Stefani Dewar has always been a girly girl. Sharing a household with six other siblings, including four sisters, she was always the one trying out new beauty techniques.
“I was the sibling that did all the hair, did the makeup, did the eyebrows. I was that person for my family. I was always interested in beauty, and while getting my services done in Jamaica, I just came upon the problem that yes, there are talented service providers, but the spaces don’t always reflect that standard,” she explained.
Taking this concern to heart, Dewar decided to couple her love of beauty with her background in architecture and interior design to create the Haven Beauty House.
She told Lifestyle that aside from her love of beautiful spaces, the space emerged from myriad motivations. “Primarily, it was conceived to empower talented women who have taken the step to improve their circumstances despite the odds. This haven was made to highlight beauty-service providers, ranging from categories of beauty.”
She continued, “The second significant reason is to change the landscape and feel of beauty spaces in Jamaica to a more inviting, luxurious, and modern atmosphere, where both staff and clients can truly relax and let go while carrying out their services.”
Now offering manicures, pedicures, lashes, microblading, waxing, laser hair removal, massages, facials, and IV injections, Dewar said that when curating her space, she kept in mind design elements that would embody the name.
“First, I came up with the name right, ‘Haven’, I designed it around a set of emotions. So in a haven, you’re supposed to feel comfort, warm, and like you’re home. So I stuck to a lot of neutral colours and kept the space as haven-like as possible, with little design elements, natural, and rustic features. When you walk in you should feel safe. You should feel at home and feel welcomed, and that, I must say, was the design approach that I took.”
Keeping in mind the aesthetic preferences of the social-media generation, Dewar said she knew it was imperative to create a space that was just as beautiful as it as functional.
“I design a wide range of spaces, from restaurants to nightclubs to offices. I know that the age that’s coming up, they are relying on spaces to look good as much as the products and the services that they partake in. The look and feel of a space has become just as important as what the business offers. It’s a new age that we’re in, and I find that Jamaica has not quite caught up.”
Officially open to the public, Haven Beauty House is located at the RHR Business Centre on Red Hills Road in St Andrew.