The Bird House salon: Brooklyn’s best kept secret

I have really been missing my ombre hair. I don’t dye my hair often or get too crazy with it when I do (although I’ve had an obsession with trying midnight blue streaks…one day…). But ombre – which basically describes a dark-to-light gradient – is different to me. I feel like it adds dimension, and is a little more interesting than my usual monochromatic blah hair.

And since I don’t do it often, there are very few people I trust with it. Mary at Sam Brocato is one of them, but it can get pricey ($200+ for highlights) and my wallet is only so deep. Incidentally, my writer/hero, Nicci, has been telling me for MONTHS about how fantastic her hairstylist sister, Brooke, is -– so much so, she recently opened her own private studio The Bird House in Carroll Gardens. “You HAVE to visit her. I know I’m biased, but my friends who have gone to her have said it was literally the best haircut AND color they’d ever gotten,” Nicci wrote me in an email. Now I know one thing about Nicci is she will NOT promote something she doesn’t believe in, so it was an easy sell and I decided to give it a try.

I made an appointment with Brooke and trekked down to Brooklyn (about 45 minutes from midtown) yesterday morning. I had no idea what to expect but when I got to the front I realized how private of a studio this is!

The front of it looks like it can be any apartment building. There’s no sign, except for a little picture of a bird by her doorbell. I felt like I was in on a secret. Brooke greeted me at the door and led me right in to her studio. It’s a small, one-chair, one-wash station space but with so much charm.

I had emailed Brooke a picture of what I had in mind – a couple from my last dye job which I really liked, but a few of model Lily Aldridge who goes a bit lighter with her hair.

I could tell she really studied the pictures after asking me about the little details in the pictures, like how high the lighter color went on Lily in the picture I sent and if I wanted the same thing. I told her I was getting my hair trimmed soon also so to go a bit higher than I normally would. We talked about it in detail and then Brooke went right to work.

She deftly applied the dye with such ease and hung out on the chair next to me while we waited for the bleach to set, only getting up intermittently to check on the color. It came out exactly how I was hoping for without even the need to tone it further.

If the color wasn’t enough to get excited over (and it was), the blow out was just insanely beautiful. I was barely paying attention as I yapped away, but when I looked up halfway through my jaw dropped – the waves were so beautifully set without being overdone. It’s exactly what I want from a blow out but seldom ever get from stylists who usually see my hair and just want to go loco on it. I can honestly say I just LOVED it.

I am seriously so happy with it. I really felt like the small space almost lends itself to just making the focus on you as a client because I got exactly what I asked for. Thank you, Brooke!

What do you guys think??

I have yet to get one of Brooke’s famous haircuts (as Nicci would say), but I’d definitely go back for more. If you’re in NY, you have to visit The Bird House yourself to see what I’m talking about (and the cost is a lot more reasonable than a lot of salons in the city — check our the menu here). BATF Exclusive Discount!!: Mention this post/BATF when you book by November 23rd to get 20% off your service! Also, text Brooke at 952-412-1457 for the fastest response ☺.

Salon Info:
The Bird House
490 Court Street (entrance on Luquer around the corner from the pet store)
Brooklyn, NY 11231
(952) 412-1457
F/G train stop at Carroll Street
Carroll Gardens

x
Shy

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