WALLINGFORD — The hair stylists at a new Yalesville salon work out of wooden drawers by the light of electric candles set between dark wood paneled mirrors.
“We knew we wanted to go for something rustic,” said Stacie Naccarato, a town resident and owner of the Rustic Brush, 329 Main St., which opened on Jan. 18. “Something light and bright, but with rustic accents.”
Two woodworking artists built her a wooden desk and booths of wood slabs held to the wall with thick rope.
The four Rustic Brush stylists each worked in Wallingford for over a decade. Naccarato said there has been so much support already she had to order more waiting room chairs.
“It’s been amazing,” she said.
Many clients followed them from their previous salon.
“What we’ve kind of said from the beginning was, starting in the new year we said, ‘new year, new place, same faces,’ ” she said. “We understand that it’s not only a change for us, it’s a change for our clients.”
Customer Darlene Curtiss said she’s glad to see her stylist of 20 years, Roxie Naccarato, Stacie Naccarato’s mother-in-law, working in the new salon.
“It’s hard to start a new business,” she said. “I wish them the best.”
Stacie Naccarato said her motivation to open her own salon came from a desire for change. She said she’s received support from other local hair stylists in the area, even those working in the same plaza and those at her former salon.
She’s had stylists reach out to her to ask if they can partner to teach lessons in her salon, which she hopes to begin doing soon.
After about a month, she’s feeling at home in her new location.
“I fell in love with this area here. It’s busy, but there’s a coziness to it,” she said.
The busy location has helped attract walk-in customers, who Naccarato said are always welcome. They work with clients of all ages, men and women alike, offering regular haircuts, styling, coloring, and brow, lip and chin waxing. She especially enjoys hair coloring, saying “handpainting, highlights and customizing the color to each client, that’s important to us and something that we enjoy doing.”