The artist's Loft
Living and working in this building is a nod to the past when families lived and worked in one space.
Gallery owner/artist Esa lives in the restored historic building with her husband Terry. The building in which the Purple Pelican Gallery is contained dates to 1904 and was one of the original buildings in downtown Spooner during the railroad boom years through the 1930s. This 1500 square foot Loft apartment above the gallery was restored in 2005 after having been unoccupied for 35 years.
We kept as much of the original as possible.
Five 30-yard dumpster loads of demolition debris were removed from the building as the upstairs was gutted to the bare walls (which were plaster-covered brick). The 1300 square-foot main room comprises the living, dining and kitchen in a large common space with a ceiling that rises to almost 15 feet on the front wall. What you see here is the original 1904 maple floor with a dark stain and the original brick walls. The windows were replaced with 4-foot by 7-foot thermal-paned units looking out over historic Walnut Street.
The bedroom is in the back where it's quiet!
The bedroom is separated from the main area by the only enclosed area, the bathroom. Blown polyurethane foam insulation in the ceiling and outside walls is sound proofing and keeps heating and cooling bills low. Behind the bedroom is an enclosed three season sitting porch where the Everroads spend many evenings and mornings over coffee. The back entrance off the porch leads to the large parking area and a back entrance to the gallery. A garden and sitting area on the ground level in back are currently in the planning stages.