Hiding modern fittings

[cherylflakes]

We are recreating an early Victorian working day in a museum.

The museum is set up to look like a working factory in the old days but is absolutely covered in modern day fittings. For example, light switches, thermostats, fire escape boxes, machine operating buttons, pipes, large central heating pipes,conduits and the list goes on.

We need to cover all of these in a very short amount of time, and need some amazing ideas.

So far we are going to do as much hanging things over and sticking things in front of as we can. Then we were going to make small polyboard boxes to go over the box fittings and paint to match the wall. Other than that we have muslin and other fabrics and card and paint.

Has anyone got a foolproof method of blending these kinds of things in?

Thanks

[timsabre]

Is this for filming or for actual people to see?

 

and... you want to be careful about covering fire alarm points

[Dave m]

rather than hide them badly, turn them into something else.

 

when they did Buggsy malone, ( the film) they had to cover certain immovable objects outside with tarps, and made them look like deliveries.

I have seen the grey boxes that the PO use to store extra bags on a delivery round have a plastic/wooden Red Post Box slipped over them.

 

hard to say without seeing the place.

 

a false wall might be quicker in the long run than loads of smaller units

[kerry davies]

As long as it is safe to hang anything then I would probably go for hessian rather than muslin. Clean lines and cleanliness generally is to be avoided and breaking coverings down to just above unusable would be my approach.

 

If you could give more info I am sure it would help others to suggest stuff. What sort of factory, how high are these pipes and ducts, how much window light is there, can you use a floor covering safely, that sort of thing.

 

If this place was in operation you wouldn't be able to see for the dust and fluff and the noise would be unbelievable.

[cherylflakes]

Hi guys thanks for your comments.

I forgot to mention it is a 1 day get in, so no time for false walls unfortunately, plus this is about 8 different large rooms all covered with modern fittings.

It was a potteries, therefore no dust, pretty clean really. There is quite a lot of window light and all the fittings are at eye level pretty much with cables and pipes coming out from them going up to low ceilings.

The ceilings are all quite low and it is a mixture of different walls mainly old brick with peeling paint. Very old historical building so cant make any holes for fixings or stick anything that will remove the wall.

[Junior8]

Why bother? You cannot in any real sense 'recreate an early Victorian working day' in a museum. Everybody knows they are going to a modern recreation albeit in an old building and they will simply 'filter out' anything that doesn't 'fit' with the re-enaction. There are bound to be loads of things - exit boxes, alarm fittings, emergency stops and the like - you simply won't be allowed to cover anyway.