Meri Salon

Profile

Sunlight pours through the large front windows of Meri Stafa’s cozy, five-station salon, located on a quiet residential street on the Upper East Side. An Oscar Blandi alum, the Albania native branched out on her own in July 2009, taking over the space of a now-defunct boutique that she always admired when walking by. She and her husband Artan lovingly installed window seats, exposed-brick walls, black hardwood floors, and a small bar in the back to serve coffee, tea, and wine. There’s another stylist and a colorist on staff, and Stafa is skilled in both (although she’s more likely to be seen snipping than foiling). Using Aquage products, she enjoys working with curls and texture, creating voluminous, albeit manageable, locks. The salon also offers Brazilian keratin straightening. — Randi Eichenbaum