Commercial

"I've worked in the beauty industry for the past fifteen years; which means that I've seen hundreds of salons and spas with every possible décor you can imagine: homey Steel Magnolia-style shops; hip, edgy industrial salons; and ultra chic European-style spas, to name a few.

When I bought my own hair salon in downtown Wilmington, I knew exactly which look and feel I wanted the space to have, but I didn't know how to achieve it on my own. Without the assistance of a professional designer, I worried that the space would end up looking like a hodge-podge of different ideas instead of a flowing, consistent establishment that appealed to both male and female clients.

A friend recommended Cape Fear Traders. I met with them and talked briefly about my vision. They asked great questions and pointed out considerations that I never would have thought about like painting the ceiling tiles to create a more voluminous feeling in the building. Hiring them for the job was one of the easiest (and best) decisions I made during that hectic start-up period. While I worried over staff, permits, equipment and inventory, Cape Fear Traders handled everything design-related. They came up with all of the ideas and scheduled regular meetings to present textures, finishes, materials, furniture and accessories to me. At each meeting they insisted: 'If you don't like what we've chosen, we'll try something else', but I never had to take them up on that offer. Everything Cape Fear Traders selected looked fantastic to me.

The final result was amazing. I don't know a lot about feng shui and Zen, but I do know that Cape Fear Traders created that amazing atmosphere here. They thought of every detail like these great arrangements they made out of wild grasses and river rock. CFT pointed out that the wild grass mimicked hair and that the river rock adds to that "Zen" feeling, but the arrangements serve a practical purpose too. They visually separate our reception area from the stylists' booths and cut down on the noise coming from the main work area. Now that's genius!

Everyone loves the look of the salon, and the feedback has been phenomenal. We get compliments on every thing from the rug to the lighting to the "cool" and "classy" feel of the space. Working with Cape Fear Traders was truly a pleasure and I recommend them to everyone I know. It pays to invest in a professional design team; our business wouldn't have been the same without their expert touch."

—Chad Bean, owner of Imago Hair Studio

As an entrepreneur, there are three things that I know best—the world of business, the furniture design industry, and people.  Cape Fear Traders is a shining star in all of these areas.  Not only do they have a stellar background in design and a keen eye for merchandising, they're also a team of great integrity.  I've sought their valuable input on multiple projects, and I'm always pleased—not only with the results but also with the ethical, honest, and straightforward way they go about achieving the end goal.

—Jimmy G. Cone, Jr.