Rarefinder - Architectural Design, Build and Consultancy Service.
Architectural Masterpieces
 by Alan Bitterman of Rarefinder.
Design & Build Service (Homepage)
Out of Order
Biffin Bridge
Bear Floors 		Cosy Fox
Talking Heads
Ashers Window
 Talking Heads - Hairdressers
  Project Brief: A commission to refurbish one of Manchester's most fashionable hairdressers.

Talking Heads
Shopfront
Neo Classical
The Pillars
Plaster Cornice
Original Plaster
Mirrors and Floor



Please wait, loading...
Talking Heads
A few years ago "Rarefinder" took on the task of removing a very large plaster ceiling from the ballroom of a huge Victorian private residence due for demolition. The ceiling was 18 feet high and about the size of a tennis court and in my opinion far too beautiful to be left to the mercy of the bulldozers. so armed with a a sthil saw and scaffolding "Michaelangelo Bitterman" began what was to become three days or relentless cutting and chiselling. Though it was impossible to save the entire ceiling a good many of the panels - depicting cherubs, swags, flowers and fruits - plus the cornice, were carefully packed away awaiting the opportunity to re-emerge.
Talking Heads
That opportunity arose with the commission to refurbish one of Manchester's most fashionable hairdressers. the Talking Heads project began with the removal of all fixtures and fittings leaving a blank canvas.

Neo Classical Design
Having pondered a few alternatives I eventually decided on a neo classical design using as much of the reclaimed plaster ceiling and cornice as possible.

The Pillars
As for the pillars I first built them in brick which I then shrouded with a plastic tube filled with concrete and handfuls of grit sand. When the plastic tube was cut away this revealed sand holes in the concrete surface to emulate aging. The bases and capitals of the pillars are fluted plastic plant pots from B&Q filled with concrete then again cut away revealing the fluted pot design in the concrete.
Plaster Cornice
Of the plaster cornice spanning the four pillars, whilst one is left virtually intact, the other is mercilessly chiselled away almost to the point of visual collapse.
Original Plaster
The original plaster nypmphs and cherubs are featured throughout the shop on walls and ceilings. The individual cherub plaques used as afrieze around the main room were each well endowed with a number 4 half-inch rawl plug as an erectile phallus. I thought they looked great but they were removed by the decorators !
Mirrors and Floor
The modern mirrors were framed in reeded pine and given a broken pediment crown. The shelves below are of italian marble supported by reclaimed cistern brackets. You will note in this picture that as the mirror pediments ascend from left to right, the marble shelves ascend from right to left. The idea came from trying to walk up the stairs and back again at the same time.
The floor surface throughout the salon is an aged limestone rustic tile.