Christmas came early for sisters Sophie and Danielle Greening, as they have opened a brand new beauty salon in an extension built by their dad, Colin.

The salon, called Papillon, in Elm Road, Swindon, opened in November and is already proving popular with people seeking beauty treatments and complementary therapies.

It took Colin Greening three years to build, as he also has a demanding job as a maintenance technician for BT – as well as being a father of four.

“We couldn’t have done it without him,” said Danielle. “Everyone at the opening was completely shocked at how amazing and professional the salon looked, considering it was one man’s job.

“We wanted it to be clean, modern and relaxing and it fits that description perfectly. We have mood lights and calming music for the most perfect salon atmosphere.”

Danielle, 21, is an advanced beauty therapist with level 2 and 3 qualifications in beauty therapy and a level 4 advanced qualification from Oxford Brookes, while Sophie, 22, is a holistic beauty therapist with level 2 and 3 qualifications from New College in Swindon.

They offer a wide range of treatments and therapies, including eyelash extensions, eyebrow tinting, manicures, pedicures, waxing, facials and massages.

The sisters decided to call the salon Papillon – a suggestion by their dad - because it is French for butterfly – and they liked to think of clients being transformed by their treatments.

“We did not come up with the name, our Dad did,” Danielle said. “He thought about the caterpillar turning into a beautiful butterfly, and we liked the sound of the word.”

While Colin has long been a practical person, able to build a conservatory and carry out building maintenance, Danielle said the extension was a learning process for him, and he turned to the internet for instructions and video demonstrations.

The sisters are enjoying their new business venture.

“We are so happy our ultimate dream is coming true,” Danielle said. “Dad is really proud of us, and he’s so glad we’ve set up the business and are doing what we wanted to do.”

For more information visit papillonswindon.wixsite.com, or visit the salon’s pages on Facebook and Instagram.