Education and techniques are the foundation – or more precisely, the roots – of North Vancouver's Techniks Hair Studio & Spa. Owner and stylist Kim Steinhausen even tapped into her origins for the inspiration behind the studio's name; techniks is the German translation for techniques.
"Everything we do is based on a certain technique," says Kim. "The name resonated with me because everything I learn is based on my technical skills."
While most children acquiesce to years of carefree play (not many answer their calling in kindergarten), Kim knew her professional path at just six years old. From trimming Barbie's tresses to practicing with perm rods on a mannequin head and sweeping floors at her mother's hairdresser, Kim landed her first salon job when she was tall enough to reach the sink.
Cutting hair since 1987, Kim opened her first salon in 2008, and relocated Techniks to the new Northwoods Village shopping plaza on May 1, 2016. The space offers an industrial feel with concrete walls and exposed pipes and ducts, while contemporary floral leaf wallpaper and chandeliers speak to the salon's feminine side.