34 Ontario street renovation photos
Until the end of 2019, 34 Ontario street had been occupied by The Gospel Lighthouse, a Christian book and souvenir shop. I've known the building owners and their families since I was a young lad and heard about the potential vacancy towards the end of Autumn in 2019. In the weeks after that, I was approached by my good friend Pamela, who had a small studio/retail space about a block away on st. Patrick Street about a possible collaboration and was offered a tour of the new space along with the landlord. It didn't take more than a few minutes to be totally smitten with the space.
It was once a hotel lobby over 100 years ago, and a grocery store for about 75 years. There was a lot of work to be done, but much of the hand-crafted wood paneling and (my personal favorite feature) the arched, diamond matched wood ceiling wouldn't take much work to give new life.
I'll attach some progress photos below. It's truly going to be a destination shop when things get back and running, and we've all worked very hard to bring some modern sensibility, while keeping the integrity of the craftsmanship intact.
Slat wall removed, getting to the studs and revealing layers upon layers of all of the renovations from the past
The wall opposite the photo above, down to the studs
Removing the fake wood paneling revealed this hand made oak wall
Drywall up!
Photographed from the back of the store, showing all of the drywall up
Adhesive is down, center pattern is laid. No turning back!
Photographed from the front of the store.
New floor, old wall. What a contrast!
Remade trim on the wainscoting, and the baseboard shwom below.