We welcome our new community correspondent, Lizze Slocum.
by Lizze Slocum
for Altadenablog/Altadena Online
Pictured: L-R, Julie Washington-Elliott, Susann Edmonds, and Chris Schumacher take care of their clients the natural way.
Inside the house, designs painted in soft colors on the walls (one has a fairyland mural) and floor beckon the eye. This 1908 farmhouse has been lovingly and romantically decorated. Soft lace adorns the living room windows. In the corner of the room stands a hammered dulcimer. Yet while inside, one’s impression is that of light and air – outside the home’s windowed doors are bright sky and an irresistible garden.
This Altadena property has been home to Susann Edmonds for the last 11 years, as well as the site of her beauty salon, A Chair in the Garden. Edmonds, a hair stylist, cook, registered Master Gardener, and ordained minister, has created a welcoming, relaxing atmosphere for her clients, who mostly find her by word of mouth and who are seen by appointment only.
A Chair in the Garden salon offers hairstyling by Edmonds as well as facials and makeup artistry (including eyelash extensions) by Julie Washington-Elliott, massage therapy by Chris Schumacher, and ear candling treatments by Gabriella Soriano. Often these services are presented with special offers that change. “There is always something special that is happening,” says Edmonds, “and all of us have affiliations with other salons.” The professional exchange of information “keeps it fresh,” according to Edmonds. She and her partners make a priority of staying current with their practices and of attending after-beauty school and educational programs.
Pictured: just part of the salon's lush garden setting.
Perhaps the most important component of A Chair in the Garden’s services is that each client can expect individualized treatment. Edmonds takes care to not only make clients look great but also to match a look to their lifestyle and personality. Says she, “It’s important to be creative and be knowledgeable, but it’s more important to see to the nurturing of the client’s personality. We really want to take care of people and feel good about it, but not just to let them have their hair looking great or their skin looking great—to also let them enjoy the experience.”
Experiences offered by Edmonds take many other forms here as well. She frequently shares her vast garden with the greater Altadena/Pasadena community by lending it as the site of special events. One recent party celebrated here was the Pasadena AIDS Service Center’s 2010 fund-raiser: Big Night Out. The garden was transformed into Alice’s Wonderland, and Big Night Out enjoyed a record-breaking event. In November, the Pasadena Scots bagpipe band held A Taste of Scotland here, to raise money to attend a bagpipe competition in Scotland.
The garden itself is also a source of inspiration for beauty services offered. Edmonds and her partners use products that contain natural ingredients, but she researches the compounds before putting any product to use. She says, “healthy is a priority. Even though it says natural, you still have to be conscious of what it is.”
Outside, among her garden’s plantings are fragrant lavender and sweet olive, datura and Arabian jasmine. At different times of day, different plants are at their peak of bloom. A client walking into the salon through the garden may brush against a fragrant plant, thus beginning a natural aromatherapeutic effect. “From the minute you walk in, you should start getting relaxed,” says Edmonds, who has made a name for herself creating special occasion up-dos that feature – plants. From simple flowers tucked into a bride’s hair to lavish updos with woodsy, leafy, flowery ornamentation, the garden is never far from the experience.
A Chair in the Garden salon, by appointment only, 626-345-1722.
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Lizze Slocum is a professional mom and expert laundress and head of the gardening staff in her Pasadena back yard. She can’t really cook or clean very well, but she gets her hair touched up once a month. Her hobbies are writing and copy editing.
