Day and Night is meant to be more than a salon. At least come nighttime. While most Toronto salons hang up their scissors once evening rolls around, this one gears up for its second go. Its space is minimally adorned with stark white walls and simple mirrors, fixtures, and chairs, most of which can be wheeled away to transform the shop into a blank canvas for an evening event. That's the plan, at least.

Day and Night is just a few weeks old, but owner Chanel Crocker says it's already planning on a summer full of special gatherings. The space had its test via the salon's soft launch party, in which the reception area was transformed into a DJ booth, and well-wishers gathered to help kick off the business.

Chanel and I chat in the salon's enclosed back patio (an oasis while you wait for your colour to set, perhaps?), and she tells me a little bit more about her plans for Day and Night in the coming months. "Not necessarily a gallery," she begins, "I want this to be a mixed-use space. Something that is really connected to the art community. But that said, our focus is on being a hair salon."

Chanel worked previously as a a stylist at John Steinberg before deciding to open her own salon here on Dundas West . Working alongside her are her friends and fellow stylists Nikki Pereira and Ben Raine, who generally share her attitude toward current hair trends.

"I think hair is back in a creative sense," she says with her short blonde locks sporting a tousled wave. "It's not overly casual, but still wearable. Colour is back, short hair is back, and texture in a natural sense."

All three stylists do both cut and colour (priced $50-$65 for a women's cut, $40 for men, and single process colour starting at $50), and use (and sell) Sachajuan styling products from Sweden. But once the hair is set, the space is primed for evening events.

"We're going to be collaborating with Parkdale Beach Party all summer," Chanel says. "They will be doing the music at most of our events."

The precise schedule is still in the works as Day and Night continues to find its footing, but Chanel says to expect plenty of collaborations. And if you're looking for a blow-out before the party starts, you won't have to travel too far.

Photos by Jesse Milns