Washington Square Studio — Local services in Athens-Clarke County Unified Government

This was a strange, disappointing experience. I'm 60 and been to hair salons in Boston, Dallas, and Atlanta, and never seen anything like it before. I live in East Metro Atlanta and was accompanying my college-aged daughter to Washington Studio for a first-time visit. My daughter booked online, and was required to reserve a new client appointment, which was described as including extra time for initial consult. The rate shown for a new client appointment was the same as the cost for a long hair/one hour cut. For the stylist she wanted to see, the starting cost for each of those was $95. My daughter has long curly hair and did research to find a salon and stylist she felt was a good fit for her. She included a description of what she was looking for with her booking request. She got an email and text confirmation the next day. We drove from Covington to Athens on a weekday for a 1pm appointment. The trip took a little longer than it was supposed to. We discussed calling the salon at 1 to let them know we were close, but since we'd be there before 1:15, we decided there was no need. It took us a few minutes to locate the salon once we parked. My daughter went straight in, while I paid the parking meter. While I was still gathering my purse and phone from the car, my daughter returned and said, "they say the stylist is too busy for me and they have a strict 15 late cancellation policy." I said, "but we weren't even 15 minutes late, were we?" We checked our phones, it was 1:19. My daughter had spoken to the receptionist, booked a new appointment for Friday, and walked back to the car. I didn't understand how 15 minutes could result in cancellation without even a discussion with the stylist as to what my daughter needed done. (My daughter does not require drying and styling after cuts, which by itself saves 15 minutes compared to what I'd need.) When I went in to ask, the owner of the salon said it was a strict policy because the stylist wouldn't be able to fit in the rest of her clients that day. I asked how new clients could know that was a policy, and she insisted it was posted clearly in the reservation system. No, it's not. The system states there is a 24 hour cancellation policy, nothing about being late (see photo). What I found especially odd was that at no point did my daughter or I see the stylist herself. She was not working in the main area. She didn't come to speak to my daughter to explain anything, or even to spend a few minutes to talk about what my daughter was looking for. Somehow, she didn't have 15 minutes for a consult, or even 2 minutes to say hi, even though we'd reserved a new client time slot, which was supposedly an hour of her time. (If she was that booked up, where was she? We waited a bit to speak to the owner, so we would have seen the stylist at her chair if she was there.) The receptionist said she tried to call us at 1:12. We were finding parking at that time and missed the call. (What would she have told us at that point? "Unless you hit our door in 180 seconds, you're cancelled"?). My guess is the stylist needed to run an errand or get lunch. But regardless, the complete lack of flexibility and apology on the part of the salon owner was galling. She was very clear we were at fault, not her reservation system or her stylist. She could have said and done a lot of things to demonstrate some actual sympathy for our situation, which would have left us with a less negative impression of the salon. Instead, it was very clear this business already has all the customers it needs and doesn't care if it alienates a...

I’ve been seeing Brandi at Washington Square for 6 years now and can confidently say that Brandi is the best stylist hands down! I am forever impressed by her level of professionalism and her technical ability. She is an intuitive stylist and her artistic eye has me leaving the salon feeling like a hair model every time- I mean it- I have never once been disappointed with my haircut. I tend to keep the same basic style but Brandi somehow always manages to keep it current and fresh with subtle tweaks so that I leave feeling like I have a brand new style. Beyond the fact that she is so talented, I always enjoy talking to her. She is warm, friendly, interesting, and funny. I always feel comfortable around her, which says a lot because I’m pretty socially awkward. She is thoughtful and takes her time, I never feel rushed which I appreciate. Over the years I’ve had compliments on my hair from many people from young to old. I’ve had an old man tell me my hair looked like Audrey Hepburns’. A woman once made a point to swim up to me in a pool just to tell me my bangs were impressive. Countless people have asked me where I get my hair done and every time I don’t hesitate to say “Brandi at Washington Square!” Even my daughter at five years old insisted she have her hair cut just like mine. I watched in awe as Brandi somehow managed to give my constantly wiggling child a precision hair cut. It should also be noted that Brandi is amazing with my kid who can be a bit of a handful- she loves to go see “Ms. Brandi”. The salon itself is on- trend, lively, fun and inviting as well as socially conscious. The front desk staff is always warm, welcoming and nice- like really really nice! They’re always happy to help with scheduling. The owners, Shayne and Allie, did an amazing job creating a truly unique space- their attention to detail is evident in everything from the decor to the people they have chosen to be a part of their team. The result is a one of a kind salon that is truly an...

I never write reviews for things, but I feel so strongly about this place. I can’t even begin to express how grateful I am to have a hair-relationship with Allie at Washington Square Studio. I NEVER liked my natural hair until I started coming to WSS. Not only that, but I had a total curveball hurled at me when I was put on hormone replacement therapy last year. HRT turned my entire life and body upside down; my hair has been in a constant state of flux with new growth and seemingly random texture changes, and Allie has been able to roll with it at every turn, listening to my frustrations and insecurities, keeping me feeling good about my hair and appearance when nothing else about my body was predictable. Allie and Shayne have created a safe environment where I can be my silly self but also taken seriously and cared for. And while I personally have never had my hair colored here, good god have I seen Shayne do THE most incredible looks on other clients while getting my mop chopped by Allie. I would have never guessed that the hair I used to loathe would be the thing I feel best about! This place is a sanctuary and the people who work here aren’t just hairstylists, they are freakin’ superhero angel magicians!!! Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to the self esteem you deserve. Life is rough af, ya might as well look like a baller while...