More finishing touches

A few new details to point out: New doors on the three chapel lounge doors. In these views you can see one of them from the hallway side, and in another view you can see them from inside the unfinished chapel lounge, looking toward the west hospitality area. We have new doors on either end of the office suite. Also, most of the hallway lighting is installed, as are the hallway ceilings. What a great improvement that is! This week we hope to choose and purchase the new dishwasher for the little kitchen off the chapel lounge. We will also be looking at window coverings for all the new windows. The library committee will meet with the architect to discuss options for displaying books.

More furnishings

Pr. Holly has said that she wants her interim stay with us to last long enough so she'll be able to sit at a new desk in the new pastor's office. We're getting closer! As you can see by the previous blog the carpet is in, the walls are painted and progress is being made. I wanted to post a few additional pictures of furnishings and colors.

The desk used by previous pastors has clearly outlived its usefulness. Time for a new desk! The picture here is not the actual desk that we'll order, but you get the idea. It will be L-shaped in a dark mahogany finish. The pastor also needs a small seating area for counseling and small work groups. We will be re-upholstering the chairs from the old office, which were considered a type of Danish modern style and worth keeping. The fabric swatch is in this post. We may also use one of the cranberry sofas from the Chapel Lounge.

The library will now have essentially two spaces - some shelf space for display in the new hospitality space and the larger collection in the library/archives room in the northeast corner of the first floor. In addition to new shelves in the front space, we will need a library cart that can be used both for display and for transporting books between the two spaces. A suggestion has been made that a children's table and chairs be put in the front room as well.

Lots of decisions are ahead and I'll keep posting about them.

Carpet! Tile! Lighting!

Many finishing touches are starting
to appear in the new spaces. The bathrooms are tiled, painted and the fixtures are almost all installed. The offices and library/archives spaces are painted and carpeted. Lighting fixtures are being installed. The little kitchen cabinets are being re-installed. The "direction" of progress seems to be moving in something of a circle. The bathrooms will be finished first, progressing to the offices/library spaces, around to the little kitchen, then through the Chapel Lounge and the front hospitality space. Not much happening yet in the East Assembly Room, since that is the primary "office" space for the contractors.

At an adult forum this past Sunday I presented the progress, including where we are financially. I'm glad to share that info with anyone who wasn't there. The gist is this: while we will be able to complete the entire project, including the undercroft kitchen, within the $800K budget that the congregation authorized last fall, we will be short of our existing resources by about $35-$45K. This means that there will additional fundraising to do. The Capital Campaign group is working on that and you can expect some communication from them within the next few weeks.

The images that you see above are from the bathrooms, the view from the pastor's window to the door of her/his office (with brick wall), the new library/archives space, the secretary/receptionist office with the large window opening, and the little kitchen with cabinets being installed.

And now for the furniture....

There are a few items that were not included in our overall budget. So, we'll be depending on the members of the congregation to help out with these. We have a furnishings committee that's been hard at work picking out the best, most cost effective items, and I'm going to start posting pictures, descriptions and prices in case any of you are moved to donate one item or several. Perhaps you want to donate a piece in honor of someone. Or join up with a friend or family member to purchase something that many, many people will be able to use for many years to come.

Brian Jacobs (interior designer), Carol Austermann (skilled with all things relating to fabric) and Naomi Peterson (great "eye" and lots of history with decorating) have made several recommendations for the new spaces. Remember that there are three hospitality areas, a new library space and new offices that need furnishings. We'll re-use as many of the existing pieces as we can, but don't want to put old, outworn furniture in a new space.

Let's start with furnishings for the front (west) hospitality area. The plan calls for two seating areas, arranged back to back. Each area will have:

• loveseat (pictured above),
  
• two barrel chairs (existing chairs which have been in the Chapel Lounge),
  
• and two occasional tables.

In addition, we will be re-using the fabric benches that were in the Chapel Lounge and recover them with the scarlet fabric above. These benches will be placed under the three large windows in the front hospitality space.

Ambient lighting is currently under discussion, with the furnishings committee suggesting torchiere floor lamps placed between the windows along the west wall. Cost/feasibility of these is yet to be determined.

We're in the process of deciding on the priorities for furnishings in the new spaces. Some things will get top priority - it's always nice if the pastor has a desk, and a new desk is appropriate for a new space. But other items are perhaps not as obvious. So the Building Committee is looking at the function of the new hospitality areas (former office space, Chapel Lounge and East Assembly Room) and generating a list of events/classes/meetings that the new space will need to accommodate. Here's our list so far - does anyone have anything to add? Let us know.
Sunday morning coffee fellowship
Adult education (often two classes at one time)
Vestry and other committee meetings, ranging from large groups to small.
Event receptions (i.e., Mount Olive Fine Arts events)
Art shows
Small luncheons
Break-out sessions for larger conferences (i.e., Liturgy Conference)
Reception function (i.e., visitor's greeting area)
Bridal dressing area
Library space
"Respite" area for parents and restless children during worship
Retail space - Sales of event tickets, brunches, etc., also books and other Mount Olive items