Laura Arnold opens New Wave Salon in Bellefonte

CHRIS MORELLI / THE EXPRESS Laura Arnold poses for a picture in front of the logo for her new business, New Wave Salon in Bellefonte. Below, provided photos show the inside of the salon.
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- CHRIS MORELLI / THE EXPRESS Laura Arnold poses for a picture in front of the logo for her new business, New Wave Salon in Bellefonte. Below, provided photos show the inside of the salon.
- CHRIS MORELLI / THE EXPRESS Laura Arnold poses for a picture in front of the logo for her new business, New Wave Salon in Bellefonte. Below, provided photos show the inside of the salon.
- CHRIS MORELLI / THE EXPRESS Laura Arnold poses for a picture in front of the logo for her new business, New Wave Salon in Bellefonte. Below, provided photos show the inside of the salon.
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For Laura Arnold, 28, owner of New Wave Salon in Bellefonte, she’s taking everything in stride and not letting any hurdles get in her way. The salon, located at 118 N. Allegheny St., has really taken shape over the past several months.
“It’s so exciting. At first, it was really scary with the shutdown … it really slowed down everything,” Arnold said. “Now, that it’s finally opened it’s very exciting.”
New Wave Salon officially opened its doors on June 17. Prior to the shutdown throughout the Commonwealth, Arnold said that the salon was ready to go.
“It was almost done, almost there,” Arnold said. “It was really scary. There were a couple points where I thought, ‘Is this ever going to get finished?’ But when that happened, I just went and bought a bunch of paint. I painted the whole shop.”

CHRIS MORELLI / THE EXPRESS Laura Arnold poses for a picture in front of the logo for her new business, New Wave Salon in Bellefonte. Below, provided photos show the inside of the salon.
Prior to Arnold taking over the space on North Allegheny Street, it was an antique shop, she said.
“Most of the walls were black,” Arnold explained. “We had to paint over everything. We did a new bathroom, all new flooring. It was definitely a lot of work.”
Arnold said that she’s dreamed of owning her own salon for most of her adult life. A Lock Haven native, she attended beauty school in Williamsport and then worked in a State College salon before opening her own business in downtown Bellefonte.
According to Arnold, she does a little bit of everything at the salon. Whether you’re looking for color or a cut, she can get it done.
“I love doing blonde hair and vivid hair, those are my two specialties — but any type of hair color is what I specialize in,” Arnold said.
Under normal circumstances, Arnold would do facial waxes. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she’s only doing brow waxes at this time.
And while the salon is geared toward women, Arnold said that she’s happy to cut men’s hair as well.
When it came to selecting a location, Arnold said that choosing Bellefonte was a no-brainer. She hopes that New Wave Salon will fill a void in the downtown.
“I just love the downtown. Whenever I moved here and I really got familiar with it, I thought, ‘a salon would fit in so well here.’ I wanted to be close to State College, but also close to Lock Haven, so Bellefonte seemed perfect,” Arnold said.
Arnold is the owner and the lone stylist — for now.
“I do want to hire eventually,” she said.
Masks are required at every appointment and only one customer is permitted inside the salon at a time. To schedule an appointment, call the salon at (814) 548-7490. To check out some of Arnold’s hairstyles, visit her Facebook page, Instagram or website at www.newwavesalonllc.com
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