Pre-paint but almost there...

The fabulous lunch room with decidedly exposed wooden stud wall and shiny new floors...

(since I posted this the room got painted!!)

Don't Forget

Just wanted to make sure you all knew that if you go to the oldest posts there is more info about the building and how we came about buying it, there's even a little Lewiston history if you desire. Also, if anyone is interested in renting the studio spaces please contact me at karinweiner@gmail.com. We will be posting an ad on Craigslist SOON!

Looking Up. Looking Down.

Central Maine Power came to hook us up!! So now everything is looking up.

The Long View

With dog in foreground for perspective.

How Do We Feel About Orange?

Looking good eh?

To Make Or Break A Farm Table

With just a few extra screws and a simple can of Electric Orange Paint from the Home Depot we were able to transform this ratty old farm table into a daydream!! This will take up a post in the common area lunch room and hopefully be the locale for many a deep and meaningful conversation about art or whatever. In the background of the last picture is the table pre-orangification. More pix to come once its in position (when the legs dry of course)

And They Work!!

transom n 1: a window above a door and hinged to a transom [syn: transom window, fanlight] 2: a horizontal crosspiece across a window or separating a door from a window over it [syn: traverse]

After all of the tedious work done on the salvaged windows from Wilbur's Antique Barn in Greene... We finally have our homemade transom windows. We ordered remakes of the old style latches from a place in Portland OR that work by simply slipping a hook through the loop and pulling down on it. Then there are nice little chains to catch the window and keep it from falling too far open. Seeing that we are going the anti AC route due to expense and our disbelief in it, we thought that there would be a natural cross breeze when these are all open. That and the ceiling fans should make it just right in the summer. You also get a glimpse in these pictures of the fabulous string art light fixture we scored at a yard sale in Houlton Maine this summer.

Getting A Little Crazy With The Floor

Barry and I decided that we needed to spice up the tiny bathroom space in the common area with some stripes. So manned with a dozen or so cans of misfit paint from the Restore we went nuts. Cutting 3 to 10 inch srips of plywood and then painting them with the unplanned colors (because randomnes is always best) The planks were then clear coated and screwed to the old subfloor with nice even rows of screws across the expanse. Once again I say... GO RESTORE!!

Making the Wash Tub Sink

Putting in a normal sink just seemed boring and since I decided that this project has to be about making interesting and creative decisions or else its just not worth doing, I thought it was important to make that crazy sink I've always wanted! I'll definitely add more pictures when its totally done so everyone can get a better idea of what it looks like.

First There Was Nothing

We scavenged up the old bits and pieces of the wainscotting in order to replace some pieces that were a long time gone. Looks like it never left, due to Barry's adept and nimble way with a jigsaw. The first picture shows the missing bits along the big wall in the apartment. And then VOILA!

The Dust Storm

Who would have thought that sweeping the floor could be so apocolyptic. And yes I'm wearing a mask.

And God Said...

This one is self explanatory, but the gist of it is that the electricians are done wiring the second floor. Who would have thought that flipping a switch could be so rewarding. We feel like its the 1800's again and were seeing electricity in action for the first time.

Found Object

The Restore was good enough to sell this lovely light fixture to us for a whopping 50 cents. Now it will have a new home in the hall as you come up the stairs.

The Shiny New Floor In Studio C

Barry and I hand scrubbed, sanded and put three layers of clear coat on the floor in the back studio and lunch room. We did this instead of just renting a sander and having at it. Our thought was that by being gentle on the wood we could preserve all of the age and patina that had developed over the years. Now it is clean and smooth and has an ashy green tinge to it which is lovely. Its much warmer wood out in the area where the table will be.

Table For Two

Here are some pix of the awesome chairs we found for the cafe. The guy we bought them from said they came out of a convent in Portland. Somewhat mid-century religious modern. There's only seven of them but we'll make it work. We also have a large farm style table and a lot of mix matched old wooden chairs that I think we'll paint all the some color. What color that will be we don't yet know??

The View From Home Depot Has Never Looked So Good

On one particular day I was exhausted by my third trip to the Depot.... but it was all worth it.

Cutting In To The Floor

Dad and Barry prepare to cut a hole in the floor so that Bert the Plumber can put in the new drains and pipes for the second floor plumbing and a toilet.

Hard at Work

Our friend Justin Richel has been on the job with us, doing what he does best, mudding and taping the sheetrock. He is a meticulous master of the trowel!

Studio C taking shape!! I'm focussed on this particular studio because its slated to be mine. Can't wait to set up shop! Also, you can see a before shot of this wall in the post prior to this one, showing the pink paint and what were window-like openings into the kitchen. The new openings will be for the windows into the common space I mentioned previously.

Replacing the Floor Where the Elevator Once Was

A simple progression of the new joists going in and the subflooring being put in on top. The final picture is the old flooring that we found in the basement being put back in its original place. We even have enough extra to patch a few of the other holes that are scattered around. No more pesky hole!! The next exciting adventure is to learn how to sand and refinish the floor. Stayed tuned for more soon.