Why Renovating a Century-Old Building is Never “On Schedule”

Celebrating our 2nd birthday felt like the perfect moment to spill the coffee beans about the renovation inside our beloved 100-year-old brick building.

Where to even start? Back in January, we were brimming with enthusiasm — the plans were approved, the obstacles cleared, and we were ready to get rolling “any day now.”

Spoiler: “Any day” in renovation time is like “just five more minutes” in kid time.

This project is a constant reminder that nothing — absolutely nothing — goes exactly as planned in a renovation. New construction? Different ball game. Renovation? It’s a choose-your-own-adventure novel where you don’t get to read the ending first.

We’ve had delays, plot twists, and the classic subcontractor shuffle (sub A says “don’t do XYZ before we do our part,” then they bow out of the job; enter new sub B, who says “XYZ needs to be done before we start").  Repeat this cycle a few times, and you’ve got the highlight reel of our summer.

But thanks to our renovation heroes, Daniel Vargas & Brian Crane, the dream is still alive and kicking!

While each twist along the way felt overwhelming (and, honestly, really hard in the moment), we have rounded the corner. One of the best gifts of being a designer at heart is the ability to envision what doesn’t yet exist. Every stunning detail and every bit of functionality this space will hold is what keeps us moving forward.

Thankfully, it seems the stars (and subcontractors) are finally aligning, so here’s to finishing strong in our own perfectly unpredictable timeline. 😊

___________

Photo: The framing of the upstairs office space is coming along great! If you are interested in rentable office space, you can fill out our interest form here. We'd love to connect with you!