Mike Makkawi has been in the hair industry – as a stylist, colorist, educator, salon owner – for 24 years, but what really impressed me is his skill with power tools. I will get to the actual business here in a minute, but if you pop into Color Vue, the new shop at 23 Warren just east of Church, know that everything in the shop was made by Makkawi, who labored in there every single day over the course of three months. He found the church pews in Connecticut and sanded and stained them (and in the process found an inscription with the date they were made – 1837). He made the counters and stations himself with old file drawers for storage. He laid the flooring, exposed the brick wall, and even constructed the giant mirror in the bathroom from leftover floorboards. He could have hired a designer, but he didn’t have the patience to wait for their process, which would have taken six months.

So, he also does hair. But Color Vue’s primary expertise is in color — Makkawi has been teaching overseas in the UAE, Egypt and Qatar for the past seven years, and before that had a salon on the UWS. He uses only Wella products, which he says has the lowest ammonia content and is better for hair. He has four staff members, a full-time make-up artist, and will arrange any combo of cut, color and blow-dry. (A cut is $110; blow dry $60, single process color $110.)

And why Tribeca? Makkawi came to an event at One Arts Space last year and fell in love with the neighborhood, especially the constant stream of families (he has a 10-year-old). He called the realtor and secured the place next door a few months later. “I’m going to spend a long time here,” he said, and that was another reason for the investment in sweat-equity. “I want it to last.”

The salon is throwing a grand opening celebration on April 24. Stop by starting at 6p.

Color Vue Hair Lounge
23 Warren
212-227-7942
http://colorvuenyc.com/