The Summerland is preparing to reopen this July at 4411 California Ave. SW, Suite 100, in West Seattle Junction.
Founder Avian King told What Now Seattle that the move comes just months after a devastating flood forced the wellness studio to leave its original location. What initially seemed like a setback ultimately created an opportunity for expansion.
Rather than rebuilding, King began searching for a new home and eventually found a larger space in West Seattle Junction. The new studio will nearly double The Summerland’s footprint, creating room for more yoga students, additional instructors, and expanded programming.
“We’re going to have room for twice as many yoga students. Hair now is in its own room, and it’s going to be amazing.”
Before launching The Summerland, Avian King spent 15 years working as a celebrity hairstylist in New York and Los Angeles. She originally moved to Seattle in late 2020, planning to stay for only a few months while waiting to see how the beauty industry recovered after the pandemic.
She ultimately decided to stay and build a new life in the city.
After years of working at the intersection of beauty and wellness, Avian pursued training in yoga, Reiki, sound healing, and integrative health coaching. Those experiences eventually became the foundation for The Summerland, a boutique that brings together movement, healing practices, and hair services under one roof.
One of the studio’s signature offerings is what Avian calls a ceremonial haircut, an experience designed to honor major life transitions.
She explained that throughout history, hair cutting often marked significant moments in a person’s life, from grief and loss to new beginnings and personal transformation.
“Hair cutting was this very special, revered moment that we reserved for significant transitions in our life, whether it was the mourning of a loved one, a marriage, a birth, or maybe just reconnecting with yourself.”
The service can include intention-setting, Reiki, breathwork, meditation, sound healing, smoke cleansing rituals, and a personalized haircut.
“I wanted to have a space where I could honor those moments that need a little bit more than what we’ve come to having haircuts be, like a lunchtime chore instead of these special spiritual moments.”
Alongside its hair offerings, The Summerland hosts yoga classes, sound healing experiences, and other wellness-focused services designed for people navigating periods of growth, transition, grief, burnout, or change.
King describes the business as a place for people looking for something deeper than a traditional wellness or beauty appointment.
“It’s a boutique wellness studio for those moving through transition and transformation, for people who want more than a service, who want to feel seen, reset, and rooted through the body, through breath, and through sacred care.”
The larger studio will also allow The Summerland to grow beyond its original one-person operation. King said she taught every class herself during the business’s first six months, but the new location will make it possible to bring on additional teachers and expand programming.
“We’re bringing teachers on. We’re building our own app, so that’s going to make it really easy to connect and stay connected.”
Avian King continues to share updates on the move, renovations, classes, and upcoming offerings through The Summerland’s Instagram page.
