Olivia’s Redruth salon opens doors to visiting educators

Fifteen years ago, when Olivia was a Saturday girl at a busy Cornwall salon, a place of her own might not have seemed too far away. Since then she has cut, coloured and styled her way through more than a hundred bridal parties, run her own mobile round and taken a chair in a Camborne salon. Now, in a boutique studio on Wilson Way in Pool, she is opening the door to something new, not just for her own clients but for other professionals too.

From Saturday girl to studio owner

📷Screenshot

Olivia’s career began at 15, with a Saturday job at the well-known Cornwall salon Inkfish. An apprenticeship followed when she left school, and she qualified as a hairdresser in 2009.

She went on to work at a salon in St Agnes, where the focus was on Aveda products and a more considered approach to hair condition and colour, before a spell in Falmouth. From there she decided to work for herself, starting out as a mobile hairdresser offering cutting, colouring and styling and gradually building her own client base.

“Working for myself really helped me build my confidence, develop my skills and work out the kind of experience I wanted to give my own clients,” she said.

Falling into bridal hair

Bridal work wasn’t part of the original plan. In 2018, a regular client asked Olivia to do her hair and that of her six bridesmaids on her wedding morning. She had styled individual brides and done plenty of prom hair, but had never taken charge of a whole bridal party before.

The morning went well, and she loved it. Her husband told her afterwards she should get herself out there and do more brides, so she did. Bookings and bridal education followed, and Olivia has since worked with more than 100 brides across Cornwall and Devon. In 2026 she was named a South West Regional Finalist in The Wedding Industry Awards.

She still works regularly with other creatives in the Cornwall wedding industry, including photographers and makeup artists, on shoots that let her experiment with styles beyond what a real wedding morning allows.

A calmer kind of salon

Bridal work has become a big part of the business, but Olivia is also a hairdresser and colourist for her regular salon clients, with a particular liking for blondes, full restyles and bright creative colour.

After around a year and a half renting a chair at a salon in Camborne, she took the leap into running her own business, opening The Liv Bridal Hair Studio on Wilson Way in Pool, Redruth, in June 2026.

One of her reasons for wanting her own space was the clients who find a traditional, busy salon overwhelming. Olivia said she experiences anxiety herself, and understands why the noise and pace of a bigger salon can be difficult for some people.

“Having a smaller studio means I can create an environment that feels calmer and more personal,” she said. “I never want someone to feel like they’re being rushed through an appointment just because another client is waiting.”

Where Liv Sessions came from

Running her own space also got Olivia thinking about what else the studio could be used for. Over the years she has travelled to places including London and Manchester for advanced industry training, and as a mum of two running her own business, that kind of travel isn’t always practical any more.

“Why am I always travelling out of Cornwall? Why can’t we encourage more of these courses and opportunities to come to us?” she said.

That question led to Liv Sessions, a flexible studio-hire concept for creatives, educators, business professionals and visiting specialists. Rather than aiming to be a large training venue, it’s built around small, intimate classes and experiences, hired by the hour, half day or full day.

The studio has two professional styling stations, backwash facilities, large mirrors and workspace, Wi-Fi and limited on-site parking, along with a backdrop stand, makeup artist chair, ring light and handheld lighting. Whoever hires it stays in control of their own bookings, clients and business, with Olivia on hand nearby if support is needed.

She is currently reaching out to educators and other professionals about bringing sessions to Cornwall.

“It feels a little bit like everything has come full circle,” she said. “I started as a 15-year-old Saturday girl… Now I’d love to use that space not only for my own clients and brides, but to give other professionals somewhere they can bring their own ideas, education, creativity and expertise to Cornwall.”