Peter Thomas Hair Design (Berkeley, CA)
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Dec 2009
Re: East Bay stylist for cury hair?
I have curly, difficult to cut hair, and I just got a great cut from Jenna at Peter Thomas salon in Berkeley. randomann
April 2008
Re: Stylist for fine, short hair?
I highly recommend Annette at Peter Thomas. She has fine, short hair herself (as do I), and has been giving me cute styles for 10+ years. She is also excellent at highlights and color in general. Peter Thomas salon is on Shattuck at Virginia, in North Berkeley. Christine
March 2008
Re: Good hairstylists for very straight Asian hair
I've been going to John at Peter Thomas (Shattuck Ave) for the past 12 years. This is a great salon, John is incredible - and so are the other stylists. Give them a try. -A bit pricey, but as far as I'm concerned, worth every penny! carol
March 2008
Re: Hairstylist/colorist in Emeryville?
If Berkeley isn't too far away, you might want to give Peter Thomas Hair Salon (Shattuck Avenue) a try. Their head colorist - Katrina is awesome. carol
Jan 2008
Re: Stylist for very curly hair
Hi I have curly hair and go to Lyndsay at Peter Thomas; Great haircut for $50. jamie
Nov 2007
Re: Trying to grow out my thick curly hair
I, too, have curly hair, am very particular about how it looks, and HIGHLY recommend Peter Thomas at Peter Thomas Hair Salon (Shattuck at Virginia, next to Yoga Kula) for your cut, and Annette for color. Both are highly skilled and great people, too, 510.843.0697. Terry
Oct 2007
Re: Highlights for dark hair that won't turn brassy
Annette at Peter Thomas (Shattuck @ Virginia, 843-0697) is the best colorist I've ever had; she also does my eyebrows at the same time for no extra charge. I had used others whose highlights looked cheap rather than elegant. Peter is a fabulous cutter for my curly hair; Annette does the color. Good luck! Great head of hair
Oct 2007
Re: Good hair cut for layers
i cannot recommend john at peter thomas highly enough. he is GREAT. knows what will work with your face and hair style and is not afraid of telling you what will/won't work. 843-0697 good luck!
May 2007
Re: Salon for hip teen haircut
I took my 13 year old to Peter Thomas on Shattuck Ave. for his first ''hip'' haircut. My friend works with hair salons in the Bay Area and highly recommended this salon for more hip styles. My son and I werer both very pleased with his new style. I have forgotten the stylists name (female) but the front desk person will be more than happy to steer you in the right direction. Many of the stylists there are very hip themselves! onika
You MUST take your son to John at Peter Thomas. He is not only a great sylist, but also very hip. I took my 13 year old son to him and he still talks about how cool John is. I really think he has a great way of dealing with people and is especially good with teenage kids. In fact he has a teenage daughter himself. Be warned, for those more conservative individuals, he is very outgoing, covered with tattoos, but a great guy.
March 2007
Re: In Need of a new hairstyle
Go to John at Peter Thomas. He is great! Not only will he recommend an updated style for your face, age, lifestyle, etc. he will give you a great haircut. I have sent a few friends to him and they all came back very satisfied. Peter Thomas Hair Salon 1700 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley 843-0697
March 2007
Re: Need a boost in my personal style
try john at peter thomas in berkeley. 1700 Shattuck Ave / 843-0697. he is great and has a well-trained eye for suggesting a style that fits your face shape and hair texture, and he is not afaid to tell you what will or won't work. i have sent a few friends to him and they all love him. good luck! -tami
Sept 2006
Re: Haircutter for post-partum hair loss
I think I've posted about her before, but I've been going to Annette at Peter Thomas Hair Salon (N. Berkeley -- on Shattuck and Virginia) for years now. I have very fine hair, and, like you, it got much skimpier after the kids came out. I like Annette because she, too, has very thin hair, so she really relates. Most importantly, she knows how to give a good cut, and incidentally which products can help add some volume! Christine
June 2006
Re: Blond highlights that look natural
I would highly recommend Katrina at Peter Thomas Hair Salon on Shattuck. Her # is: 843-0697. She is excellent - creates very natural highlights
I have been seeing Katrina at Peter Thomas salon on Shattuck for years. She does fantastic natural looking blonde highlights. Folks comment on my naturally blonde hair all the time (born a toe-head, now have light brown hair). She is a bit expensive, but extraordinary and I can go every 4 months because they grow out so well. If you are going for a cut and highlight, plan on spending 2.5 hours and $200. Good luck! having more fun
katrina at peter thomas is excellent with color and highlights
I have been getting blonde highlights for my blonde/gray hair for 10 years now at Peter Thomas Hair Salon, on Shattuck in North Berkeley. My hair never looks stripey, but quite natural. My particular stylist is Annette, but I've had quite a few colorists there Christine
May 2006
Re: Hair stylist for long curly hair
Hi - I have curly hair and have been going to Katrina at Peter Thomas Hair Salon on Shattuck for over 5 years and love the cuts and color she does. Her # is: 843-0697
Re: Good Adult Bangs Haircutter/Stylist (Jan 2005)
My hair grows straight down into my face, and I have no choice but bangs. About a year ago my stylist moved out of the area, and I decided to try a different salon, called, and told them I had stubborn difficult straight hair, and asked for a recommendation. Since then John at Peter Thomas (in Berkeley 843 0697) has been cutting my hair, and he is fabulous with my bangs. He has cut several different styles each with different bang styles, and Imve been very happy. He may not be in your price range - he currently charges $61 which is high but not outrageous. Just a warning - he talks a mile a minute, and you may leave with a slight headache! I personally really like him and find him a very interesting guy.
Re: Need hip haircut for long, curly hair (Oct 2004)
Peter Thomas on Shattuck in Berkeley. I have longish curly hair and was really nervous about cutting it but wanted something more flattering and sylish. He's the man. I love the cut he gave me and it grew out well and looked good (even better) as it grew. It's not cheap ($85-ish) but it was totally worth it because he gave me the great cut that got me started - you need a really good/expensive cut when you are changing I style, I believe, especially with curly hair. And he totally understands the bell-shaped/upside down triangle problem of curly-haired folks and has cool techniques to fight that. Then you can go cheaper for maintenance later. I now go to Festoon as a model and like that too, but would suggest Peter for the first time. I'll definitely go back when I need a really good cut I can trust. Kristen
Re: Stylist who can do both cut and color (May 2004)
Hi. I've been going to Peter Thomas for the last 6-8 months and really really really love the stylists there. I think that Tresca would be a really great stylist for you. She's very good with cuts and color and her fees are quite reasonable. Tresca is very down to earth and easy to talk to. If you want a haircut that she knows won't work for you, she'll let you know in a very nice way. She'll also help you find a style that is flattering for you and meets your needs. The thing I love the most about all the stylists at Peter Thomas is this: If you can't style it, or want something to be fixed they'll do it for free without complaint or attitude. Of course you shouldn't wait too long between the initial cut or color problem and going back to get it fixed. For instance, I was having such a good time talking to my stylist the last time I was there, I forgot to pay attention to how she was styling my hair. Within a week, my hair was a total mess. I couldn't control it. I looked like the photos of Albert Einstien when he was older. You know, hair everywhere. So, I booked a re-cut. We addressed my styling issues. She had me style it in front of her so I would know how not to look like good old Albert. Problem solved and it was no big deal. So call Peter Thomas, and ask about setting up a meeting with Tresca even before she does anything to your hair. Actually, I'd suggest you do that with any stylist that someone suggests you use. That way you lessen the chance of hair mishaps, bad communications, and the feeling that you have been ripped off. Beth
Re: Good colorist who works Saturdays (Jan. 2004)
Nancy Salgado at Peter Thomas (at Virgina & Shattuck) is a great colorist. She works Saturdays. 843-0697 Recent redhead
Re: Make-up artist for wedding photos (June 2003)
I would recommend a woman named Katrina who works at Peter Thomas hair salon in Berkeley but does on-location make up on her off days (Sunday being one). You could contact her at the salon. I do bridal make up myself and Katrina has done my make up when I was in a wedding and I think she is excellent plus super nice. She does on location hair as well. www.holtzweddings.com
Re: Where to Get a Good Layered Haircut for Straight Hair (Nov 2002)
I like Peter Thomas at Peter Thomas Hair Design on Shattuck. He takes the time to give me a nice layered cut that grows out well so I'm not rushing back too often. Cost: more than $50, but less than $100 as I recall. Laura
Re: Top-notch East Bay hair salon (March 2002)
It's Peter Thomas Salon, definitely. It's on the corner of Shattuck and Virginia. 843-0697 Ann
Re: Haircutters for Curly Hair (2001)
There's Peter Thomas on North Shattuck in Berkeley. Con: (1) He is expensive. (He is, in fact, my one and only personal-care-and-adornment extravagance: $68 a cut.) Pros: (1) He owns the shop, so at least you don't need to tip. (2) He is damned skilled. (3) He never clucks and say, Oh, your hair's so DRY. (Thanks a lot for that revelation, all you ex-hair-cutters; I've merely lived with my dry hair for 49 years.) (4) He washes my hair himself and gives a nice little scalp massage. (5) He somehow gets away with calling me Sweetie without being offensive. (6) My former cutter insisted that the style I wanted was impossible. Peter listened and said, Oh, yeah. That's no problem. Nothing beats an experienced Brit. (7) A very good cut lasts much longer than a merely good one.
P.S. Re. curly hair: I did once watch Peter working on a woman whose hair was not only curly, but it grew in a completely irregular non-pattern. He was very careful and seemed rather excited by the challenge of giving her a good cut.
Re: Good Cut Under $40 (June 2001)
To the person who wanted recommendations for a good haircutter, I'd recommend Peter Thomas salon on Shattuck at Virginia. Haircuts range around $40, some less, for the less experienced stylists. They have a good reputation, seem very skilled, and I've been happy going there for about 5 years, with a variety of hair styles--of my own design. The woman who cuts my hair is named Genevra, but I'd suggest telling the receptionist what you're looking for, and see who she recommends. Joan