Salon in the Spotlight: The Beauty Shed, Swansea, Wales
By Rebecca Hitchon | 27 June 2024 | Feature, Salon & Spas
Step inside The Beauty Shed: a welcoming salon nestled within the Welsh countryside, as owner, Katie Dutton, shares the story of the space…
Undertaking beauty training in 2004, Katie Dutton didn’t pursue a career in the sector until 2022, after a conversation with her beautician friend. “We talked about how I wish I had stuck at a career in the beauty sector, and she gave me the push I needed to pursue this again,” Katie reveals. “I started my beauty business on a mobile basis, as Beauty by Katie, while juggling a job as a PA and looking after my two children. My husband and I were also saving for our first house and were keen to buy somewhere with an outbuilding, or a garden big enough for a summerhouse salon.
“Two years later, we bought a house with a garage opposite, which used to be a cobbler’s,” Katie continues. “My husband grafted hard to turn the space, which didn’t even have an electric supply at first, into The Beauty Shed. It took three to four months to complete during evenings and weekends, and the salon is painted in bright white and decorated with green foliage, gold accessories and inspiring pictures.”
Situated in the quaint village of Craig Cefn Parc, The Beauty Shed is surrounded by countryside. “The salon has a beautiful view, where my clients and I can watch ponies and sheep on the mountain. This is my favourite aspect of the space, and I will look at it every day for the rest of my life,” says Katie. “It feels like I am doing something good for the community by lifting spirits. Clients are so pleased my business is on their doorsteps.”
Katie offers a range of beauty treatments, all of which are popular. These range from L&P acrylic, gel polish and builder gel nail services to waxing, lash lifts and facials. She hopes to offer more treatments in future, including Hydrafacials and dermaplaning. “I also want to keep making my village happy with my services – maybe I will even inspire someone else to open a small business,” she shares. “One day, I hope my children will want to take over the business.”