Digging for tin- 1st update on big blue!

The beginning. This is really my favorite part of these old building renovations, the part where the building starts to tell you what to do… So despite the insane cold the last few weeks we’ve got a bit of gutting, cleaning, and searching for architectural details to save. A very long road ahead but some […]

Before! ( A new adventure for 2018!)

Woot Woot! Kristen and I decided to go for this crazy project in December this year. I hope you are all as excited as us to see some big changes on this old place. Gulp… Merry Christmas Kristen! Here we go again!

The 2017 pop-up was so sweeeeet!

Stripping away the layers at the Opera House!- Before and after.

Another exciting phase of Hillsboro’s Opera house Brewing Company renovation went off tonight. The Marcolini’s, and The Schmidts, (co-owners of the brewery) with help with some friends peeled back the old green paneling that covered the old opera house facade. The nearly finished recessed entrance, is part of a plan to restore the old foyer […]

DIY’er- a cheap way to make custom windows in the future site of “The Gold Pan”- by Brian Lee Carpentry

A few months ago studio owner Devin Moroney and I were talking about the vision for The Gold Pan, a recording studio and vinyl records store Devin, Brian Lee (me), and Matt Sands have in the works to open in Hillsboro, IL March 2018. Devin was passionate about the community aspects of recording in a […]

Underground with local Black Rabbit Coffee Roasters

The underground roasting room of Black Rabbit Coffee Roasters is a bright, industrial work space filled with books, art, and furniture from the likes of Jean Prouve and Ghost Shrimp, as well as original art by head roaster Isaac Reynolds. A heavy coffee scent and a copious amount of various coffee brewing equipment surround us […]

Hillsboro gets a record store! (inside The Refinery.)

Hillsboro is getting a record store! Like a real live record, record store! They have taken up temporary residence inside Hillsboro’s hip, eclectic vintage goods place The Refinery. Collector buddies Matt Sands and Brian Lee have taken the plunge and decided to open a place for locals to buy (and sell) vintage albums. The store’s […]

Making a small town commercial building into a big city dream home.

Hillsboro, IL- Just 8 months ago this fresh, modern apartment was a dingy warren of dark rooms, leaky roofs, and a nightmare for all but the bravest of home owners. Owners Devin and Emily Moroney recently re-located back to their hometown of Hillsboro, IL (pop 4,500) from the cultural hotspot Denver, Colorado. The couple teamed […]

New Ideas Use Old Buildings- a visit to Nokomis, IL

After a few weeks of being taunted by pictures of delicious pastries, my family and I finally made the trip out to Nokomis, IL to check out the new Ugly Mugs Coffee. Owner Tim Brookshire and us have a lot in common including buying old buildings and doing your best to restore them and breathe […]