about us

Cutting and colouring our way through the Lower Mainland for 14 years - we are a small boutique salon (we prefer intimate) that offers personalized service and care. With five stylists (Quentina, Morgan, Ursula, Carl and Jen) and owner Lisa - we’ll meet your needs in a way that is thoughtful, current, understanding and fun. In other words, we will not only give you a great haircut but also the latest news on hot restaurants, movies to see, reality TV updates, and our political opinions (whether you want it or not - did we mention it’s an intimate space?)

Our values are pretty straight-forward: we like dogs, we want you to be happy with your hair and yourself - and we want to use and sell products that are earth-friendly and sustainable.

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products

At Storm Salon, we are concerned about the health of our clients and the wellbeing of the planet. We put as much thought into our product lines as your hair and are continually sourcing the latest eco-friendly goods.

We carry a full line of AVEDA hair care products and exclusively use AVEDA colour. It is 99% naturally derived and has a protective plant oil blend featuring sunflower, castor and jojoba oils for amazing shine and condition.

For 100% natural, we have the full line of hair and skin care by John Masters. This is a beautiful organic assortment of product, rich in essential oils and completely sulfate and paraben free.

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staff

		Lisa When did you know you wanted to be involved in the hair business? I was 4 ½ and inspired by Twiggy. I wanted to create that same look on my 4 ½ year old best friend - Missy. I sat her down with my cut and paste scissors and merrily began chopping away. It felt so good - and in my opinion - looked good. To the horror of her mother -- the transformation was astounding. I took her golden shoulder length locks down to uneven, spikey strands. My newfound career was over as quickly as it started. The next day my mother, Missy’s mother, Missy and I marched off to the beauty salon for a fix. At that moment I knew my place. I was destined to run a salon - not style people’s hair. more... When did you arrive at Storm and why did you stay? It was 1995. Having no business experience but my childhood memory - I knew I wanted a salon that was going to make people look good but not be an intimidating place to visit. The 90s salons were all flash - everyone was in black and created big, busy, highend, intimidating environments. Alix (my business partner, best friend, and hair stylist extraordinaire) and I knew very little about running a business but knew we wanted a salon that was a fun, happy place where people look good and feel good. And now, coming up to 15 years later, our focus hasn’t changed much other than our concern for the environment. We’re more conscientious and dedicated to chemical free - natural - organically derived product. The hair industry uses dangerous products for their clients and the environment - we're doing our part at Storm to make the world a cleaner, healthier, place. Because of my concern for the environment - and because I still love looking good - Storm works for me. What is the most important human value for you? Integrity. I think it's important to stand by your word, be helpful and be loyal to your people. I feel that how I treat my staff, clients, friends - how I live my life in general - is reflected in the business. What is your greatest wish? Living my life to the fullest. A happier me means a happier you. I want to do as much as I can for as many as I can. I don’t need to save the world - that’s asking a little much. I do want to help people to feel beautiful - inside and out - and this is truly important to me. less...
		Quentina When did you know you wanted to be involved in the hair business? In high school I cut my friend’s hair. I had no idea what I was doing but I did it and it made her happy. Then, I remember a pivotal moment at Axis where I was apprenticing. I realized that cutting hair was the perfect job for me. It was creative, fun, lively -- and I could make people feel and look good. I was 22 - and I still have a handful of clients from that first year (if you account for the fact that I told people I was in my first year of being a hairdresser for three years…) I’ve had the opportunity to do hair for magazine shoots which I like because it pushes my creativity a little. But most important and moving to me is seeing someone’s face light up and have a skip in their step when they walk out of the salon. more... When did you arrive at Storm and why did you stay? I came to Storm almost 12 years ago. I needed a change from the large salon ‘factory feel’ to something more intimate. Storm felt genuine and sincere -- full of good energy. My interview consisted of dinner at Lisa and Alix’s apartment. Benny the dog vomited under my chair and two cats were crawling all over me - needless to say I am very allergic. Lisa made pasta. What I liked about it is that Lisa and Alix were interested in getting to know me. Did I fit in? Did we have a similar vibe? Storm attracts wonderful people. It’s an interesting mix and nobody is completely crazy (only a little bit crazy.) We respect and appreciate each other, and most importantly we are friends. Lisa has created an environment where clients look forward to coming in. They look forward to the conversations and how they’re treated. People can be themselves and talk about their lives. From what is making them happy to what is making them sad - they feel safe, free and comfortable. It’s nice when people drop by because they’re in the neighborhood. And it’s so telling that they do. What is your greatest wish and most important value? For everybody to eat good food; for everyone to experience love in any form; and for everybody to be able to see the little things that give them a smile. Like an interesting looking bird flying in the sky. Or a great glass of wine that they've never had before. A perfect bite of food on your fork. And noticing a tree that is beautiful and full in the middle of downtown. It’s the little things that we forget to notice or are too busy to see that can bring us such joy. For me, it’s walking by a bakery, smelling fresh bread and having that feeling of, ‘oh my god I need to have a piece of that with a slather of cold butter and crunchy salt’ - to be exact. less...
		Morgan When did you know you wanted to be involved in the hair business? I didn’t envision becoming a hairdresser. When I was a teenager, my parents bought me a home hairdressing kit and I started cutting my own hair. I was 15. Then it became a matter of anyone else who would let me cut their hair -- my dad, brother, neighbors, friends. My first impulse to cut a woman’s hair happened in grade 11. I was dying to give my chemistry lab partner an asymmetrical bob. She never let me. She did end up in my chair, entirely by an act of fate, six years later. She didn’t book but was a walk-in. And I finally got to cut her hair. I trained at Axis when I graduated – the rest is history. more... When did you arrive at Storm and why did you stay? I came to storm twelve and a half years ago when Lisa and Alix opened the salon. They started as friends and have become family. What is the most important human value for you? The most important human value to me is empathy. I always put myself in the position of trying to understand what people are feeling and going through. What is your greatest wish? …that I never lose my sense of curiosity. less...
		Ursula When did you know you wanted to be involved in the hair business? Never. It was one of those circumstances where it fell in my lap and I’ve been at it ever since. I originally took a course in fashion merchandising at Blanche Macdonald because I love design. I found it difficult to make a career out of it and ended up training at Axis. As that was 19 years ago, it was obviously meant to be. I like the versatility and appreciate that every day is different. And some of my clients have been coming to see me for over 15 years. I get to follow their lives, see how they grow, watch them start families - it’s interesting. more... When did you arrive at Storm and why did you stay? In the past, I tended to move every five years. I didn’t want to leave hair dressing but I would get this urge to move to a new place - a need for change. I’ve known Lisa for 20 years and a few of the times when I experienced ‘the urge’ there were no chairs available. Until 6 years ago. Yes, 6 years. I like the freedom of Storm - that we’re encouraged to have a life outside of hair - to be whole and complete people. It allows me to bring the richness of life to work. What is the most important human value for you? Honesty. I hate bullshit. To me, it’s the foundation of relationship. If you don’t have it, the foundation is very weak. less...
		Carl When did you know you wanted to be involved in the hair business? My British father was ex-Navy and when it became clear that I wasn’t going to follow in his footsteps, we agreed that I would become a chef. I was working late into the night and on weekends 3pm to 3am -- six days a week. The kitchens were dark with fluorescent lighting - I hated it. I did it for four years and when a friend suggested I become a hair stylist I jumped at the chance of being in a social, artistic and warm-hearted business. more... When did you arrive at Storm and why did you stay? I arrived in Canada from Australia in 2005 and I had to wait for my residency status. It took twelve months. During that year, I walked around the city and explored all the salons - imagining which one I wanted to join. I remember walking by Storm and liking the bohemian, artsy feel. It wasn’t cold like chain salons but inviting and warm. The day that I got my papers I walked by Storm and there was a ‘hair stylist wanted’ sign in the window. I walked in and introduced myself to Lisa. By the end of the conversation she asked me, “When can you start?”. That was three years ago. What is the most important human value for you? I like making people feel good about themselves - important and special. And I’m attracted to people who seek that help - people that want encouragement in finding their best selves. What is your greatest wish? My greatest wish is to be happy, stable and content. And I feel that I have arrived at this point. I’ve had an amazing life where I’ve traveled the world and had the opportunity to engage in great friendships. Seeing how others live and struggle, I realize and appreciate that I’ve been fortunate and I am very grateful. less...
		Jen When did you know you wanted to be involved in the hair business? My whole life -- since I was a little girl. I used to make my sister constantly sit while I did her hair. One day I did her hair in corn rows with beads on the end. After that, everyone on the block got cornrows. I was 10 years old. more... When did you arrive at Storm and why did you stay? I used to get my hair done at Storm. I liked the vibe and feel and always hoped that I could work here one day. To be honest, it was my only plan when I went to hair school. There was no plan B. What is the most important human value for you? Kindness. Happiness. Humour. It is how I was brought up, how I try to be and what I look for in people. What is your greatest wish? Happiness for myself and the planet. less...