Stephanie McDonald reports on a hairdressing salon at Westfield Bondi Junction, Sydney, which has used a flooring product in a very unique way.
Giant Designs was given an open brief for the Le Fringe project — to create a hairdressing salon which was a bold statement to the start of the kid’s precinct at Westfield Bondi Junction. The design ers also wanted to utilise as much of the salon’s height as possible.
Giant Designs required a product which would be durable and last in such a high-use setting as a hairdressing salon, which sees a lot of foot wear and tear, and also a product which made a bold statement. Forbo’s Marmoleum flooring product fit this bill.
One of the challenges the designers initially encountered was getting the concept of Forbo Marmoleum covering the whole shopfront through Westfield approval, as they were modifying the shop’s façade.
“It is way outside of the normal convention of their guidelines. Getting it actually built was the next [problem],” says Ed Kenny, director at Giant Designs.
“The concept was to create a continuous band of colour that gradually changes down the length of the store, accentuated by each break in dark char coal. To make it convincing we had to use the same product throughout. The trick was to find a skilled flooring contractor with the capability of doing ceil ing installation [as well as flooring installation].”
Giant Designs had previously worked with the Forbo Marmoleum product. The unique aspect of the product is that it can be used on walls as well as floors.
Giant Designs mixed several different Forbo Marmoleum colours within the project and inter spersed it with dark charcoal bands. All exterior walls, floors and the ceiling have been applied with the product. A rear bench in the salon is also covered in Forbo Marmoleum.
Colours used includes the orange tones of 3870 Red Copper and the pale blue of 3828 Blue Heaven in the Fresco range; the speckled burnt orange of 3226 Marigold and the pastel blue of 3055 Fresco Blue in the Dual range; and the light orange of 3225 Dandelion, the dark charcoal of 3139 Lava and the olive green of 3224 Chartreuse in the Real range.
The flooring product runs along the floor, up the wall and across the top of the ceiling, creating a ‘linked’ piece of the product in strips. It also extends into the wall where salon products are housed on shelves.
Although the effect of the flooring running up the walls makes a statement, Kenny says he soon discovered that “for ceiling and vertical installation of a flexible product such as Marmoleum, you need to allow much more time than you would for just a floor.
“Defying the effects of gravity was the greatest challenge. Applying the Marmoleum to the ceiling was like painting the Sistine Chapel.
“The contractor worked overnight like a busy Spiderman on top of the scaffolding — trimming around lights and sprinklers was a truly upside down experience for him.
“A flooring installation would involve a heavy roller to press the material to the surface, which of course wasn’t an option for the ceiling. It was a challenge but the effect was worth it.
“The finished result has become a showcase of what you can do with the product. Relatively light, great durability and a fantastic choice of colours make it a perfect choice if you want to think out side of the box. We will use it again.”
The installation was carried out by a flooring contractor who Kenny says was willing to accept the Michelangelo challenge of working on his back for the installation of the product on the ceiling.
The project recently won the Fly Forbo Award 2010, with judging panel member Cameron Bruhn saying: “We were impressed with the way in which the material, Marmoleum, has been used to achieve a bold, graphic identity for the salon within the very visually busy retail environment. It really stands out and reinforces the vibrant, creative atmosphere within.”
Kenny says: “All of the projects we work on, we push ourselves to create a unique environment that creates a memorable experience that the client reaps the rewards for and we are extremely proud, no matter how big or small. This project is no exception to the rule.”
