Today we’d like to introduce you to Romi Cortier
Hi Romi , it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I came to Hollywood to be in actor in the early 1990’s, leaving behind a very successful salon career in Seattle. Six years of acting classes turned out to be the perfect place to meet new clients, such as Sharon Lawrence, Leslie Bibb, Teri Polo, Rosa Blasi, Jessica Steen, and June Lockhart to name a few. I left the acting world in 2000 and enrolled in UCLA’s prestigious Interior Design Program. In 2001 I put my new found skill set to work and opened my own boutique hair salon on Larchmont Boulevard, which let me combine my love of Interior Design, with my ever growing roster of cut and color clients. My next design chapter took me to Palm Springs where I bought and renovated several homes as a weekend hobby, filling them with my original oil paintings and intriguing wall murals. I documented the mural makeovers, which garnered me over two million views on YouTube. When I met my future husband Recio Young in 2014, who worked in Reality TV, we combined our skill sets to create our own TV Pilot ‘Artful Living’. The show’s concept explored 120 years of design and how it’s relevant to the world today, by exploring the major design movements of the 20th Century. We were married in Venice, Italy at the Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal in 2019. We filmed the entire event for both a documentary and a sizzle reel. I designed the entire wedding in 9 months with bespoke tablecloths, art pillows and chinoiserie tuxedos. My continued Love of Design and Art has culminated in a new found position in politics, by serving as the Business Representative for the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, as well as being a board member for the Larchmont Boulevard Association (LBA). I recently created a Legacy Bench Program for the LBA and partnered with the Larchmont Village BID which is purchasing matching trash cans, both in a chic French Blue which we hope will become Larchmont’s signature color. My salon turned 24 this January, and I’m so grateful for the community that I’ve found in Los Angeles.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting over is never easy, and it truly requires patience and belief in yourself. I’ve discovered that it can be difficult to get others to see your vision, and it may require you to go slow and be as specific as you can. I’ve also learned that there is no guaranteed return on the time and money one invests in a project, which can be very frustrating. That said, I’ve always learned something in that process, and those things may show up to support you later in life. Case in point, my acting career went absolutely nowhere, but the years of voice and acting classes ultimately served me very well as a public speaker, politician and small business owner. Another pitfall has been being self critical and not believing I have what it takes. I would encourage people in their 20’s and 30’s to be more patient with themselves, and do things for the absolute joy of it, not just for the purpose of checking it off their ‘to do’ list. If you’re also a creative like I am, then know that you might get bored and you may need multiple projects at once. Even if it takes years, always commit to finishing what you started. I truly believe that if you have a vision or idea for something, others will rise up to help get you there. However, that requires sharing your idea, and being willing to receive feedback that might not align with your ultimate goal. But the process of collaborating with others, my help you refine your idea, making it better in the long run. It’s rare to hit a home run on your own…
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My visual aptitude is my strongest asset, and it shows up in several ways in my life: oil painting, interior design, hair color, civic design, and art collecting. My skill set as a hairdresser has taken me the furthest in life and is what I’m known for. A large part of that success is the salon environment that I created in 2001. When I rebranded by business in 2015 I developed a very fitting tagline: Where Art Inspires Beauty. My boutique salon is full of my original fine art paintings, as well as merchandise created from those images, such as coasters, mugs, notebooks and metal prints. My sense of color shows up not just in my work as a Haircolorist, but also in the rich interiors I’ve created, as well as in my artwork. As an art collector I feel passionate about supporting other artists. Recently I’ve been collaborating with Alex Vizsla, a remarkable muralist I discovered on Instagram, to bring his exquisite artistry to Larchmont Village. My hope is that my beautification efforts for Larchmont Village will be what I’m ultimately known for. And the idea of helping create a civic space that exudes elegance and charm, would be the ideal legacy I’d love to leave behind.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Consistency. It’s really important to show up everyday and put your best foot forward, even when you don’t feel like it. My clients know that I usually run on time, and that I keep impeccable color records. If they hand me a photo from 5 years ago, I can go to their color card, look up exactly what we did and reproduce it. While creativity is very important, I think it’s the consistency that has kept clients coming back for over 30 years. I also feel that my outside interests in the art and design world have kept me passionate about color, and also makes for great conversation behind the chair.
Pricing:
- Blow Out $75
- Base Color & Blow Out $125
- Haircut $125
- Highlights $275
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.RomiCortierDesign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/romicortier/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/romicortierdesign/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/romicortier/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/romicortier/videos
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/romi-cortier-design-los-angeles
- Other: Blog: www.WhereArtInspiresBeauty.com
Image Credits
Kim Bajorek Photography – 2 images. Romi in Salon & Shampoo Bowls
