Pictured is the inside of Steffani Hair Studio.
Submitted photo
Pictured is the outside of Steffani Hair Studio.
Submitted photo
Pictured is a chair and mirror inside of Steffani Hair Studio.
Submitted photo
CLARKS SUMMIT — After nearly ten months after the purchase of a 120-year-plus-old house on 214 N. State St., the property has been renovated to make its first floor into a hair salon called Steffani Hair Studio.
Alex Steffani, Lee Coffman, and Michael Mueller, who together form ALM Studios, bought the property on Aug. 30, 2021. After closing the deal with an attorney, they went to Clarks Summit Borough Council for information about permits.
“After obtaining all of the different permits, a group of contractors that we hired started working in the property,” said Alex. “There were a lot of people involved. There were plumbers. There were electricians. There was an architect. There were engineers for the plan development of the property.”
Because of the building’s old age, it needed to be retrofitted in order to become a business. New wiring and a fire sprinkler had to be added to it. During renovations, neighbors of the property told ALM Studios that the last resident was over 100 years old. PennDot gave a permit to renovate the driveway, which leads to a parking lot in the rear of the building. The property is now handicapped accessible with a ramp in the main entrance and grab bars in the restroom. While the second floor is owner-occupied, the first floor opened as Steffani Hair Studio. The building’s panoramic porch with patio chairs and a big view of State Street can be used for employees taking a lunch break or people waiting for a client. The old living room has sink chairs, which are the latest in ergonomic design in the hair studio. The old kitchen is now a reception with high-end hair products from an Italian brand called Davines Beauty & Sustainability. Alex said that this company is eco-friendly and uses recyclable packaging.
“There are not a lot of hair salons that carry their line here,” he said. “I want to do something a little different. Something that nobody has.”
Alex specializes in luxury hair with the latest trends of haircutting, hair color and highlights. He uses all of the different aspects of hair care. He also teaches his clients how to properly maintain their hairstyle to stay healthy at all times.
“Everybody has different personalities. Everybody has different lifestyles. I will tell them how to use it (hair product), how much they should use,” Steffani said. “Normally, people tend to use too much hair products. That’s why 99.9% of the people are not happy with the hair products because nobody teaches them how to use it properly.”
Alex takes the time to ask his clients what they want and if they want to change their hairstyle.
“It’s part of your job as a hairdresser to talk about these things,” he said. “Sometimes, there’s a lack of communication for when you’re performing a hair service.”
Alex is no stranger to the hairstyling business. For 14 years, he worked as a hairdresser at a hair salon called Tuscany, which is located in North Scotsdale, Ariz.
One of his clients told him, “When you’re cutting my hair, I feel like you’re doing a sculpture because you’re actually sculpting the hair.”
Alex knows this rings true because he has a background in fine arts. He displayed oil canvasses at AFA Gallery in Scranton. He has artwork exhibited at the hair studio. He enjoys creating paintings and drawings. When Alex moved to Northeastern PA, he worked at a hair salon in downtown Scranton. After seven years of styling hair there, he has finally been able to open his own hair studio.
“This is a new journey, a new adventure for me,” he said. “I’m extremely excited just being part of the community and doing what I love.”
Steffani Hair Studio is currently looking for hairdressers.
