Capello has a fresh, new look
Student designs salon to bring a sense of calming
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

Capello Salon and Day Spa owner Joe Freitas stands in his new East Amherst location with Julia Chang, who designed the facility while attending Buffalo State College. The new salon opened in June at 9424 Transit Road. Photo by Joe Eberle Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

What began as just a design on paper, Julia Chang's image of a salon and spa now stands in East Amherst.

A graduate of Buffalo State College, Chang's interior design class was presented with the task of designing the new Capello Salon and Day Spa at 9424 Transit Road.

"Our class was told we had to do a design for a commercial building, a hair salon and day spa," the Amherst resident said. "We found out eventually that the design would become real."

After being given the dimensions, door and window locations and general layout, the students had free reign to create a spa.

She said she focused on dividing the space, making sure the spa was a quiet area, away from the noise of blow dryers in the hair salon.

"As you go through Capello, it's a transition, there is less noise toward the spa area," she said.

Once her floor design was reviewed by Capello's East Amherst location owner Joe Freitas, her creation became a prime candidate among the 12 in her class. At the end of the semester, the students presented their design.

A few days following the presentations, a call from Freitas had the new designer ecstatic.

"I was really excited. Everyone in class was very anxious to get the project, and I was happy to be selected," she said.

Chang's design for Capello's new salon became a reality in June. The previous location is only a short distance away on Transit Road. Freitas purchased the land for a new salon and spa, which doubled the space to 7,600 square feet - 5,000 of that is the spa and salon, and the remainder is used for upstairs office space.

He said he gave the students the outline of what he was looking for, including high ceilings and a water wall element.

"Julia Chang's design is almost identical to what we have here today; the layout, materials and flooring," he said. "It's state-of-the art and calming."

The colors were changed from Chang's original design. Initially she used blues and tans to create a beach-type atmosphere. That was changed to browns because Freitas wanted a "warmer" feel to the space.

The new space allowed Capello to add body treatments that had not been offered in the old building. The full-service salon and spa also has hair care, massages, manicures and pedicures, and hair removal treatments.

Also added was a meditation/ relaxation room where clients can sit before or after a treatment.

Freitas said with the East Amherst/Clarence area growing, so would Capello. The new location offers the space and services that the business and clients both need.

"I give the students a lot of credit. They are very talented and worked hard," Freitas said, adding that he is proud of the collaboration between Buffalo State and the salon and spa. "We reached out for help with a design, and there were a lot of fresh ideas."

Chang said she had envisioned her design in its completed stage, but when she finally saw it she felt a lot of emotions.

"I was very satisfied. Here you had so much time and effort and heart into something, and I was happy with the outcome," she said.

Freitas said during the past 10 years, the number of people using spas has exploded, where it used to be something people did on vacation.

"Our forte is on service. Servicing each client is personal; they come for a lot of different reasons," he said. "Capello continues to raise the bar in our industry."

Capello also has locations in the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 6 Fountain Plaza, Buffalo, and 5422 Main St., Williamsville.

For information on the new East Amherst location, 9424 Transit Road, near Casey Road, call 639-8019.