CrossCuts: Art in the Chair & Art on the Walls ~ Visit Old Town Lafayette, Colorado

Step inside CrossCuts Salon at 115 North Harrison Avenue and the first thing to catch your eye might not be the chairs or the mirrors. It might be the walls. At CrossCuts, the artwork changes with the seasons, the conversation stays easy, and the whole space feels a little calmer than the world outside. It’s a salon, yes. But for nine years, owner Debbie Ohala-Bastres has made sure it’s something more too.

Good Haircare, No Drama

CrossCuts has been part of Old Town Lafayette for nine years, and its neighbors have noticed. The salon was named a Nextdoor Neighborhood Favorite eight years running. Its team brings more than 60 years of combined cosmetology experience to the chair, offering cuts, color, texture services, styling, and extensions for all genders and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Ask Debbie what clients are really looking for, though, and her answer is refreshingly simple.

“I also think that most clients are simply looking for consistently good haircuts, colors, textures, etc. in a comfortable, welcoming space – and that’s what I believe I created at CrossCuts Salon – not too much noise, no drama – just consistently good haircare in a peaceful, warm environment.”

That philosophy shows up in how the team works. Stylists take time to listen to what you want, talk through any concerns, and answer every question before the scissors come out. They keep sharpening their skills, too, with regular classes, conferences, and symposiums to keep their work current. The goal is for every client to walk out feeling happy, confident, and like themselves. Some clients will go a long way for that feeling: one regular makes the drive down from Fort Collins and says she wouldn’t dream of going anywhere else.

A New Artist Every Season

Debbie has loved the fine arts her whole life, and she found a way to bring that love to work. Every quarter, CrossCuts hangs a new exhibit from a local artist, turning the salon into a small, ever-changing gallery where artists can show and sell their work.

“As a means to support the Arts and my personal love for them, I have in the 9 years I’ve owned my salon in Old Town, exhibited a new artist’s work each quarter, over those past 9 years. (That’s 36 local artists and counting that have found a temporary home at my salon.)”

Thirty-six artists. Thirty-six different moods for the room. For local artists, that’s a real venue with a steady stream of visitors, the kind of exposure that’s hard to come by. For clients, it means the view is never quite the same twice. Whoever settles in for a root touch-up this fall might be looking at something completely different by spring.

It’s also a reflection of what Debbie wants her studio to be: a place that carries the life and energy of Lafayette inside its walls, not just outside them.

What You Might See on the Walls

Recent shows have ranged from canvas to clay. Painter Nicole Olalla works in layered textures and luminous color, with pieces rooted in a deep love of nature that blur the line between what’s real and what’s imagined. Lafayette ceramicist David Beumee of Earth Alchemy Pottery has shown a collection of high-fired porcelain and stoneware, proof that the art at CrossCuts isn’t limited to what hangs on a nail.

Curious who’s showing right now? Check the Local Art page on the salon’s website, or just stop in and take a look. And if a piece catches your eye, ask about it. The work is for sale, and every purchase goes straight to supporting a local artist.

Why It’s Worth the Stop

Old Town Lafayette is full of creativity, from the murals tucked into its alleys to the galleries and studios along Public Road. CrossCuts Salon adds one more stop to that list, and it’s one you might not expect. Here, the craft happening in the chair and the art hanging on the walls come from the same place: a genuine love for making something beautiful, and for the community that shows up to enjoy it.

Whether you’re looking for a new stylist, overdue for a fresh color, or just want a peek at the latest exhibit, the invitation is the same. Come in, slow down, and take a closer look at what’s on the walls. It’s one more reminder that in Old Town, creativity can be found just about everywhere!