The Magic of Beginnings

Two local women join forces to open a hair salon where clients feel right at home.

  • Category
    Fashion, People
  • Written by
    Laura L. Watts
  • Photographed by
    Siri Berting

Two women from completely different backgrounds met while working in the beauty industry, and from their friendship and like-minded career goals was born 505 Salon—a full-service hair salon in upper Hermosa Beach. After working together at a Manhattan Beach salon, Therese De Vos and Kaci Braunecker decided to open their own business in April 2018.

“We love to help our clients feel their very best.”

The salon offers hair services—including all types of coloring techniques and three different types of extensions—delivered by a well-rounded team of expert stylists who have worked together for years. “We all have a strong bond that our clients can feel, and that is what makes our salon so comfortable and inviting,” explains Kaci.

Worlds Apart

While today Therese and Kaci are united in their mission to provide the best hair care possible, the two couldn’t come from more different backgrounds. Born in Sweden, Therese developed a love for hair styling while working at a modeling agency in Stockholm 20 years ago. She enrolled at the infamous London hair academy Toni & Guy and later worked for a prestigious Stockholm salon that serves the Swedish royal family. It was there that she realized her dream to one day open her own salon. Fast-forward to five years ago, and Therese achieved that dream with her first South Bay salon—where she worked hard to run her own business while raising two young girls.

Meanwhile Kaci was born and grew up in Redondo Beach and received her hair training close to home—working with some of the best educators across the U.S. in addition to private training. The first salon she worked at was run by two women who also had families, and their work ethic inspired Kaci that she could do the same. Starting her own family came first, but when Therese presented the idea of becoming business partners, Kaci new it was the right time—even though she was three months pregnant with her second child.

“I knew this was going to be something great, and we would hopefully be inspiring to all women out there,” shares Kaci. Therese agrees: “I want my girls to feel like they can do anything they put their minds to when they grow up. And with 505 Salon, they can see that hard work pays off and dreams can come true!”

Home Sweet Home

The next step was choosing the home for their new salon; Therese and Kaci agreed on Hermosa Beach. “Having the right location is so important, and we are in the perfect part of Hermosa—just a walk up from the beach but far enough up from the pier where there is plenty of parking,” Therese says. Kaci adds: “Clients can feel the calm, and they also get the privacy they love.”

505 Salon’s clients range from South Bay residents to well-known TV personalities, athletes and A-list actors. “They know they can trust us,” explains Therese. “We understand how important their hair is to them, and we will always put in 110% effort to achieve desired results. We love to help our clients feel their very best.”

The two feel lucky and grateful to do what they love for a living and have such loyal clients who have shown their support over the years. “They love that family feeling,” Kaci says. “We try to make every client feel like they are family.”

A popular conversation piece at the salon is a painting commissioned by a client and local artist, DeAnne Olguin Williamson. The art depicts a woman with her eyes closed, at peace, and the words “Trust the magic of beginnings.”

And 505 Salon is the beginning of a truly magical thing. “We are working together to build a salon that we can both be proud of, where our clients and staff can feel welcome and at home,” Therese shares.

Kaci agrees, extending an invitation on behalf of the entire 505 Salon team: “We want everyone to know about our salon and stop in—even if it’s just to say hi.”


505 Salon

Therese De Vos & Kaci Braunecker

505 Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach
310-698-7808
505salonhb.com