Craft Salon opens in downtown Royal Oak

A new salon has opened in Royal Oak and its co-founders are working hard to ensure that it caters to everyone. Punks and lawyers, blacks and whites, men and women -- all are welcome customers, the co-founders say.

Craft Salon opened March 22, offering the gamut of hair, makeup, and facial waxing services. The owners, Sarah Markel and Natasha Vranic, have been in the industry for about a decade each, meeting at another Royal Oak salon along the way. Markel says that Vranic had been wanting to open her own salon for a while before Markel agreed to join the venture. It's a natural partnership, she says.

"We collaborated on some projects and we found that we work together really well. And we fight even better," says Markel. "It's productive. We fight like sisters. We balance each other out."

The pair characterizes their own style as gothy -- "like Beetlejuice at a cocktail party," says Vranic. But she and Markel employ people with a wide range of styles, ensuring something for everyone. They challenge themselves and their staff to be well-rounded and versatile.

"We're always educating ourselves, pushing ourselves to be better and stay up on all the latest trends," says Vranic. "We're creative people capable of any type of clientele."

Craft Salon is located in an old 1920s farmhouse, just blocks from Main Street. The building was a salon in a previous incarnation, though some things had to be fixed. Markel says that the fact that the business is in an old house makes everything immediately comfortable, with lots of windows and the warmth of wood floors.

Markel and Vranic encourage appointments to be made via text message, which can be made at (248) 990-4169.

Craft Salon is located at 522 E. 11 Mile Rd. in Royal Oak. It is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

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