Evolution of the Back Room

Overall, the space where the barber shop resides is 1600 square feet, but only 500 is being used for the barber shop.  This has left me with over 1000 square feet of empty back room. I wasn't too sure what I was going use the back room for at first, but I knew it would eventually be something, possibly a cigar lounge with a walk in humidor. 

In the back, there are two closets. When the space was used as a karate studio, they were the changing rooms. I was using the closets for storage, when my daughter came to me and asked if she could use one.  She wanted to make herself an office while she was in school.  She painted one wall with red paint and put a Batman mural on the other, she brought in a collection of books and a desk to work at, officially claiming the room as her own.  She even posted a sign on the door stating, “Warning!  Novelist at work.  Bystanders may be written into the story.” 

Since that was only one space, though, I still had the rest to figure out but eventually, in December a friend came to me and asked if I would like a pool table. A few weeks went by and another friend offered up some other tables.  Before my eyes, the back room was filled with a pool table, foosball table, and an air hockey table. 

The pool table is used more than anything. Kids will play with it if they come with their dad to get a haircut, adults will play with it, and sometimes even I get in on a friendly game. 

Along with the coffee maker, fridge with cold beverages (including beer), and my work desk, the space was transforming into a bit of a man cave.  That is until my wife discovered something called LuLa Roe.  LuLaRoe is a company that sells dresses via network marketing through thousands of LuLaRoe consultants.  My wife and daughter in-law decided to become LuLaRoe representatives.  As my daughter was no longer using the back closet for writing, I offered this space to be used as storage for the dress business.

Before I realized what was happening, we were painting walls pink and purple; laying a floating floor; hanging curtains; and erecting a dress boutique in part of the back room.   As I write this, we are still waiting for the first shipment of clothes. 

As customers come in the back door, they often look around to be sure the barber shop still exists.  Rest assured the barber shop remains intact.  Everyone thinks it is great the space is being used for something more than just storage.  It is now both game room and dress boutique.  Well I might not have gotten my walk in humidor and cigar room, but at least the backroom was officially transformed into something more than just empty space.