When we began work on the Fox & Hounds Pub & Restaurant, it had already been operating for decades. The heavy post and beam building was actually brought to Canada from England, and was more than a century old. And, while this original structure remained intact, the owners were building an addition that more than doubled its size. The challenge was to modernize and refurbish the pub while enhancing and expanding its original charm. All while the original portions of the building stayed open for business.

Our job was to make the new construction look like it has been there for at least a hundred years — warping, bending and aging everthing to achieve that look. And we had three months to complete the project.

As I mentioned, construction was well underway, with the new addition now almost to lockup stage. Since we had no input to this point we needed to work with everything already planned and currently in construction. But, 'restrictions' like these are the life’s blood of creativity!

The addition’s entryway needed to indicate strongly to guests that they had entered a magical place. To achieve this we designed ‘ancient’ twisted timbers interspersed with flowing lines of ‘old’ brick walls. Even the tile-work on the floor followed an undulating line.

After three days on the project. we had already made good progress framing out the straight and level structures the carpenters had built; making them look like the heavy, bent timbers of a one hundred year old pub. As this plywood frame was completed, we covered it with expanded lath, over which we would later apply and sculpt our concrete.

Come back and see more next week!