Heads and Tails is a new neighbourhood salon with a touch of old grandeur about it. The first venture of Angelo Piaggi and Monique Smart has been able to fashion a quirky and vintagey style hairdressers, being free of the uniform styling set out by big hairdressing chains. That means you'll find a boutique salon dressed with distressed leather sofas, a decorative piano and baroque curly mirrors at every cutting station. A relaxing 'zone' is set out in an exposed brick corner, complete with dartboards, stocked bookshelf, a serious looking coffee machine and a cocktail shaker.
Piaggi and Smart, with an impressive hair-history covering New Zealand, Milan, and several salons in Covent Garden and Camden Town, have thrown themselves into the renovation project. Their own personal touch is evident in the small details- my complimentary drink rests atop a book (a weighty looking tome of 20th Century Theology) which acts as a kooky shelf. Products come from the excellent eco-friendly Kevin Murphy range rather than the ubiquitous Kerastase.
I opt for a trim and reshape to add some life back into an over-grown style. After a luxury wash and condition the cut is sharp and precise, without any exaggerated fluffing or hair tossing. Angelo expertly re-crafts a side-fringe around a pesky cows-lick and finishes off with a lustrous blow-dry that has friends still commenting on its super-shine a day later, despite a fair dose of London's worst weather.
Bottom line: A good value new local that delivers a thoughtful service from idiosyncratic surrounds.