Hair stylist 'thrilled' after her home salon in Marlow is ranked top 5 in the UK

A hair stylist from Marlow was ‘floored’ when her home salon was ranked fifth place in the country at the Hair and Beauty Awards 2025.

Owner of Balayage Baby, Jennifer Kozak, was 'thrilled' to scoop a position in the top five in the category of Best Home Salon.

She purchased the business from its previous owner in Holyport in 2023 and relocated to a purpose-built salon in her Marlow home in 2024, bringing along clients of more than eight years.

Winning a national award less than two years after becoming self-employed is ‘amazing’, said Jennifer.

“I didn’t expect it at all, actually,” she told the Advertiser.

“I entered the awards last year under a different category and didn't even get placed in the top 100.

“I was amazed to be in the top ten – I was literally floored, I thought ‘Oh my God, I can't believe it’.”

The Great Marlow School alum has been in the hair industry since 2012, working at Rapunzel in Chapel Street, Marlow, for a decade.

“I always knew I wanted to be a hairdresser, even when I was in primary school,” she said.

“I was obsessed with hair even back then, and then I tried other careers when I left school, and I didn't enjoy any of them.

“I've always been creative, so as soon as I qualified in hair, I've never looked back.”

She previously placed 89th in Hair Extension Specialist of the Year and discovered the new Best Home Salon category while watching the Hair and Beauty Awards ceremony last year.

“I think it was a new category and my friend said, ‘You should so enter it next year’, so I was very keen,” said Jennifer, and explained the competition process involves sharing her business story, social media and photos of the amenities.

A long list of 150 salons was then ranked in the top 100, top 50 and top 10 by an anonymous judging panel and announced at an awards ceremony on August 30.

Jennifer believes the ‘homely’ feel of Balayage Baby – built in her garden annexe by a family member – makes it stand out as it features a kitchen, bathroom, an independent entrance and a driveway.

“He did it to a high standard, so it looks like a little shed in the garden, but whenever people walk in from the outside, everyone's like ‘Oh my God, it's like a TARDIS, it's huge’,” she added.

Jennifer offers clients a range of colour services, including balayage and highlights, at the Sandygate Road premises, and has a decade of experience in hair extensions.

Clients also enjoy blow-drying and scalp treatments, and Jennifer makes sure to ‘have the best coffee’ and a massage chair to ‘elevate the experience’ and ‘luxury’ service.

After two years of working alone and sometimes with her sister, also a hairdresser, Jennifer hired a staff member last month, which signifies Balayage Baby is ‘growing’.

Her predominantly Maidenhead and Marlow-based clientele now extends as far as High Wycombe and Basingstoke.

Winning out of thousands of nationwide entries was an ‘incredible honour’ and Jennifer now displays the trophy and certificate in her salon after it arrived in the post this week.

“I think it just gives people a bit of exposure because it’s such a big award,” she added.

“There are quite a lot of hair and beauty awards, but this one tends to get the most notice.

“I think clients are starting to go to places that have these statuses. It’s more about building trust in clients.”