New Salon Opens in Nazareth's Historic 1820 Kern House

Not many hair salons can achieve a quaint, cozy feeling the way Mainstream Salon in downtown Nazareth has. But then again, not many salons are housed in a historic building.

Mainstream Salon, which can be found at 2 N. Main Street on Center Square, opened on June 1 of this year -- more recently, on October 16, the salon held its ribbon-cutting ceremony with the .

The salon was built in the first floor of the 1820 Kern House, a landmark known to local historians because it was constructed by a founding member of the in the early 19th century.

The Kern House is now owned by Tammy Kocher and her husband, who not only put in Mainstream Salon but also plan to renovate the upstairs to make room for an apartment.

Kocher assured that nothing was changed structurally with the house when making the downstairs over into the hair salon. Although, having a salon inside the historic home certainly gives it a more comfortable feel than the average shop.

“It’s relaxing… that’s one thing my customers always say,” Kocher said.

For now, the salon is made up of just Kocher and her assistant, who is currently going to school for cosmetology. Kocher, who lives in Nazareth with her husband and two children, worked for for 13 years, 10 of which she spent as a manager.

When asked about her motivations for opening her own business, Kocher said simply, “I was a hairdresser for years, and I needed my own thing.”

The salon has four rooms, one of which is a private room for autistic and special-needs clients. This was inspired by Kocher's 14 years of work with Alzheimer’s patients -- once a week she visits a local nursing home. 

As far as why clients should come to her, Kocher has a unique opinion.

“A hair salon is a hair salon. It’s who you are behind the chair… I’m a down-to-earth person who likes to get to know people,” she said.

The main focus of the salon is hair, although Kocher plans to extend into services of nails and feather extensions by the new year.

The downtown Nazareth salon is open for walk-ins on Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Evenings are reserved for appointments only.

To make an appointment, call (610) 759-3737.

The salon carries Matrix and Aquage hair products, Dionis body care products, and American Crew products for men. Mainstream also sells handmade jewelry, scarves, hats and artwork by local artists from Nazareth and Forks Township.