New Street Numbers and Stable Door at our Storefront –
Though I’ve been up to my neck in “Woodworking in Estonia” and building a Danish Modern Campaign chest, I’ve been sneaking in a little work on our Willard Street storefront.
Most of that work is happening in my savings account. We need a new roof. And because we want one that will last longer than we will, it’s going to cost us about $19,000. Good thing Katy works at a grocery store and gets a discount on generic ramen.
I’ve been working on our facade a bit; I removed the furry (yes, furry) exhaust fan and rebuilt the top of our entrance to have three windows. This improvement lets in even more light. Then I hired designer Nicholas Moegly to paint our street numbers on the new center window.
The numbers are hand-painted and then gold leaf is applied in what is called a Boston gild. I’m still sweeping up little scraps of gold (I have a little PTSD from the glitter).
Nicholas’s work is outstanding. You can see the street numbers from a block away and they look a lot classier than the plastic Blaze bar sign we inherited. We should receive our new custom entry door in the next week or so. And after I install that and the fire exit signs, I’ll hire Nicholas to paint our logo on the new door – once I get city approval.
The other progress is in the stables. Today I finished building a braced and ledged door for the stable’s entrance to the courtyard. This doorway was formerly secured with a tarp. The door was a blast to build because I did it all by hand.
I also built and installed a new door frame and I’ll hang the door on massive strap hinges tomorrow.
With the stables secure, I can start to lay a new wooden floor and (after replenishing the savings account) reconnect the electric service to the stables.
— Christopher Schwarz
