Spanky’s Barbershop in Covington, Kentucky
Covington, Kentucky sits just across the river from Cincinnati, but in recent years it has developed a rhythm all its own. Historic storefronts are being restored. Independent businesses are opening their doors. There’s a steady sense of momentum — not loud, not flashy — but real.
Spanky’s Barbershop is part of that shift.
I first met Sean Caudill — known to most simply as Spanky — years ago at his first shop in the same area. It was a beautiful shop, but when I returned to photograph this second location, it was clear he was building something much bigger.
A Second Shop Built from Experience
Spanky’s new Covington location wasn’t opened just for a bigger footprint — it’s the result of his unique personality, years behind the chair, and having a distinct vision for the future of his business.
When I first photographed Spanky at the old shop, he was know for his skills behind the chair. The foundation was there: strong cuts, loyal clients, a clear identity. What stands out now is the confidence that comes from time.
This shop feels curated. Every design decision — from layout to lighting to branding — carries the weight of experience. It’s what happens when a barber has spent years refining his craft and understands exactly how he wants a space to function.
Sean is damn fine human being. As kind and welcoming as they come. He’s also part of the crew at Uppercut Deluxe, a globally respected pomade company known for aligning with some of the strongest barbers in the industry. That level of professional connection shows. Not in excess, but in execution.
The result is a shop that feels intentional without feeling over-designed. Confident without trying too hard. Built by someone who knows the culture from the inside and wants everyone who walks through his door to feel like they belong.
Inside Spanky’s Barbershop – Design & Atmosphere
From a design standpoint, the shop is as good as it gets these days.
The materials feel grounded and intentional. The lighting is clean but warm. The stations are arranged with space to move, but without losing the intimacy that makes a traditional barbershop work.
There’s balance here — modern but not sterile. Classic but not nostalgic.
This is what makes strong barbershop interior design compelling: it respects tradition without being trapped by it.
The chairs, mirrors, floor color, and decor work together as a unified environment rather than individual pieces. It feels cohesive. Confident. Functional.
And above all, it feels lived in — not staged. Stepping into Spanky’s place, you know it was put together by a person with passion, not a group of executives in a highrise.
For a city like Covington, where small businesses are helping redefine entire blocks, spaces like this matter. They become visual anchors. They build neighborhood identity.
Covington’s Growth and Independent Energy
Northern Kentucky has been steadily growing, especially with its proximity to Cincinnati. But Covington has developed its own personality — one built around independent restaurants, bars, and retail rather than chains.
Spanky’s Barbershop fits that model perfectly.
It’s not corporate.
It’s not trend-driven.
It’s personal.
As neighborhoods evolve, businesses like this often become the steady presence — the kind of place people return to weekly or monthly, long after other storefronts have changed hands.
Barbershops, at their best, are consistent. They operate on routine and relationship. That consistency becomes more valuable as cities shift.
Barbershops of America – The Long View
This shop is part of my ongoing 15+ year project, Barbershops of America, documenting traditional and independent barbershops across all 50 states.
Most shops I photograph represent continuity — decades in one location, sometimes passed down through generations.
Spanky’s second location represents something slightly different: progression.
It shows what happens when a barber grows with his city.
It shows what happens when craft meets momentum.
Not every shop closes. Not every shop fades. Some expand. Some adapt. Some refine their space and raise their standard.
Those stories deserve to be documented too.
Fine Art Prints & Licensing
Photographs from Spanky’s Barbershop are available as limited edition fine art prints and for editorial or commercial licensing.
For interior designers, hospitality spaces, and collectors interested in contemporary American craftsmanship and small business culture, this body of work reflects both design and identity.
View the full Barbershops of America gallery here.
Explore fine art prints+photobook here.
Contact for licensing inquiries - rob@robhammerphotography.com
Continue Through the Archive
Spanky’s Barbershop is one of hundreds of shops photographed across all 50 states.
The striped awning and traditional barber sign anchor the storefront along a historic Covington block.
Natural light filters through the striped awning as a barber finishes a cut
The waiting area at Spanky’s Barbershop in Covington blends vintage barber ephemera, red vinyl chairs, and natural light from the street, setting the tone for the shop’s design-forward interior.
Vintage neon wall clock above a Wildroot refrigerator inside Spanky’s Barbershop in Covington, Kentucky.
Conversation and humor are as much a part of the shop as clippers and combs.
Barbers at work inside Spanky’s Barbershop in Covington, where layered wall art and Americana details form the backdrop to daily ritual.
Personal objects and religious iconography add another layer to the shop’s visual identity.
A fade cut in progress—straightforward, precise, and rooted in tradition.
A wide view reveals the shop’s layered design—vintage signage, trophies, and a glowing clock anchoring the space.
Spanky’s Barbershop sits along a historic Covington street just across the river from Cincinnati.