Gabrielle Roney is excited to be back doing what she loves.

With 22 years’ experience as a hairdresser, Gabby is officially back in business with Gabrielle Roney Hair, at 2a Harbour Street.

The Ōamaru-born mum of two closed her previous Tees Street business, Estella Hair Studio, to have her first daughter Vida almost five years ago. 

Her youngest Olive is three, and Gabby has decided the time is right to have her own studio again. She sees it as a chance to challenge herself.

“I sort of wanted to do this all on my own a little bit. 

“I had to prove to myself after being away, having the kids and stuff, that I could kind of scare myself a little bit again, because it's different this time round, there's people relying on me a little bit more.”

The space is smaller and more intimate than Estella, which suits Gabby, whose clients have become friends.

“It’s quite one-on-one at times,” she says.

The Harbour Street premises is owned by the Whitestone Civic Trust, and while Estella was also based in an older building, it was not heritage-listed, which added an extra dimension to the process of getting the business up and running this time.

“I’ve never been shy of a building with a bit of character in it, so it appealed when this space came up for lease,” Gabby says. But she “underestimated” the things she would have to do out of town, which meant it took her longer than she planned to get her doors open.

“In terms of getting an understanding for the fact that the resource consent had to go through Heritage New Zealand . . . but I love that, because they want to know that what this person's doing is beneficial for the building, and okay for the building.”

The Civic Trust was very patient going through everything with her, she says.

"Because obviously there's just wee things that we have to kind of tick off and do.”

Now that she is up and running, it feels “really good” to be part of the street, and surrounded by a lot of other creatives, and people “doing really good things”.

Gabby grew up in Ōamaru, and moved to Dunedin when she began her hairdressing apprenticeship and started work. 

After travelling overseas, she moved back home for “all the things that matter when you get a little bit older”.

Having been out of the industry for a few years, Gabby is clear on how she wants her business to operate this time around, for herself and her clients.

“I really know what I want now, and am really focused on the people. You know, it's all about the people.”

While the equipment she uses is important too, it’s just an “add-on extra” towards helping make people feel good.

Now that she’s facing the public again and re-connecting with past clients, Gabby realises how much she missed knowing what is going on in people’s lives, when she was at home “mumming”.

“I'm looking forward to catching up again with people and chatting about their kids now they're older . . . it's actually really beautiful.”

With young children Gabby no longer has the ability to carve out massive days and “work, work, work”, she says.

She is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and occasionally Saturdays by appointment, and is looking forward to meeting new clients, as well as welcoming back old ones.

“I've been touching base with people popping up that I haven't seen for four years or so, and feels like a privilege.”

Gabby stocks Kevin Murphy and Davroe haircare products, which are both Australian brands, and “very gentle and safe”, she says.