When word got out that Katie Schiller would be opening her own men’s salon in Detroit Lakes, several of the longtime stylist’s closest clients went a cut above to show their support, offering to contribute their talents to her cause.
Signs of their generosity are now all over that salon, aptly-named Schiller’s House, which opened at 1208 Rossman Avenue on Jan. 1.
The two large, metal-framed mirrors that hang in front of the salon chairs, for example, were handmade by Josh “Bubba” Samuelson, a local welder and, according to Schiller, one of her most loyal clients.
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Standing between those mirrors is a small, custom-crafted table created by another client and handyman, Trey Williams. A larger table in the salon’s waiting area was made by Matt Anderson, who also created a unique sink in the bathroom that’s made from an old keg.
The large moose antler wall hanging, a can’t-miss-it décor feature at the front of the salon, is on loan from Dan Ramsey. And the artwork that lines the walls at the back of the salon are from Fargo artist Troy Becker, who also designed the logo.
There are other examples, but the point is clear -- Schiller’s House is a house that love built. The kind of easygoing, love-between-friends that connects a trusted stylist and her longtime clients. A camaraderie grown from good conversation, good humor, and good hair.
“I have a ton of loyal clients,” Schiller said. “It’s pretty amazing.”
A Detroit Lakes native, Schiller has been a stylist for 19 years, working mainly at corporate salons and in rented booths and suites at smaller salons in Fargo. In 2019, she ventured into the Detroit Lakes market, renting a space inside Parlor 102.
Thinking that would just be a part-time gig while she continued to work in Fargo, Schiller was pleasantly surprised to see her business here take off. She won two “Best of the Lakes Area” reader’s choice awards in 2020 for her work as a men’s stylist in Detroit Lakes, and her local clientele quickly grew. Before long, she had enough business here to keep herself busy full-time, and in March 2019, she closed down her Fargo salon chair.
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By August, Schiller was talking with her fiancé, Jason Miller, about opening a new salon of her own, and in October they found the spot for it: A little peaked-roof building near Rossman Elementary School. It used to house a photography studio, laundromat and other businesses before being gutted and put on the market. It was just waiting to be remodeled to Schiller’s liking.
“I thought it was super cool,” she said of her first impression of the building. “I loved the high ceilings, and it was all ripped apart so I knew I could go in and do what I wanted to do.”
What she wanted to do was create a high-end men’s salon with a warm, masculine design. Featuring a mix of dark, rich colors and unique décor elements -- like brick and wood feature walls, and display shelves with metal piping -- Schiller’s House has an inviting, industrial feel. The renovation process took about two months, she said, with the work coming “down to the wire” right up until her big opening day.
Wanting to mark that occasion in a special way, Schiller held a fundraiser. She auctioned off the first haircut at her new salon, with proceeds going to Ethan Swiers, a Detroit Lakes 14-year-old diagnosed with leukemia. The event raised almost $3,000.
That was a full, long, good day for Schiller -- and pretty much every day since has been the same. With her list of clients continually growing, she’s been working days, evenings, and some weekends to get everybody cut and trimmed. She still works some weekends in Fargo, too, not in a salon but doing hair and makeup for weddings and special photo shoots.
She’s busy enough that she’s already looking for another stylist to join her at Schiller’s House. For now, though, it’s just her at the salon. Behind the scenes, Miller helps with the accounting, marketing and other bookkeeping aspects of the business.
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A licensed cosmetologist who specializes in men’s hair, Schiller offers full salon service to men and boys of all ages. She does hair cuts as well as coloring, perming and relaxing; beard trimming, sculpting and conditioning; neck shaves; brow, nose and ear waxing; and other services, all with a hot towel treatment and a shampoo in a massage chair.
“It’s taken a while to convince men around here to do the extra services, but once they try it, they love it,” Schiller said. “Trust is huge -- having the guys trust me and know that I’m not going to make them look bad.”
Known for her stylish beard trims, as well as for making unique designs in men’s hair, Schiller said, “I give men a different experience than what a barbershop does. I’m not a barber… I’ve just always gravitated toward liking to cut men’s hair.”
For more information or to make an appointment, visit schillershouse.com or the Schiller’s House Facebook page, or call or text 218-850-1550.
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