Craft Academy Salon

Craft salon is a great place. It’s not too big and doesn’t have a pretentious feel that you get in some salons I’ve been to. It has a cozy, homey but trendy vibe that I like. All the staff seem very nice. You also get a yummy little bowl of popcorn, delicious tea and a hot towel when you first arrive– very nice touch. The manager seems to really know how to run a business and it shows in the quality of staff and service.
I get my haircut by Alicia and she is great! I have been going to her for several years now after searching for a while for a stylist I liked. She takes her time to work with my hair and always seems to give me a cut that I love. She has some great take away styling tips as well, ones that are quick and easy for me to do.
The only thing I don’t like is that I sense Alicia wants to sell me products every time I see her, so I sometimes feel a bit pressured to buy what she recommends. Also her cuts are very expensive. But regardless of these two downsides, it doesn’t stop me from going back because I like Alicia’s work and the salon is great:)
I would highly recommend Craft Salon.

I also took my two kids, ages 7 and 9 and they charged me $ 45 each for their hair cuts without a wash. They girl who cut their hairs was nice (that why I left $ 20 tip) but kids hair cuts should not cost that much. It was partly my mistake for not asking the price prior to them going in but I assumed no more than $ 30 on the high end. I now know not to go there for kids hair cuts.

I never write reviews unless I’ve had an exceptionally good or exceptionally poor experience. It’s also been years since I’ve had a hair cut that I’ve absolutely loved.
I have a lot of hair. Before I visited my stylist, Alicia, I could barely reach my scalp when washing it. My hair is also curly. But because of the volume and the way it had been cut in the past, my curls had no definition. Alicia had her work cut out for her.
I found out about Alicia online, and since I’ve had so many poor haircuts by people who claim to know curly hair, I decided to go in for a consultation prior to my appointment. Alicia was extremely knowledgable. She understood my hair goals and made some recommendations. On the day of my appointment, she did exactly what I needed. She removed a ton of weight from the top, kept the bottom of my hair looking full, and left my curls defined. I couldn’t be happier. I left the salon feeling like a weight had been lifted. Literally.
Amazing!

I came here because I just moved to van and need a new salon, it had great reviews and was close to my house so I gave it a shot and was not disappointed.
Coming in, my stylist (Rempel) was cheerful and bubbly and started by offering me some refreshments. She then took the time to ask me about my hairs’ history, texture, how much time and effort I put into styling it, what I wanted and expected from my haircut.
Once she actually started working on my hair she explained all the products she was using and why and was very knowledgeable. She gave me a great head massage while washing my hair and in the end I was very happy with my results.
The owner, Tanya, also took the time to come and chat with me, offer me some samples and coupons and make sure I had a great experience before leaving.
I will definitely be back!

These ladies are phenom. So talented and knowledgable about what they do, I’ve never left there feeling anything short of amazing. Kyli rocks — she’s cut my hair from long to lob to the shortest I’ve had my hair in a decade. She’s dyed it from electric blue to super natural blonde. I only trust her with my hair — sometimes I feel like she knows me and my style better than I know it myself! All the girls here are friendly and fabulous, and I’ll never go anywhere else for a hair appointment!

I’ve been going to the same hair stylist for decades! I’m very loyal that way and picky about where I get my hair done. I wanted a change and a friend of mine recommended Ally at Craft. I decided to take a chance and make an appointment. It’s almost been a year since I’ve started seeing Ally now. I don’t regret making the change at all! Before every appointment she always ask for my feedback on how the last cut was which I really appreciate. It gives me a chance to let her know if things need to be tweaked or not. She’s also great at ‘reading’ my hair and knowing my needs. She recommended different shampoo and conditioner and now my hair is lighter and I get more volume. The rest of the staff are also great! It’s so easy to make appointments and I’m always offered a coffee or tea with a little bit of popcorn! I recommend Craft to anyone!

I love Craft.
I followed my stylist here from her previous salon and I had no idea what I was getting into, but I’m glad I did!
From the get go the owner Tanya was awesome. So down to earth and very knowledgeable without being pretentious or obnoxious! Such a breath of fresh air in the hair world.
Now over a year in, I feel like one of the family as a client. Rempel my stylist is a doll. All the other stylists and front desk staff are fabulous! They are all unique in their own ways, but have a very symbiotic synergy to them.
The salon is a perfect balance of cool, casual, to professional environment. Everyone likes to laugh and have fun and often there are conversations happening across the salon from client to client and stylist to stylist.
The music is eclectic and never annoying. Endless magazines of all kinds. Wonderful hot towels and tea and a snack welcome you at the door.
And not to mention the TALENT of these ladies!!! They use L’oreal products and colour; which I adore. Rempel gives me the BEST cool, platinum blond that a natural brunette could ever ask for who is not Swedish/​Nordic/​Icelandic, but wishes she was!
I’m ALWAYS happy to visit the salon for my appointment and I’m never disappointed when I leave. Although Rempel is my gal, I feel like every one of the stylists does an amazing job!

I was first acquainted with Craft Academy when I followed Alicia from her previous salon. This group of driven ladies came together having all worked with each other before and through that they have created an environment that is not only pleasant and inclusive to all their clients, it is conducive to creativity and common goals — to grow in everything they do!
When I first started seeing Alicia over 12 years ago, we were both living in Saskatchewan. Over the years, we have been back and forth and I’ve always made sure to keep in touch. Not only is she the only one I truly trust with my short hair, we have become great friends and creative allies — I, a makeup artist, and her: hair aficionado. Following her to Craft was a no-​brainer and it gave me a chance to get to know other creative people like Tanya and Rempel. If it weren’t enough to feel the warm welcome when the salon was still brand new, I have also been invited on several occasions to do makeup for creatives and hair-​industry related gigs. Thanks for the inclusion, ladies!
These gals are top notch industry pros and they are always seeking out techniques and ways to improve their skills. As the name suggests, this isn’t just a salon — it is an academy of learning! Never be disappointed about that haircut you got at that place in the mall (I made that mistake when I forgot to book my gal in advance) — come here instead! And then take a lovely stroll down to Main Street for some local thrift shopping, all the while getting compliments on your fab new ‘do (I do almost daily).

I’m not very outside the box when it comes to my hair. I don’t do much with it, it doesn’t ever do what I want it to but I was in a real mood for something exciting. I wanted different, something with pizazz. I wanted color. I wanted my stylist to have creative control. Now, before I go further, I have no complaints about what I ended up with. It’s exactly what my reserved, in-​the-​box version would have requested and it’s flattering and it looks nice. But it’s not pizazz. She cut a bit of length off, added in some layers and depth and gave me some subtle highlights. I would have happily paid $ 180 + tip for pizazz but instead the price was a little bit hard to swallow. My stylist was great though and I’d go see her again if only because she’s obviously skilled and confident with the scissors and she’s really easy to converse with.

Yep Yep Yep! It’s pretty friggen great.
Start to finish I felt so looked after and cared for. The consult was thorough without being too long or rushed. I loved their «get to know me» form that I filled in at the beginning of the appointment.
I am happy with my hair cut. It feels so much healthier. Rempel is terrific and gives a great scalp massage, and not to mention has she has personality for days. She’s such a hoot.
Sorry Craft, you might be stuck with me forever. I’m hooked!

This place is so refreshingly different from any hair salon I’ve been to! The atmosphere they create is open, friendly, and relaxed. At the same time, the level of creative expertise and fine tuned skill is completely evident and impressive! I have been here 3 times so far; twice for me and once for my daughters.
Elissa («like Melissa without the M») is by far the most proficient hair stylist I have found anywhere! I so appreciate the way she really listens to what I want or envision, and repeats what she understands back to me, then breaks down what she will do in order to achieve the look that is possible for my hair. She continues to explain what she is doing while doing it, while carrying on catching up with me, as we do when we see someone only every few months. She is an amazing stylist, and REALLY knows her stuff!
But perhaps what I loved the most is her way of educating her clients about their hair, and the possibilities and options for their hair, in a friendly, considerate, honest, and down to earth way. She doesn’t push product, but does show me what she used in my hair to get the desired effect. I also like that they have a wide variety of product to choose from, that varies in price/​amount/​ethics, and I felt that what she suggested was doable for my price range.
Finally, I LOVE my haircut… It is absolutely perfect– I am so inspired to go back to her and see what she can create for me! (And the complimentary sweet and salty popcorn never hurts either!)

Walked in feeling blah, walked out feeling like a million bucks!
The haircut looked fantastic, but the whole salon really makes the experience what it is. The vibe is playful and welcoming, while still being very cool and polished.
I have had my haircut twice at this salon, and both times the staff made me feel right at home. In other salons I’ve been to, you see your stylist, and the others won’t even make eye contact with you. It’s rare to find somewhere this great with zero pretension.
The owner, Tanya, goes out of her way to make everyone comfortable and to make sure that no detail is missed.
(Had a truckload of beardo hipsters blow kisses at me on the way home. Exactly what this sleep-​deprived new mom needed. Thanks for the awesome haircut!)

I’ve started coming here since my hair stylist moved from her last place to Craft Academy. I wasn’t sure I wanted to follow, thinking it was a bit of a drive but since I’ve started growing my hair out, I needed Ally’s help.
The drive here is so easy, there is so much free parking available in the area and the food choices? So many good food choices here! I came early (Nice Shoes is across the street and I wanted to go shopping) and found a really good tea place, a restaurant I really want to try and this delicious German bakery.
The décor is very open and clean looking, very white and grey without being austere. The other hairdressers here are on the younger side (does this show my age that I consider people in their 20s young?) with a fun sense of colour.
The shampoo? Good, nice head massage, good products.
The cut? Always amazing and she showed me a few tricks to keep my hair from looking so flat (stupid super straight hair).
They also seem to have fun nights for clients, once every few months, to show them some new tips and tricks for their hair. I would definitely recommend people come and give them a try.

I have been getting my hair cut by Alicia for a couple of years now, and when she helped to open Craft Academy, following her there was a no brainier. I have long, thick, wavy curly hair, and she cuts it so skillfully that it looks great with very minimal time and effort each day. Even though Alicia is highly skilled, she often spends more time on my hair than stylists I’ve visited in the past. I would say she is a perfectionist, and that’s a good thing. I never feel rushed in and rushed out with Alicia; she listens to what I want, and somehow interprets my poor descriptions into a lovely hairstyle. It is a very zen experience. I had to work hard to find her when I moved to Vancouver, but so glad I did.
I’ve been to Craft only once now, but it was a very positive space filled with good people and literally, rays of sunshine. I like that they are part of an environmentally sustainable salon collective (GreenCircle I think), which means that almost all of their waste is recycled or re-​purposed. Kind of amazing when you think about it. Last time I was there, I heard the story of what happens to unused hair coloring… pretty neat.
From our conversations during my haircuts, I know that Alicia has been involved in training and education programs for other hair stylists through the Loreal Institute (?) and now, becoming part of Craft has allowed her to take that passion to a new level. This is why it is called Craft *Academy*! They offer educational opportunities for stylists as part of their business model.
Anyway, you should check it out! I bet you’ll love it.

I followed Alicia from her previous salon (Pomp and Proper – you can check her following there on Unilocal) to Craft Academy, so my review is mostly a testament to Alicia’s ability and skill with colour and cutting. I’ve gone to well-​regarded salons in San Francisco, and Alicia has produced better results than any of them. She listens; she works from feedback to make adjustments; and she has years of experience. Alicia has been the best discoveries I’ve made in Vancouver.
Craft Academy is a new salon, but its stylists and colourists have decades of experience from what I understand. I like the space and location: airy, homespun, fresh. I appreciate that they offer the L’Oreal professional line, and that they’ve even brought in some organic products. Yarok’s organic line would be a homerun if they were to include it.