Geronimo Coffee House and Gallery inhabits the most beautiful space in Old Town Kemptville. The building dates from the late 1800’s and is blessed with super-high ceilings, a plate-glass front window that streams the light, a period bar, original floors and fixtures and a 40-ft long exposed brick wall. It’s charming in all the right ways.
Owners Terry and Lee took a leap-of-faith when they agreed to let me re-work the main wall in preparation for my exhibition. I am a construction carpenter (I graduated from tradeschool a few years ago) so I do know what I’m doing. However, old buildings being what they are, it’s always a crapshoot when you touch anything. Drywall had been slapped over the existing lathe and plaster, making the walls sit proud of the trim. The drywall had to go.
Two long-weekends later, working while the shop was closed, it was done. The result was a simplified and more cohesive look. Of course I could have kept going and going, picking away, because vintage buildings are like that. There’s no such thing as perfection.
Up next – installation begins