because of the pandemic, I was so excited to finally be able to get a haircut by a professional — and I even took it a step further and indulged in a balayage treatment at the highly acclaimed and popular Rob Peetoom Salon in Williamsburg.
After sheltering in place for so long, walking into this chic Dutch salon was a slice of heaven. The salon is spacious, immaculately clean (a common Dutch trait), and welcoming. Pictures do not do justice how beautiful the establishment really is — and the reception area looks more like an upscale European living room with its comfy pink Italian sofa and purple velvet chairs. Towards the rear of the salon is a bar area where customers can enjoy a glass of wine or a cup of coffee. Because the pandemic is not over yet, I could not have one of these beverages, but I was immediately offered boxed water and an antioxidant nut pack by the friendly receptionist. After receiving my pre-beauty service treats, I was introduced to Antony Bui, the colorist who would be doing my balayage.
For those who are unfamiliar, a balayage is a highlighting treatment that does not use foils. Instead the colorist will hand-paint directly on your hair, or as Anthony says, “I am painting on your canvas.” Anthony really took his time to show me color options along with painting his canvas to make sure I would be satisfied and come out looking glamorous. The process does take a while, but it is definitely worth it. After the color set for 30 minutes, it was time to wash everything out. However, because I was getting a haircut, I did not know how my color would look until everything was finished.
It was time to move on to master hairstylist Adriana Papaleo, who would be cutting my damaged locks that were in dire need of major therapy. After speaking with Adriana for only a few minutes, I knew I was in great hands. Adriana provided expert advice on how to fix all my hair troubles and update my look. She prides herself on listening to what her clients are saying and what they are not saying as well, thus creating looks that are tailored specifically for them. She says, “I believe that our hair tells a story about who we are, and it is such a privilege to help my clients tell theirs.” For the first time I had a hair stylist really listen to me and the outcome was better than what I expected. Adriana gave me a fabulous stylish cut and blowout to really impart that “I just walked out of a salon look.” Anthony’s color turned out phenomenal, and I could not be happier. I left Rob Peetoom feeling totally refreshed, loving my new look, and ready to face the public again.
To learn more about the Rob Peetom Salon brand and its heritage, I had the privilege of speaking with CEO Rochelle Peetoom, who answered these questions:
I see there are 11 salons in the Netherlands and one in Bali. What made you decide to open a salon in Williamsburg?
It all started as a fun conversation between Rob and an editorial hairdresser friend of his from Williamsburg that flew over to Bali to do a photoshoot. “Williamsburg is the new Soho, Rob Peetoom should open a creative space there. A space where we focus on bringing together the best talents in the industry, where we develop collections, source trends and provide the best education.”
As a family business, we love to take unexpected adventures. Bali was a big surprise for most people, as was our New York expansion. What people don’t know, is that it’s all part of a bigger plan to enrich the careers of our stylists. Who wouldn’t want to be a hairdresser that can work in Bali and New York for a few years? By doing this, stylists want to work for us and stay long-term, this then gives us time to train our stylists and for them to build on their experience, ensuring the highest quality services for our clients.
New York also completed our “beauty triangle.” Our roots lie in the Netherlands, known for natural beauty. Bali adds the inner beauty angle, and New York of course is all about aspirational beauty.
Can you give me a little more background about Rob Peetoom and how he decided to open up his own salon?
Rob Peetoom made a name for himself as a young hairdresser when he worked on beauty and fashion productions all over the world for television and magazines such as ELLE and Vogue. In 1969, he opened his first salon and quickly introduced the concept of price differentiation (different prices for different level stylists). With his entrepreneurial spirit, he showed the beauty world that things could be done differently. In this way, he paved the way for the development of his company and he set up a fully equipped head office.
Over the years, the Rob Peetoom salons have won many international awards, including the Global Salon Business Award, the World Master Award and the Intercoiffure Academy Award for the training program of the Rob Peetoom Academy.
Rob personally acted as a jury member at Elite Model Look, Holland’s Next Top Model and the Miss Netherlands pageant. Rob has bundled his knowledge about beauty in his personal coffee table book and bi-annually publishes an edition of Peetoom Bookazine, which has had cover models such as Game of Thrones star Carice van Houten, celebrity Paris Hilton, supermodel Rianne ten Haken, and Victoria’s Secret model Maud Welzen, all photographed by Rob himself.
The newest venture of Rob Peetoom will be the upcoming second Hair Spa in the spiritual heart of Bali: Ubud, opening in the fall of 2021.
What would you say makes your salon different from others?
Next to the quality services, experienced stylists and sensational interiors, the Rob Peetoom salon in Williamsburg was built upon the belief that individuality is at the forefront of beauty and wellness – your haircut and hair color should be in tune with your face shape, skin tone, and complement your personality and lifestyle. Everyone can have beautiful hair, but for everyone, that should look different.
Anything else you would like us to know about Rob Peetoom and the Williamsburg location?
Beside the exceptional hair services, Rob Peetoom Williamsburg also offers the most divine beauty treatments by our very own “skin engineer,” Natalia. Working with the unique treatment methodology of Biologique Recherche, based on personalization of skin care or with the plant-based and clean formulas from Comfort Zone.
Our team consists of the best hairdressers and colorists in the industry. They are editorial super talents, very well-renowned in the education world, some owned their own successful salons, others work closely with celebrities. Check some of them out on Instagram: @Drewschaefering @leonardomanetti @ninarubelhair @adriana_papaleo.
For more information, visit https://www.robpeetoomnyc.com/.
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