By Tallulah Dumonde
When you think of Venice, you probably think of tattoo parlors next to art galleries next to gentrified shops stocked with eclectic designer clothing. You think of surfers and starlets. And now, thanks to Rachel Lindy and Kyle Mathis, who co-own Mathis Murphy Salon on Abbott Kinney, you’ll think of gorgeous hair.
Mathis Murphy (Rachel wanted to dedicate the salon to her mother’s memory, so she used Murphy ““ her mother’s maiden name) is the first luxury boutique salon to open in the area, something Rachel says she felt strongly about when trying to decide where to open her own shop. A modest winner of Allures “Up and Coming Stylist”, Lindy is the kind of girl that you just want to hang out with. She’s cool and smart and knows a thing or two about how to keep your hair looking great.
Known for her signature “Surfer-Girl” blonde”¦which I was treated to during my visit, Rachel believes in keeping it simple. “California blonde is different because there is a warmth, a golden color.” Rachel explains to me as I sip wine and wonder how I ever agreed to go blonde (I sacrifice for my art, darlings). “Always keep hair simple. You want shine and highlights like children have. You don’t want to come up with some unnatural color”
When I asked Rachel, whose clients include Allison Janey, Gretchen Moll and Ty Pennington, about caring for your hair color, she had this sage advice: “Don’t spend $300 on hair color and then wash your hair with five dollar shampoo from the grocery store. Cheap shampoos have more of a tendency to leave a build-up on hair over time, which dulls hair and wrecks havoc on hair color”¦and keep in mind that you don’t need tons of product!”
“Davines NouNou is the best shampoo for blondes.” She adds.
I asked Rachel why she chose Venice, and she replied, “I have always loved Venice, I have lived there on and off for 20 years. I have watched it grow and change but still maintain the charm and cultural differences it is known for by locals. I worked in Beverly Hills for 10 years (an area that used to be where everyone went for beauty and shopping). It is an over saturated market and had no interest in opening a salon there. I knew 5 years ago I wanted to open the first high end/full service salon on Abbot Kinney. Nowhere else. The area was growing and there was a need for something on the West side. People tried talking me into other areas but my vision was not just to open a salon. It was to bring a nice salon to the area. It is my favorite area in LA. There is still a feeling of community and neighborhood that you don’t find in surrounding areas. There are no Starbucks or Gap on our street. I know and service many of the local business owners and am in support of our street staying that way.”
You see, she is ultimately likeable ““ right?
The salon is a perfect blend of chic and Zen. There’s no doubt that a bit of Feng Shui came into the picture when designing the space, which is located behind the Altered Space Gallery. Soothing neutrals mix with rich woods and clean lines. Each station is adorned with a beautiful orchid. There is an outside garden space where you can sit and have a glass of wine while pondering the meaning of life (or whether you should go for hair extensions).
There are a couple of things that I found missing at Mathis Murphy that you find at so many other salons,. Attitudes and Egos. I felt that the eclectic staff was anything but uppity about their fabulous surroundings or considerable talents. They seemed to actually love what they do.
In addition to Rachel’s incredible mojo, Kelley Baker, the salon’s eyebrow guru, has quite an A-list following. Manicurist Anna has been tending to the hands and feet of the likes of Madonna and Ashley Judd for twenty years. Not to mention Rachel’s partner, Kyle Murphy, who is known for fabulous hair extensions and has worked with Paris, Nicole and Lindsey (just to name a few).
And me, I love my surfer-girl blond hair. Just don’t expect me to hang ten anytime soon.
Mathis Murphy is located at at 1221 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Call (310) 396-5600 for an appointment.
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