KOHORT Studio at 234 Bridge Road, Richmond is a co-working hair salon built for independent hairdressers. Rent a chair here and you run your own column, keep your own clients, set your own prices, and work under your own brand. Seven stylists already call this place their base. If you are thinking about going independent or you are already independent and want a better home, this is the conversation to start.

What chair rental on Bridge Road actually looks like

KOHORT was built by hairdressers for hairdressers, so the setup is designed around how working stylists actually operate, not how a salon owner imagines they do. You get your own column, meaning your own designated space, your own mirror, and your own kit storage. You book your own clients through your own system. You set your own hours. You keep what you earn.

Bridge Road is one of the stronger retail and dining strips in the inner east. There is foot traffic here through the week from residents, workers and people who come specifically to the street. Your clients already know the area, and new clients browsing the strip can find you. That kind of street presence matters when you are building your own book and your own brand.

The co-working model also means you share a space with other independent stylists, all running their own columns, all in the same position as you. That is the community side of KOHORT. You are not isolated the way you might be in a home salon, and you are not subordinate the way you would be on a commission floor. It is a different kind of working environment, and most people who switch to it say it changes how they feel about their work.

What is included in your chair rental

When you rent a chair at KOHORT, you are getting more than a seat. Here is what the space comes with:

• Your own designated column with mirror, styling station and storage
• Backwash access with quality basins
• A professional colour-bar setup, including processing space and the products the KOHORT team works with, from L'Oreal Metal Detox and Olaplex through to Kérastase treatments and K18
• A clean, well-lit, professionally fitted space on a prominent inner-east street
• A community of working stylists around you, not a franchise or a committee

Rates are flexible and depend on the number of days per week and the type of space you want. Talk to us about what works for your situation. There is no single arrangement that fits every stylist, so we have that conversation before anything is agreed.

Running your own brand from a Richmond address

One of the things that holds stylists back from going independent is not knowing what their brand looks like without a salon name behind it. At KOHORT, each stylist is their own brand. You might trade under your own name, a business name, or a handle you have built on Instagram. None of that changes. The KOHORT address and the KOHORT space is your professional home base, but your name, your pricing and your client relationships are entirely yours.

You handle your own bookings, whether that is through an app, direct messages, or a booking link on your own website. Your client data stays with you. If you ever leave, your book comes with you.

Who chair rental suits at KOHORT

Chair rental is not the right move for every stage of a hairdressing career, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. It works best when you already have a client base, enough regular business to cover your rental, or a clear plan for building one. It also works well for stylists who have been on commission for years, have built a strong following, and are ready to stop sharing their earnings with a structure that no longer serves them.

It suits colourists with a developed technical repertoire, stylists who have built a personal brand on social media, hairdressers who want to work fewer days but earn more from each one, and anyone who has looked at their commission split and done the numbers on what they could keep instead.

If you are newer to the industry and still developing your skills and your book, that is a different conversation, and an honest one. Read about how we work at KOHORT and reach out. We will tell you straight.

Getting your clients to 234 Bridge Road, Richmond

One practical question stylists have about moving chairs is whether their clients will follow. For most hairdressers with an established book, the answer is yes, clients follow their stylist. But location matters too, and Bridge Road, Richmond is an easy address to get to.

Richmond Station and East Richmond Station are both accessible from the address. The trams that run along Bridge Road connect your clients coming from the CBD, from South Yarra and from the eastern suburbs. Clients from Cremorne and Burnley are essentially walking distance. Clients from Collingwood, Abbotsford and Fitzroy are ten minutes or so, whether they drive or take a tram. There is metered parking on Bridge Road and in the side streets for clients who drive.

For clients coming from further east, Hawthorn is just across the Yarra and the Bridge Road corridor connects them directly. For clients in South Yarra, the train to Richmond or East Richmond is a few stops.

Frequently asked questions

What is included in chair rental at KOHORT Richmond?

Your own column, styling station and storage, shared backwash, access to the colour bar and processing space, and a professional working environment at 234 Bridge Road. Rates depend on your days and the space you want. Talk to us about availability and we can walk through the specifics.

Do I keep my own clients when I rent a chair?

Yes. Your client relationships are yours. Your booking system, your client data and your ongoing contact with your clients all belong to you. If you leave KOHORT, your book goes with you.

Can I sell my own retail products at my chair?

You run your own business from your column, which includes your own retail if that is part of how you operate. Talk to us about how it works in the space so everyone is clear on the arrangement.

Do I need to be fully booked to rent a chair?

It helps to have an existing client base or a realistic plan for building one. Chair rental works best when you have enough regular business to make the numbers work for you. We have an honest conversation about this before anyone commits.

Is there a community at KOHORT or is it just a room with chairs?

There are seven independent stylists based at KOHORT, all running their own columns, all in a similar position. The community is real. People share ideas, refer clients to each other when they are booked out, and generally look out for each other. It is not enforced culture, just how it works when hairdressers who respect each other share a space.

How do I find out about availability?

Head to our join KOHORT page and get in touch. We talk through what you are looking for, show you the space, and work out whether the arrangement makes sense for both of us.

Where exactly is KOHORT on Bridge Road?

234 Bridge Road, Richmond VIC 3121. Richmond Station is the closest train stop, and the trams run right down Bridge Road past the front door. Street parking is available on Bridge Road and the surrounding streets.

Can I work part-time or only certain days?

Rental is flexible. We can talk about part-time arrangements depending on availability. Many stylists at KOHORT work three or four days rather than five, which is part of what makes the model work for them.