Dave’s been hard at work with renovating his new studio. It’s going be used for business activities today, so he had to get the project to an adequate level of readiness. Still lots to do, but it’s looking great!
Here’s what his wall framing and floor moving projects look like:
Wall with rigid insulation and furring.
Wall with electric lines, batt insulation, and wall board.
Wall to the right taped for spackle and painting.
Floor moved for today’s auditions.
We’re going to move the awning up and add signage that looks something like this.
Dave’s studio is in the building at the back of the courtyard (in the top photo). In addition to designing and renovating the inside of the building, we also need to figure out how to use his courtyard well.
I PhotoShop-ed a sign onto the photo to see what that could look like. In honor of the movie, I’ve used Helvetica font here. (Please note: No sign is installed yet. The design Dave selects will have to be approved by the Downtown Design Review committee before we can do that. It is likely to be much smaller than what I’m simulating here.)
I’ve included a few photos Dan Bell sent from the other night….
We haven’t yet started moving Dave into his new photography studio at 610 High Street, but we’re starting to design how he will use the space. Our friends Jenn White and Dan Bell met us there the other night to celebrate Dave’s news.
An image Dave texted me last week — from one of my favorite seats in Norfolk, sitting across from Wayne Ringer at D’Egg diner.
I haven’t been eating out much these past few months. It’s just not as delightful when the seat across from me is empty.
I’m lucky to have many memories of meals with loved ones to keep me company, but it’s still not quite the same.
I particularly miss breakfast time with Wayne Ringer. Dave and I meet Wayne for breakfast a couple of times each week when I’m in Hampton Roads. When I’m away, Dave often texts me pictures so I can feel included. Here’s a shot of Wayne that Dave sent me last week. I haven’t seen Wayne yet, but hope to “real soon.” I know he’ll be happy I’ve been able to “tell everyone in Dublin ‘hey.'” (That’s his normal directive when we part.)
Wayne and I originally met at a little coffee shop in our Port Norfolk neighborhood. That was way back in 2000. Even though that shop closed and Wayne moved across the river to Norfolk, we still find time to meet for breakfast.
These days, Dave’s schedule permits him to join us (he typically rises before the sun, to photograph buildings in the light of the rising sun, and joins us after his photo shoot).
Here’s a view I typically have in Dublin:
Empty chair across from me in Dublin, at Nandos.
A photo taken during the property inspection. I can’t wait to see more!
We closed the deal on the purchase of a new studio for Dave today!
Dave just announced “Coming soon: Dave Chance Downtown” on Facebook, thereby (finally) granting me permission to blab about how proud I am of him.
He’s been hoping for this building for a year, and kindly delayed until I could adapt to the idea of owning another building in Portsmouth. He wanted gallery walls for display and a new sense of separation between home and work. I’m not sure that workaholics like us can really separate from our work to go home — but, hey, if he wants to try it out, more power to him.
For a glimpse of his work, visit www.davechancephotography.com.
Our new porch floor!
Dave has made a lot of progress installing a new floor for our porch back home. What a wonderful gift it will be to return to this at Christmas!
This is the most recent phase in our very extended porch renovation project.
Previously, Dave installed a new foundation and then hired bricklayers to install an entirely new brick foundation and new brick pillars. He placed new limestone steps and limestone caps for the piers. Then he framed in a new structural system for the porch floor, and primed, painted, and installed the tongue-and-groove floorboards.
Much earlier in the renovation process, we replaced the dilapidated front door with one we bought at Caravati’s Architectural Salvage in Richmond. It got a new limestone threshold. And someday, we may actually install a window in the transom opening.
The green wood siding and the yellow wood columns are original. At this point, they need quite a bit of scraping and painting. I was in charge of the scraping the first time and I did much of the painting as well. This go around should be much easier. The last time we had 100 years worth of paint to remove!
Under the porch roof, we found a piece of lumber signed by the builder and dated 1896. That’s quite old for a house in the USA.
Ireland by Chance 