project: PHD Salon & Barbershop
location: Laurel, MD
designer: New Idea Kitchen & Bath
counters and Ccabinets: Granite Outlet Kitchen & Bath Design Studio
lighting design: Mark DeVries, Inter-lux
barbershop photos: Elyse DeVries, Inter-lux
photos of Basim and Kenny: Cynthia Herrick

PHD Salon & Barbershop

After several unfortunate events struck Basim Shannon, owner of the PHD Salon & Barbershop, Kenny Lawal of Granite Outlet Kitchen & Bath Design Studio stepped up to help his friend. A former client of the barbershop, Lawal is well connected in the local design community and he was able to assemble a large group of vendors, including Inter-lux, to donate time, materials and labor to renovating the space.

Following a pandemic closure and a motorcycle accident that left Shannon with a hand injury, the 1400-square-foot shop had fallen into disrepair. Over 35 individuals and businesses came together to repair and replace everything from floor to ceiling, cabinets to countertops, and of course, lighting. Window air conditioning units were replaced with central air and the entire shop was freshly painted. Over a three-month period of time, the shop was transformed into a brighter and more energy-efficient space.

Mark DeVries, Inter-lux CEO, took the project on personally. Coordinating with the interior layout, Mark designed the lighting in the shop to be warm and inviting for the clientele, illuminate the styling chair work areas with glare-free indirect lighting, and accent the retail product built-ins.

The Whitegoods General Downlight (GDL) with 2.4” aperture was used for general illumination in the seating lounge and wall washing on a feature wall. The minimal recessed depth was critical for this project, and the multiple distributions accommodated all of the design applications.

The wall mounted Box Cove 2 (BC2) indirect cove, also from Whitegoods, was installed in front of each salon chair to adequately illuminate the client with evenly distributed, glare free lighting. The small scale of the BC2 renders it barely noticeable on the wall, while it produces the majority of the light in the space.
Very small aperture, adjustable accent luminaires illuminate and draw attention to the products displayed for sale adjacent to the chairs. These Loro RJ fixtures by Linea Light provided the right ‘pop’ to the space.

Thanks to the many generous vendors who collaborated to help a neighbor, the PHD Salon & Barbershop has a fresh new look and a more welcoming environment for its clientele.

Watch the video at this link to learn more about the barbershop and beginning of the renovation story.