Inside the creation of the Blowouts & Company salon

Adrienne and Preston Pannek, alongside Rickie Tapia, had been running and working in The Lash Loft on Commerce Street for several years, always keeping an eye on the space next door. They knew that one day they wanted to expand and take on a new venture.

When the space finally opened up, the team almost immediately began brainstorming. But they needed to see the lay of the land.

There were rotted out floors with holes, a caved-in ceiling, pipes duct-taped and poking out every which wa and massive amounts of water everywhere. It was a far cry from what the trio of perfectionists imagined.

“The walls were all painted in oil paint. There was hair stuck to it,” Preston says.“So they all had to be sanded down — walls, ceilings, everything.”

This was more than a fixer-upper.

“This was the hardest rebuild I’ve ever done. It was absolutely disgusting here,” Preston says.

They started throwing around some ideas. One of the earliest decisions was the color scheme. Bright purples, teals and emeralds were going to be essential for the final look. They wanted it to feel “overly elegant,” like being “inside of a grandmother’s jewelry box.”

Blowouts & Company.

Nine months of manual labor and design work created a luxury blowout and haircut salon.

Starting at the green door, metal butterflies are used as a fun take on security bars. Upon entry, you’re greeted by forest green seats and couches and large eclectic art. The walls feature wood slabs in a shou-sugi-ba style, a Japanese technique that highlights the grain after a burning, sanding and glazing process. All done by hand.

Everything is accented with gold.

The large mural, which spans over the entirety of the two-story wall, is sentimental for the Panneks.

“My mom calls me and my sisters her ladybugs, so we put three ladybugs in here,” Adrienne says.

The two deep blue figures that juxtapose the rich purple of the mural’s background?

Those are Preston’s little cousins.

Texture was another point of interest for the space, from the greenery-lined walls, the gold flower-lined “Deep Ellum Blow & Co.” wall and the birds and butterfly fixtures you can find flying upstairs.

“We’re really big on textures and keeping your focus, not just sitting but enjoying your space. Everything’s different,” Preston says. “No matter where you look around, you’re gonna find something different to look at and pay attention to.”

One feature you simply can’t miss, from both the upstairs portion of the salon and the entrance, is Moouis Vuitton, the lifestyle cow art piece made with Louis Vuitton print. Of course, his family is with him, the Gucci cow Moocci and their smallest herd member, the Fendi cow Moodi.

“We wanted this to have more of a homey feel, where you can feel comfortable and relaxed. That’s what a hair salon really should be,” Preston says. “Like you’re talking with your family.”