There, tucked into a corner, is Nirvana Salon, where owner and master stylist Lauré Chicoine has carved out a comfortable niche mixing inner and outer beauty with an ecofriendly cause.

"I wanted a salon that catered to the inner and outer self," Chicoine says. "I wanted a relaxing environment that catered to all the senses and would be safe for the environment."

Chicoine has avoided the typical salon structure by adorning the area in soft gray and blue tones, wood shelving and a crème canopy ceiling. The salon is neither gaudy nor punk in atmosphere but rather a medley of calming, subdued attributes, with soft, catchy music playing in the background.

The salon places an emphasis on touch and smell: all cuts begin with an aromatherapy scalp massage—tangerine to uplift, lavender to soothe—and end with a brief hand massage and makeup retouching.

Although the salon was established in 1991, its origins began in 1985. Chicoine had worked at several salons and was becoming frustrated.

"In the early '80s, trends were more superficial. It was about adorning the outer self and not the inner self," she says. "I hit a wall in my career because I was looking for inner beauty. Salons only wanted to do extreme cuts. There was a lot of attitude then. They didn't want clients who wanted normal hair. I wanted a salon where everybody was welcome, where women could feel comfortable and not intimidated by avant-garde hairstylists."

Chicoine pursued her business plan and opened in downtown Los Gatos, where she has been ever since.

The only major changes have been the switch to becoming a full Aveda concept salon in 1999 and rearranging the inside layout.

The switch to Aveda came from Chicoine wanting "to offer customers more consistency." Even more important for her was the fact that the company uses organic ingredients, is "environmentally conscientious and sources its ingredients responsibly," Chicoine says. "It really fit with our plan."

Nirvana Salon now carries everything Aveda, from hair products and hair color to candles, perfume and tea. Nirvana Salon is also a member of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).

In 2000, Chicoine rearranged the salon in traditional feng shui style. Thus, clients will not see any sharp edges or square shapes—except for the colorful framed photographs hanging on the walls, which were taken by local Vietnamese artist Lien Ho.

"Since we have changed, it has definitely made a difference in our prosperity," Chicoine says. "We increased the number of employees, have won more awards and have increased our web traffic."

Proof of their prosperity can be found in the numbers alone. Nirvana Salon has been recognized for the second year in a row by Salon Today magazine as one of the 200 fastest-growing salons in the country.

As an environmentally aware salon owner, Chicoine was eager to jump into the action for Earth Day on April 22. To promote the national celebration, the salon will hold a haircut-a-thon on April 13 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. All proceeds will benefit the Greenhouse Network, a nonprofit organization that aims to reduce global warming. All clients will receive a scalp massage, cut, color and blow-dry for only a minimum donation of $15.

Nirvana is located at 224-B N. Santa Cruz Ave. in downtown Los Gatos, directly behind Inner Journey. For more information, call 408.354.7979 .