Get Ready at Santa Barbara’s Prep House

The Funk Zone may be a top destination for wine, food, shopping, and art, but it’s also quietly becoming a hub for beauty and wellness. The latest addition is Prep House, a beauty collective that opened in early September, bringing four woman-owned businesses together under one roof.

The concept combines the expertise of Santa Barbara entrepreneurs Amanda Leone, Megan Brand, Meghan Webley, and Dana Martin, offering guests a lineup of beauty and wellness treatments in one convenient location. Services include customized blowouts, updos, and makeup sessions from Leone Blow Dry Bar; red light therapy and organic spray tans from Brand’s The Afterglow; teeth whitening from Webley’s Peak Whitening; and gel, acrylic, and artistic nail services from Martin’s Klawed by Dana.

For Leone, Brand, and Webley, Prep House builds on the businesses they’ve already established in the Funk Zone: Leone Salon, Beautiful You, and Peak Hygiene, respectively. For nail specialist Martin, who relocated from Goleta, it was an opportunity to bring her business to a more centralized location, alongside like-minded women.

The idea for Prep House began when Leone set out to expand her hair salon into the neighboring space, where she could focus on blowouts and styling. Given its large size, however, she saw an opportunity to do something more and started exploring options with neighboring business owners. It wasn’t long before Prep House took shape — a collective built around a shared vision of making the process of getting ready more convenient, social, and fun.

“All four of our businesses share the same goal: helping people look and feel their best,” says Leone. “There’s something especially fun about the ritual of getting ready, and sharing that experience with others makes it even better. The idea for the name and concept grew from that — a collaborative place to get prepped, whether it’s for a wedding, a special trip, date night, or whenever you need a boost of confidence.”

While Prep House connects all four businesses together, Brand shares that each woman brings her own expertise and perspective. “It’s been really fun to create something together that feels fresh and new while still staying true to our individual brands and specialties,” she says. “I think we’ve done a great job of creating a destination that feels cohesive and stylish without losing what makes each of our brands unique.”

As for the space itself, it feels serene and sophisticated, with high ceilings, warm earth tones, and plenty of natural light. Intimate treatment rooms each have their own personality, while a Pepto-Bismol-pink door opens to a bathroom covered in cheeky wallpaper, adding a playful dose of glamour. Out back, a relaxed waiting area with seating and lush greenery extends the inviting atmosphere outdoors. 

While the women behind Prep House are excited to welcome existing clients from their other businesses, the goal is to help even more people in the Santa Barbara community elevate their beauty routines. “We want the experience of getting ready to feel easier and more convenient, but also like something you can look forward to,” says Brand. “Whether you’re a busy mom, a working professional, a bride-to-be, or a group of sorority sisters, we hope that Prep House becomes the go-to place to look and feel more polished.”

Prep House still has one suite available for rent, with room for a complementary business to join the mix. “We’re looking for one more service provider to complete our collective,” says Webley. “Someone who can complement our services and add a new perspective to our collaborative environment.”

Prep House is located at 111 Santa Barbara Street in downtown Santa Barbara. Visit prephousesb.com for more information.