Richard and Lisa bought the ex-butchers premises in 2004 in a bad state of repair. They took the opportunity to completely renovate the building, gutting it completely and installing new windows, a new roof, new plumbing and electrics. Five months later it was transformed into the modern men’s salon you know today at a cost of £88,000.

Back in October 2005, Hairdressers Journal International featured an article on North For Men’s salon transformation, so to mark our anniversary we thought we’d take a trip down memory lane and publish it…enjoy!

The article was titled ‘Chop and change – A former butchers shop is now a modern day barbershop.’

North for Men has been a well-established men’s hairdresser’s in Leeds since its conception in 1937. Owned by husband and wife team Richard and Lisa North, the business recently relocated to larger premises nearby to capitalise on the growing men’s market within the area.

“I joined my father’s business in 1981 and since then we have created a very busy and modern men’s salon, but as both the business and our reputation developed, we needed to accommodate our growing clientele,” says Richard.

Taking the business to a new level meant finding larger premises, so when the couple came across an old butchers shop just 20 yards from the original salon, it was the perfect opportunity to create their dream salon.

“The premises were in a bad state, but the building itself was perfect for what we wanted,” recalls Richard. “We were immediately attracted because of its size and location. Buying this property also meant that we could own our premises rather than leasing, as we had previously done.”

The decision was made to completely gut the building so that the builders could embark on their restoration project. A new roof and windows were fitted and new plumbing and electrics installed. Five weeks’ later the former butcher’s shop had been transformed from a shell into a modern men’s retreat, where clients can feel comfortable, welcomed and valued.

“At North for Men we are passionate about cutting hair and saw this opportunity as a way to create a platform from which we could display our talents,” says Richard.

Ben Stevenson from Fire with Fire was commissioned to design the salon. “We chose him as we felt he was in tune with out brief, which was to create something out of the ordinary, that wasn’t intimidating and with a masculine feel,” states Richard.

The salon uses spot lighting throughout, with down-lighters highlighting the product displays. It also benefits from green LED lighting inside and outside the premises, which adds a subtle green ambience to the salon, especially at night.

There is the same sleek design and colour scheme throughout the salon. Oak veneer adorns the retail area, while the walls are painted in an eggshell finish. “We went for strong masculine camouflage colours combined with stark white walls. The ceiling is black, which is highlighted by the spotlighting we have used,” says Richard.

The resin floors have a strong, highly polished, contemporary look. “The floor has proven easy to keep clean. It is also a flexible surface to stand on so it’s easy on the feet.”

The reception desk boasts a brushed aluminium top and toughened etched glass frontage, which accentuates the colour scheme throughout the salon, while the perspex North logo lettering on the wall strengthens the brand throughout. To the right of the reception desk is a sumptuous seating area, where clients can read magazines and enjoy freshly ground coffee, cold beers, or soft drinks. Clients can also browse through the products in the retail area here.

Perhaps the most striking feature within the salon is the large mural on the wall, depicting an old barbershop scene, “We wanted to add a reference to our hairdressing heritage,” says Richard.

There are four styling stations in the main area, with a fifth located in a more private area where colour-work and shaving services take place, “to offer clients privacy when needed.”

The four stations are set beneath a large, horizontal mirror that stretches across the salon wall, with white REM front wash basins set in front of the motorised Takara Belmont chairs. The sinks are set in oak laminate, with cupboards beneath to store all the electrical tools and products.

With the salon proving a success with friends and clients alike, the creative couple are thrilled with the end result. “Relocating the salon was a fantastic decision for us, especially as male grooming is a growing industry,” says Richard. “We feel we have given men a unique environment and the service they deserve.”

The post From Butchers Shop to Barbershop – 15 years on Town Gate appeared first on North For Men.

David has been cutting and styling hair for 21 years. He trained under the guidance of his father at his Horsforth based salon whilst also also studying to gain his barbering qualifications.

David went on to open his own Salon in his home town of Pudsey, which her ran for 18 years, before joining the North For Men team.

David is a proud father to two girls; his 12 year old daughter is a rising star in the world of swimming and currently swims for Leeds (David isn’t too keen on the 4am starts to take his daughter to swimming training though) and his 10 year old is a keen and talented dancer who also attends training classes. When David isn’t acting as a taxi service to his daughters, he is a passionate armchair supporter of Leeds United F.C.

We hope you’ll join us in welcoming David to the team – we’re pleased as punch to have him on board and we’re sure he’ll be a hit with you, our customers.

Welcome to Team North David!

The post Welcome David – highly experienced stylist joins the North For Men team appeared first on North For Men.

James Kirton from the Great British Barbering Academy providing a masterclass on all the latest barbering techniques to new Team North member, Joe.

The Great British Barbering Academy team of educators have hundreds of years of experience, countless awards and a plethora of successful barber shops under their aprons, and are some of the most in demand barbers in the country.

Team North taking it all in, James demonstrates all the latest barbering techniques.

James delivered an advanced course on fades and blades and taught us everything we needed to know on creating some of the most sought-after and fashionable hairstyles and beards in the barbering industry. Foil fading, drop fading, razor fading, texturing, beard trimming, beard shaping and beard knowledge – you name it, we were given a masterclass in all the latest barbering techniques.

The entire team were keen to learn everything they could from James.

Our two new recruits to Team North were also in attendance – we’ll be announcing their arrival very soon! The entire team were totally inspired by this intensive training day and gained valuable knowledge on all the latest techniques.

You’re never to old to learn, James keeping an eye on Richard practising the new barbering techniques.

We would like to say a huge thank you to our models who gave up their free time on Sunday for us to practice on.

We can’t wait to put these skills into practice so if you’re looking for the latest cutting edge fashionable hair style, or super shaped beard, contact the team now to arrange your appointment. As always, a warm friendly welcome and free freshly ground coffee awaits you.

The post Team North in training with the Great British Barbering Academy appeared first on North For Men.

This is sad news for us at Team North as Matt, and his great sense of humour, will be sorely missed by us, and I’m sure his clients too. We are, however, proud as punch of his achievements and wish him all the very best success for the future.

Matt wishes to say a huge thank you to all of his loyal customers over the years. He has throughly enjoyed his time serving the good people of Guiseley and wouldn’t have wanted to be a barber anywhere other than at North (Awww, thanks Matt).

I’m sure you’ll all join us in thanking Matt for his skills, dedication and the laughter throughout the last six years, and wish him all the very best in his future career.

Matt’s last day at North will be Saturday 16th February.

If you’d like to book one last appointment with Matt before he swaps his scissors for a life of crime busting, please contact the salon.

The post From Barber to the Boys in Blue appeared first on North For Men.

This year our team member Matt Tuner is taking part in the 2018 Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday22nd April to raise money for a charity close to his heart, the Bone Cancer Research Trust. His cousin Jude, aged 12, has been diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of cancer that can develop in any bone, especially in children.

Matt is hoping to raise awareness of the Bone Cancer Research Trust who offer hope to people affected by primary bone cancer. Their mission is to save lives and improve outcomes for people through research, information, awareness and support.

As some of you will already know, Matt is an avid gym goer but he doesn’t really do running (unless it’s after a football!). With your support, and plenty of S Club 7 tunes on his marathon playlist, we’re sure he’ll “Reach” the finishing line!

Please join us here at North for Men in supporting Matt and his family by making a donation on his Just Giving page.

The post Matt’s running the London Marathon for charity appeared first on North For Men.

As part of the Guiseley Christmas Lights Appeal, it will build on the success of the two previous fundraising events to provide even more Christmas lights for the Guiseley community.

The event is sponsored by Manning Stanton and Aireborough Decorating Centre, and we too are proud to be offering our support by sponsoring the events programme.

It’s sure to be a great afternoon of fun taking place right outside of the salon on Towngate. There will be something for all the family; the stage will see a variety of acts to entertain you, a food court to keep you well fed, shopping stalls, funfair rides, lantern making and Santa’s Grotto.

Special guests James Hooton (Sam Dingle) and Karen Blick (Lydia Hart) from Emmerdale will also be there and the event will culminate at 6pm with the Christmas lights switch on followed by a fantastic Fireworks display in memory of Wendy Fawell.

Wrap up warm and we’ll see you there!

For more information, visit the Guiseley Christmas Lights Appeal Facebook page.

The post Guiseley Christmas Market and lights switch on! appeared first on North For Men.

Those of you who have visited North For Men in Guiseley will know that we are a sporty bunch of stylists! Conversations often turn to talk of football, rugby league, running, weight training or swimming. By his own admission, Richard is more of an armchair football fan these days, preferring the pastime of swimming to the rigorous demands of 80 minutes on the pitch.

It was therefore a no brainer when we were approached by one of our customers, and a Guiseley Juniors FC coach, Dan Spiers, to see if we could help support the team with sponsorship for new tracksuit tops. Whilst the club hasn’t been a part of the Guiseley establishment for quite as long as North For Men, they have been in existence for nearly 30 years so we didn’t hesitate to offer our support for a community club.

With around 50 teams and in excess of 500 junior footballers playing within the West Yorkshire area, the club is one of, if not the biggest club in the country; continually helping local boys and girls in the grass roots community improve their game, promoting high standards of behaviour and respect in the game.

Team North were honoured to have a number of the team visit the salon on Saturday to show us their brand new tracksuit tops that will be keeping them warm and dry this season. After a few photographs and a chat with Richard the boys were off, ready to prepare for their first official game of the season the following day (lollies in hand – they do need to keep their energy levels up after all!).

Guiseley Juniors FC are an FA Charter Standard community club, and have official FA qualified coaches. The quality of the football is top tier and the team spirit second to none, and they’re always on the look out for new players, boys and girls! If you want to get involved as a parent, there are always opportunities to get involved as coaches, assistants, fundraisers and more – they’re a big organisation, requiring all manner of skills from men and women to run smoothly. Guiseley Juniors FC takes child welfare seriously and every player is asked to follow the Young Player Respect Code of Conduct Commitment.

All of us here at North are proud to help support Guiseley Juniors FC and we wish them every success this season! I’m sure we’ll be hitting the side lines soon to cheer them along!

The post North For Men sponsoring Guiseley Juniors FC appeared first on North For Men.

As some of you may know, Alex is currently on maternity leave, and Emma will soon be joining her when she takes her maternity leave in July – we wish them both well and look forward to their return.

We have therefore made the decision to recruit a new member to the team, so it is with excitement and great pleasure that we introduce you to Lisa Cooter! Lisa is a highly experienced and talented men’s hair stylist who, we are pleased to say, has made the move from the other side of the Pennines to join us here at North For Men barbers in Guiseley.

Lisa starts with us on the 18th April and we know she’ll fit right in with her quirky style and warm personality. We’re excited to have coaxed Lisa away from leading men’s hair salon, Flanagans, in central Manchester where she has been a firm favourite for the past 8 years.

Lisa specialises in scissor cuts, both short and medium length, and is renowned for her ‘Manchester mod-style’ cuts – who knows, maybe they’ll catch on here in Guiseley! With NVQ Level 2 & 3 qualifications and over 12 years of experience, Lisa brings a wealth of men’s hair cutting experience with her to the team.

Lisa lives in Shipley with her partner and, like the rest of the team, enjoys a good gym session after work. She’s also partial to rock music (Avenged Sevenfold, Blink 182, System of a Down to name a few) and likes a good live gig or festival (as long as it doesn’t rain too much, that is!). We’re sure she won’t miss her commute over the M62 every day and will perhaps get to spend more time cooking – we sense a team bake-off coming!

We know Lisa will make an excellent addition to the barber shop team here at North, and we hope that all of you, our customers, will give her a warm Yorkshire welcome too!

Adding one more “Lisa” to the team may cause some confusion, so please be sure to specify whether you would like your stylist to be Lisa North or Lisa Cooter when making your booking.

Welcome to team North, Lisa. The region’s strongest barber collective has just got even better!

The post New stylist joining the North For Men team appeared first on North For Men.

Various levels of experience will be considered for this great opportunity to join our team at a highly popular and established men’s hair salon.

If you love cutting hair and working within a very friendly and motivated team of passionate and experienced stylists you should contact us as soon as possible.

We might be a men only salon, but we welcome female stylists too!

Three of our team were previously ladies only hair stylists. They fancied a change and joined the North For Men team; they love it so much they wouldn’t go back!

This position would suit a current barber, or hair stylist who fancied a change and switching from ladies to mens. We can provide some coaching if we believe you are the ideal candidate but your skills aren’t quite to our high standards.

Our priority is to exceed the standards of other men’s salons as this this is what sets us apart!

If you’re a dedicated and hard working hair stylist, the rewards at North For Men are excellent.

If you would like to apply for this position, or would like further information about the role, please contact the salon on 01943 879 490.

The post Vacancy for new stylist to join the North For Men team appeared first on North For Men.

We want you to feel this good in-between visits too. The trouble is, lots of men struggle to recreate that salon fresh look at home. This is where the right products come in.

The key to the right product is knowing exactly what hair type you have and having a clear idea of how you want your hair to look.

We use American Crew and MUK products in the salon, they offer the most comprehensive choice for us as stylists and the finest quality for you, our customers. We don’t “upsell” and we never push products that we don’t think you’d benefit from, so please feel free to ask next time you’re in for a snip.

Otherwise, why not pop in and let one of our experienced male hair stylists take a look at your hair and talk through your options? Or if you’re too far away we have put a few rules of thumb together below that will help you choose. (Find out how to get to us here.)

Identifying your hair type

It’s all about the thickness of your hair. Fine hair needs much lighter products (sprays and creams), thicker hair needs the heavier stuff (paste and wax).

Matte or Shine?
As above, you need to know your hair type for this too but it’s also worth thinking about what style you usually go for. More textured styles often work best with a product that will you give a matte finish. If you’re the type of guy who has a slicker more formal style, higher shine gel products could be the perfect choice for you. Not forgetting curly hair, light creams will provide a good shine without weighing down your locks.

The finish

Finishing products give you ultimate control and are best kept for those of us who like to have every last strand of hair in the right place.

Don’t forget that we are here to help. Unless you live with a stylist, the only way to get salon hair at home is if you have the right product and someone in the know has explained how to use it.

Call us to book in for a consultation.

The post Choosing and using the right products for your hair appeared first on North For Men.