The trouble I've found with Aveda Institute is that it's either hit or miss whether you get great work done or not. If you like to be a little adventurous, or if you have a really easy haircut to maintain and you just need a trim, they can be great. But if you have crazy thick hair, or funky cowlicks like I do, the results may vary...
Oh, and the other problem is that it can be very difficult to get an appointment. Plan on calling well in advance for one.
If I were smart, I wouldn't tell you where I love to go to get my hair done, but...
If you are willing to go to the Southpark or Uptown areas, and you are interested in an Aveda salon, I would HIGHLY recommend Varji and Varji. I have followed Susan Varji to 3 salons because of how much I adore her. In fact, I drove all the way down from Northern Virginia this weekend (7 hours!) just to get her to do my color and cut! (Okay, we were also looking for a house, but I used it as the perfect opportunity...) In the 2 years I've lived in NoVA, I've been unable to find a stylist who even comes CLOSE to the expertise and service I've found at Varji and Varji.
Susan and her husband Max are both highly skilled, expect nothing less than the best of anyone who works for them, and believe in constant education to achieve the highest level of excellence. There are plenty of reviews on Citysearch and other sites to back up my claims, so see for yourself!
Also, their new Southpark location just won 2nd runner up in Salon Today Magazine's
Salon of the Year competition. (http://www.salontoday.com/salonsoftheyear/tabid/103/Default.aspx - broken link)
Varji and Varji
911 E Morehead St Ste 600
Charlotte, NC 28204
Phone: (704) 333-1957
or the Southpark location is at the corner of Colony and Sharon, I don't know the exact address... Same phone number...