Harmonious Addition

I feel like this is the introductory line for every Neighbours post we do over here, but I'll say it anyways - we haven't done one of these posts in a long time.

There's good reason for that. There's been so much going on - so much change, so much progress. We have more new neighbours all the time and they're all wonderful additions to the retail landscape. Relish, Needlework, Hawk & Sparrow, Humblepie, I Fiore. It's a little crazy to think about the changes we've seen in such a short time.

I can't help but think that more importantly than the businesses we all run, is our collective desire to build a positive community downtown. There's a lot of people doing all that they do for reasons bigger than themselves here. I'm especially reminded of this fact when I see people like Gary Buttrum and Mike Kennedy and all of the hard work that they are putting into 144 James Street North. Doing beautiful renovation work because they believe in the true craftsmanship behind it. This post could get lengthy, as I have a real admiration for all their time and effort that they've put into this project.

Gary owns 144 with our other friend Kieran and they have been working on it as long as we've known them. It was actually the first building we ever looked at to house White Elephant, and their commitment to restoring the building the right way was something that really resonated with Jane and I. It was too big for us, and there was still much work to be done, so we passed. Without an immediate tenant lined up, and with other big projects on the go, it was a continual work in progress. Along with having a serious dedication to proper and quality construction, which takes time, Gary and Kieran wanted to make sure that any potential tenant would appreciate all of the attention to detail put into the space. That perfect tenant eventually came along - a high end furniture and design shop Hansen-Lübbers - and suddenly it was crunch time.

Mike was enlisted to help on the exterior facade. Mike and his wife Jen had recently re-located to Hamilton, and had become familiar faces downtown. Gary was thrilled to find out that Mike's specialty is fenestration - the design of openings in a building, which would typically be doors, windows, skylights, etc. Gary had been inspired by a trip to London, England and all their handsome shop facades and wanted to emulate that look for 144. Mike's enthusiasm and skill set made him the perfect fit for the job.

They set up his workshop on the 2nd floor of the building, and started creating. The facade was revealed last week after much anticipation. Mike was nice enough to let me visit his shop before it gets moved elsewhere. Construction will begin shortly on the apartment upstairs, and he's slotted to create all the doors, windows and kitchen cabinetry.

The design for the exterior was a collaborative effort between the two of them - they had no real historical references of facades or mouldings. It all grew organically over pitchers of beer. The most important part of the process was coming up with a family of moulding profiles that worked together. And it wasn't always easy, they tested out many different cuts and designs, which just didn't have the right look, or didn't fit together well.

Mike spoke a lot about how he enjoys the order of operations which go into a job. The fact that you can see how each cut will lead to the next and when it works out harmoniously, it's really a beautiful thing. As he explained his work to me, I couldn't get over how much of an incredibly methodical process it is. Everything is done with thoughtful deliberation.

I asked him how he got into this specific field of woodworking and he answered, quite eloquently, "I fell in love with doors and what they mean to a house, their role in architecture. From there I stuck with doors because they're so cool: beauty, utility, and more serious, weighty, than a lot of other types of woodworking, furniture-making say. Maybe it's because of the public nature of doors and windows? Stuck right out there on the front of the house."

Stunning, right? None of this existed on the storefront previously. Every inch of this was constructed and assembled by Gary and Mike. The display case especially blows my mind. The geometry involved in that alone...
 
All of the wood mouldings were designed and milled from poplar and pine. The doors and the windows were made from a gorgeous fir from a company in Cambridge. The exterior paint is a heritage Dutch paint colour reproduced by Farrow & Ball - a traditional paint line which Hansen-Lübbers carries - called Hague Blue and is done in a high gloss finish. Gary will be working on a tile mosiac for both the airlock (another amazing design feature) floor and the area in front of the building in porcelain penny tiles. Gary and Kieran are pulling out all the stops to restore the building to the level of original beauty it once possessed.

Hansen-Lübbers opens it's doors to the public today, and you should really check it out not only for the incredible renovation work on the building, but for their amazing modern interior pieces. I got a sneak peek yesterday and fell in love. Jaw-droppingly good. And if you're interested, the heated poured concrete floor and the skylight are more design features to look out for.

I'm so thankful that there are people like Gary and Mike out there, working tirelessly to fix up the streetscape. Making things by hand with careful intent. Building things meant to last; the pride in their craft and workmanship will show for years to come.

And now you know a little about the story of 144 James Street North.