It took 10 years of careful searching, but Amy Hanson and her husband, Roger Tellinghuisen, finally found the perfect building to house their businesses.
Now, after about 10 months of demolition and renovation, the interior of the building - which is located at 201 Jefferson St. and once housed offices for Lake County Dairy - is as trendy as anything one might find in a major metropolitan area. Downstairs, it houses Service First Electric, a company Tellinghuisen began two years ago with his partner, Steve Fowler. The building's second floor is home to Mrs. Hanson's brand-new Jefferson Terrace Salon and Spa, a stylish, full-service salon.
''We looked for a long time,'' Tellinghuisen said. ''It was really hard to find a building that would suit our needs. We wanted to be in downtown Jamestown and we looked at every single viable building that we could afford. We weighed a lot of things when we were making our decision. You want to feel like your investment was worth it and ultimately, I think we were successful. People come in, even after a couple of visits, and just shake their heads and tell us how nice it looks. That's really special for us.''
Not only did the perfect building happen to be in downtown Jamestown - a central location for Mrs. Hanson's clients - but it also had a private, 16-space parking lot, was close to the storage warehouse Tellinghuisen uses for his company and included plenty of room for Mrs. Hanson to open her own business.
''We honestly couldn't have asked for a better building,'' Tellinghuisen said.
The couple purchased the building in September 2007. But while the ''perfect building'' had almost everything, it needed extensive interior renovation work - to the point that all but three of the building's original walls were removed and the interior was stripped to the studs and joists. Months were spent painstakingly renovating the downstairs so Tellinghuisen could get his business up and running. Then, in January 2008, demolition and renovation work on the upper floor began. Hanson's salon opened for business on Nov. 10, 2008.
Friends and family members played an important part in the building's renovation, with Mrs. Hanson's own parents coming in to help. Her father, Jack Hanson, who once owned Hanson Signs, created the sign for the building.
Hiring local contractors to work on the project was important for the couple, Mrs. Hanson said.
''We felt it was very important to use local folks,'' she said. ''Shopping locally and using local firms instead of going out-of-town for everything really has a positive impact on the local economy.''
''Some people say that nothing is happening in Jamestown, and that always frustrates me,'' Tellinghuisen added. ''There are so many unique companies here. If you look hard enough, you can find everything you need just by using local folks. This town certainly isn't huge, but there's a lot happening here. It's our town.''
The couple worked with Dan Gorman Contracting. Gary Helner of Counter Intelligence designed and installed the salon's custom countertops, while Scott Clauson of Clauson Ceramics in Bemus Point and Ron Bentham of Bentham Plumbing did work on the salon's shower and bathroom. Welding was done by Loren Swanson. The couple also worked closely with the staff at Chautauqua Brick Co., Inc. All of the chairs in the salon were made by Fancher Chair Co. in Falconer.
The upscale salon features hardwood ash floors, cut from trees that once stood on the couple's own 24-acre property. The couple hired Denny Barmore, who owns a mill in Gerry, to mill the floorboards.
''We wanted this place to be very unique,'' Mrs. Hanson said. ''I think we succeeded.''
A DREAM COME TRUE
Mrs. Hanson, a licensed cosmetologist who has spent 27 years in the business, works with five other people at her salon - John Helgren, a licensed massage therapist and licensed cosmetologists Samantha Mighells, Erica Winterberger, Mary DeMarco and Cindi Manocchio.
''Opening my own salon has always been a dream,'' Mrs. Hanson said. ''It's hard work, but it has been very rewarding. The people I work with make it special. They contribute a great deal and I couldn't do this without them. They make the place work.''
In addition to a full range of hair cut and style services, Jefferson Terrace Salon and Spa features a unique color bar that offers six different color lines. Situated in one corner of the salon's styling and processing area, the color bar allows customers to see first-hand the color being mixed for their hair and openly discuss various options with their stylist. It also provides Mrs. Hanson with a place to provide classes for her stylists.
''It's very important in this business to keep up on what's fresh and new and to look for sources of inspiration,'' she said. ''You don't want to be stale. I plan on continuously offering classes whenever we can fit them in.''
A custom pedicure area, where clients climb onto a small platform featuring lush, pillow-covered benches and soak their feet in custom granite sinks, was constructed in another corner of the salon. Four different pedicures are offered. Across from the pedicure area is a custom-designed massage therapy room where a licensed massage therapist provides five different kinds of massage. Next to the massage therapy room is a room designed specifically for facials. Manicures are offered in an area of the salon near the color bar.
In spite of all the custom touches and unique services, one of the most defining areas of the salon - a coffee bar and comfortable seating area - is situated near the entrance.
''We want our clients to feel like they're our guests,'' Mrs. Hanson said. ''Ultimately, that's what it's all about.''
