STANMORE — A transformed high street corner will buzz with activity on Sunday as two independent businesses open their doors for the first time, bringing beauty treatments and artisanal coffee to a community long underserved by local commerce.
Leah White, a longtime beautician who once worked from home in Twyford and Colden Common, has spent the past year renovating a ground-floor unit into The White Room Collective — a shared workspace for independent beauty professionals offering massages, hair extensions, and aesthetic treatments under one roof. The project stemmed from White’s frustration at the lack of affordable, accessible beauty services in Stanmore, a town with a large student population.
Key Points
- ✅ The White Room Collective opens May 31 at midday on Cromwell Road, offering massages, hair extensions, and aesthetic treatments
- ⚡ Leah White, a local beautician, invested £85,000 in renovations and designed the space to be affordable for students and young residents
- 💡 Suzie’s Coffee Shop next door will serve locally roasted coffee, light lunches, and snacks with outdoor seating overlooking Stanmore Recreation Ground
Adjacent to the beauty hub, White’s aunt Suzanne has launched Suzie’s Coffee Shop, a full-service café that fills a gap in the local food scene. The shop will serve locally roasted coffee, seasonal sandwiches, and baked goods, with outdoor seating facing the recreation ground. White said the café idea emerged organically during the renovation phase, and the pair decided to pursue it together.
| Aspect | The White Room Collective | Suzie’s Coffee Shop |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Shared workspace for independent beauty professionals | Full-service café with outdoor seating |
| Offerings | Massages, hair extensions, aesthetic treatments | Locally roasted coffee, light lunches, snacks |
| Seating | Indoor treatment rooms | Outdoor terrace overlooking recreation ground |
| Opening hours | 9am–7pm Monday to Saturday, 10am–6pm Sunday | 7am–6pm daily |
Both businesses will celebrate a joint opening ceremony on Sunday at midday, officiated by the Mayor of Winchester. Trading begins officially on Monday, June 1, but White has already built a loyal following through TikTok, where she documented months of renovations and community engagement.
📋 By The Numbers
- £85,000 — Amount invested by Leah White in renovating The White Room Collective
- 14 — Number of independent beauty professionals confirmed to operate within the collective
The White Room Collective is designed to be welcoming to self-employed professionals, providing them with affordable space and shared facilities. White emphasized affordability, saying, “Stanmore has a really high student population, so the idea is to keep things reasonably priced and accessible.” The café next door will complement this, offering a place for students and families to relax after treatments or study sessions.
💡 Pro Tip
Visit early on opening day to avoid crowds — both businesses open at midday, but the ribbon-cutting ceremony is expected to draw a large turnout. Bring cash just in case, as card readers may take time to sync with new systems.
White, who has worked in the beauty industry for over a decade, said the project was born from years of observing gaps in local services. “So many people were traveling to Winchester or Eastleigh for basic treatments,” she said. “We wanted to create something local, affordable, and convenient — a real community hub.”
- First — The White Room Collective opens May 31 at midday, offering treatments from 14 independent professionals.
- Second — Suzie’s Coffee Shop opens next door the same day, serving coffee and light lunches with outdoor seating.
- Third — Both venues will host a joint opening ceremony officiated by the Mayor of Winchester on Sunday.
With Stanmore’s high street still recovering from the pandemic, these two businesses represent a small but significant step toward revitalizing local commerce. White said she hopes the model will inspire others to invest in the area, creating a ripple effect of independent enterprise.