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Samuel Allen Brings “Down-to-Earth Luxury” to Downtown Franklin at The Parker House on Main

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Samuel Allen Brings “Down-to-Earth Luxury” to Downtown Franklin at The Parker House on Main

Article by Lisa Valentine

Originally published in Franklin Lifestyle

For Samuel Allen—owner of new salon The Parker House on Main—it’s all about bringing clients “down-to-earth luxury.” As a top stylist in Southern California’s Orange County, Allen is now planting roots in downtown Franklin, where he opened his new salon in March.

“Hair found me, really,” shares Allen, who stumbled into his destiny over 15 years ago while getting his own hair cut. After hearing him ask his stylist questions throughout his visit, the owner of the salon he was in invited Allen to explore their apprenticeship program. That serendipitous day sparked a new path for Allen, who dropped out of art school to pursue a career as a stylist and never looked back. “I truly believe that there are no small decisions, because all of the small ones that I’ve made in my life or that have happened to me always end up being the biggest changes,” explains Allen.

After building a career in California, he came to work at the former Ecco salon in Franklin. He returned to Orange County for a short time, but eventually found his way back to Franklin after Ecco’s owner offered him the opportunity to buy the business. Within three months of receiving that text, he opened The Parker House on Main. He is excited to be starting this new chapter in a community where he has seen collaboration and helpfulness in a way that he describes as being special to Franklin. The salon’s location at 341 Main Street is cherished by Allen. “I’ve always loved this location. It [is] a location that has some sort of energy to it,” he says of the building from the early 1800s.

When it comes to hair trends, Allen knows what is in style but acknowledges that it’s not one-size-fits-all. “I feel like it’s so personal to everyone,” he explains. He highlights fashion mullets, shags, fringe, and pixie bobs as hair trends that he believes will be carried into fall.

Allen hopes to bring “luxury hair with a down to earth experience” to clients, delivering top-level services in a comfortable, homey, and inviting environment, where clients can even indulge in the salon’s signature cocktails while getting their hair done. He envisions the space being used for a variety of purposes in the future including yoga, photoshoots, music videos, hosting small events, and more.

For Allen and The Parker House on Main—which is the namesake of his daughter— it’s all about community and connection. His greatest hair care tip is not a product or a specific service, it’s making sure to match the right stylist to the client to ensure they have a connection. “My clients are my friends and my family,” he shares. “Creating the community of our clientele, that people want to come, they want to spend time, when they walk by downtown, they’re going to want to come in and say hi to us and have a conversation and meet my clients. I want it to be a very soulful and interactive vibe in there.” TheParkerHouseonMain.com

Woman standing, Franklin TN Salon The Parker House on Main.Samuel Allen—owner of new salon The Parker House on Main in downtown Franklin, TN