Central Oregonian

15 years of offering small-town service

Tramps Salon specializes in hair and nails care while emphasizing a welcoming atmosphere for their customers

GAYLE KEILING/SPECIAL TO THE CENTRAL OREGONIAN

Dixie Varcoe smiles as she puts the finishing touches on a hairstyle at Tramps Salon.

The name originated with “Beverly Hills Tramps” hair salon in Los Angeles, Calif., and eventually mutated into just plain “Tramps,” but not quite into Prineville Tramps.

Laine Musil, owner, worked and attended classes in Los Angeles for years before relocating to Prineville about 20 years ago. Before securing her present location on Deer Street, she operated a hair salon in the tiny room above what was then called the Robin’s Nest.

After two years above the Robin’s Nest, an old house became available that was just right for what Musil had in mind. This house had so much character, great location, and lots of windows. This little old house became the site of Musil’s dream job, “Tramps Salon,” which she, her hairdressers, and clients have enjoyed for the past 15 years.

Tramps is a full-service salon, specializing in lots of hair color. TaNeshia Valenzuela does nail gels and Lorna does acrylics. They have three women that do pedicures, and they also do a lot of waxing.

Musil loves her life in this great town of Prineville, and relates that in the city you can go into the market and never know anybody, but here you might see half your clients. Musil believes the secret of her success lies with making people know that they are truly important.

“Honestly, if you think about it,” Musil said, “If people are not here, then I can’t be here. My husband and I both think that way about business. When somebody walks in and they want to know who the owner is, I point to Loretta or Helen, because I feel good about that. And a lot of people don’t know who owns this salon, and I am all right about that. We all work together. I think that is really important.”

Along those same lines, Musil said, “The other thing that is really important for us is that we say ‘hi’ or ‘hello’ to everybody who walks through the door. It is so easy to do. Everybody. Whether you have just come up the street to use the phone, which we have had people do, or that you are a client. You have to make them feel welcomed.

“I have had a few of my clients sit in my chair and say, ‘Oh my gosh, I went to Bend or I was in Eugene, and when I walked into the salon, everybody just stood there. Nobody said a word to me — they just kind of walked away and didn’t make me feel comfortable.’ You have to make people feel like they are invited and welcome, or they are not going to come back. Part of being a good hairdresser is not just the haircut. It is making people feel important and spending quality time with them,” Musil said, stating her beliefs.

Musil does not consider her fellow hairdressers as her employees. Each hairdresser or esthetician leases his or her own station from Musil. There are eight workers at Tramps including Musil herself.

“Why I’ve done that is because I knew I did not want to baby-sit, and I wanted them (hairdressers) to feel like they were the biggest part of it, because without them, I am nothing,” Musil said. “And that is how it has to work in this business if you don’t want to be here all the time. I only work two and a half days a week, and that’s what I want to keep it to.”

As well as leasing their own stations, Musil said, “Everybody sells their own products. We share everything, so it works. And it takes a certain person to do that, that mentality where they kind of have to pitch in. Every single one of them in here is somebody that you would want to go on vacation with, and that’s the kind of people that you need as we are here for a long time. Sometimes we are here from 8 a.m., until sometimes 7:30 or 8 at night. So that’s a long time to spend with somebody, and if you aren’t having a good time, then it makes a long, long day.”

At Tramps, the appointments are booked so that the full time is blocked out for each client, nothing back-to-back. Sometimes it could happen when somebody needs to be squeezed in, but they do not do that often, and only when other clients do not mind. They try to fit everyone in, and this is important at Tramps.

Looking toward the future, Musil said, “We are constantly changing and doing different things, so we have to continue our education to keep up, even in a small town, because you never stop learning. And who wants to quit.”

Tramps Salon

Address: 199 N.W. Deer St.

Owner: Laine Musil, stylist

For appointments with any stylist, cosmetologist, nail tech, or for waxing or facials, call 541-447-2030, or for more information visit their Facebook page.