Dreams really do come true!
…and TEAMWORK ALWAYS makes the dream work!
Grateful to be finished with a long day of sanding. Backlit by the twinkle of GCC’s Grand Foyer Christmas Tree, John expresses his satisfaction of a tough job, done well!
How many people can say they truly love their job?
Well, before I answer that rhetorical question with a heavy dose of cheesy sentimentality, I must be completely honest. We haven’t been loving the job lately. It’s not because our passion for creating decorative paint finishes is waning, but because we’re currently in the midst of a serious grind, to tackle some of the oldest and most mistreated trim work in Old Irving Park. That’s right, our project is the Greensboro Country Club - an iconic neighborhood facility, originally established in 1909. Designed and directed by Interior Designer, Bradshaw Orrell as part of a complete renovation, we are tasked with the challenge of converting nearly 100 year trim paint into slick and smooth, High-Gloss Black.
Gloss Black as we just finished the final coat.
Now, just take a moment and think about how many times the historic Greensboro Country Club has been repainted over the years. Also take into consideration that commercial facilities generally don’t receive the same TLC as residential when it comes to repaints and repairs. Alas, we are uncovering a time capsule of “freshen ups” and touchups - often done in a hurry, to fit between events. Doesn’t that sound like fun?
Cracked, pealing, chipped, bubbled and smeared over with caulk - a multitude of painting sins, are hiding in the trim work of Greensboro Country Club.
Our commission started, early December and we are slated to complete the project by the end of January. It has been a bit of a challenge, isolating workspaces for the level of dust we’ve been creating. Heavy sanding, skimming, spraying and sanding again on repeat, is the order of each day. Masking and tenting with ventilation has been the only solution to capture and contain our upheaval.
We isolated the grand, octagonal foyer into quadrants. Each area like this took roughly one week to refinish with 5 guys. That’s 200 man-hours per quadrant, not including the time to refinish the large, glass doors that open to adjoining rooms.
Did someone say upheaval?
Well - yes…that’s really the only way to make this thing happen! Oftentimes, we sound like a swarm of giant bees, with 5 electric sanders all running at the same time - the echos of our mechanical labor, amplified by the grand halls and marble floors. I’m afraid we almost sent one of the front desk attendants to the loony bin after one looong afternoon of loud and constant buuuuuuzzzz!!!!!
Sanding after the first coat of black primer.
But truly, amid all disruption, the GCC staff and members have been so very gracious and accommodating thus far. One of my favorites is our lead point of contact, Friedrich Eder. As Chief Operating Officer and General Manager, Friedrich seems to be the ring leader of a 10 ring circus, yet somehow he executes it all with the poise and candor of a Saint.
Friedrich Eder, Greensboro Country Club’s Chief Operating Officer and General Manager, just minutes before opening for the 1920s themed Christmas Gala. What a gentleman he is, always smiling and ready to navigate the next challenge with the deft and prowess of a seasoned expert! His favorite phrase is “no worries”, and I just love that! He will figure out a way to make it all happen!
Our “Kitchen Rescue Unit” parked in front of the Greensboro Country Club. We like to have fun with the decals - and this truck’s eye catching red was screaming for an ambulance theme. This is Andy’s truck. He’s our Chief Mechanical guy, carpenter and all-around MacGyver.
So, how’s that “Dream” working out for me?
Well, sometimes, I don’t know how I make it through another day of this, but to just keep showing up with grit and determination - and perhaps a hopeful “this too shall pass” attitude haha!
Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs would be so proud!
In all seriousness though, the opportunity to make such a monumental impact on one of Greensboro’s most iconic and prestigious establishments is truly a dream come true for me. I worked alone for nearly 15 years at this profession before hiring help. My dream has been for many of those years, to one day establish a team of artisans and craftspersons for which any challenge and scale of decorative finishing project would be answerable. It seems as though that dream is coming into fruition.
Gratitude abounds - onward, upward and Happy New Year!!!
Cheers, Nathan
My wife, Melodie and I slipped away to our favorite escape, Biltmore Estate for the NYE weekend. We decided to go with the Roaring 20s theme. (since no one invited us to the GCC Gala this year, haha!) Maybe one day, Biltmore will call on Inspire by Color for help! What a next level dream THAT would be! :)
