by HJ HOLTZ | Oct 3, 2018 | Commercial Painting
Sometimes, even a classic space needs an update.
Such was the case for the historic Bolling Haxall House at the corner of East Franklin and North Third Streets. Home to The Woman’s Club, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educational opportunities for women, the 1858 Italianate mansion serves as the base for the club’s monthly gatherings as well as numerous other special events, including wedding receptions, Junior Assembly Cotillion dances, and even a recent episode of the ABC series “The Bachelorette.”
The house itself is managed by the Bolling Haxall House Foundation, a nonprofit organization that oversees all necessary repairs and maintenance. In recent years, much attention had to be paid to the first-floor wallpaper, damaged through repeated leaks from a faulty roof, since replaced. Additionally, a recent member survey yielded feedback that indicated it was time to update the nearly three-decades-old wallpaper – fashionable at the time, but showing its age.
Enter H.J. Holtz & Son.
“The company has an excellent community reputation, and we had several personal recommendations from members involved with the project,” says Diane Beirne, executive director of The Woman’s Club. “We were wowed by Rick’s expertise and the level of projects he spoke about in detail.”
The undertaking was made possible financially by an estate gift from the family of the late Jane Martin Roberts, a longtime and devoted member who served as the first long-range planning chair for the Bolling Haxall House Foundation. Thanks to that bequest, Holtz was able to repaper three parlors on the first floor as well as remove the wallpaper from the walls and ceiling of the Fleet Foyer. This space, which connects the house to the ballroom addition, was fully repainted in five complementary neutrals, from an off-white to a patinated bronze, which draws attention to the dentil crown molding and coffered ceiling.
As with projects in many older homes, there were surprises. The removal of some sections of wallpaper revealed plaster damage that had simply been covered, not repaired. Previously undiscovered water damage was found in the foyer. Blue painter’s tape, used to hold a plastic floor covering in place against the baseboard, dislodged some of the faux bois finish when it was removed.
Holtz employees didn’t blink an eye. “We knew that Holtz would fix the issues that they found,” she says. Kyle Poulin, who manages the house and rental activity, adds that the team was “super-responsive and attentive” to whatever came their way, noting that once it was clear Holtz decorative painters had the skill to replicate the baseboard’s faux bois grain, they were tasked with updating “large swaths” of the trim.
The new wallpaper, Farrow & Ball’s Lotus pattern, is a neutral selected specifically to complement – not compete – with existing room decor. As a pattern itself, however, the paper required special care when it was hung. “I was concerned at one point that the paper was being hung upside-down,” Beirne says. “One of the men took the time to show me how the paper was on the roll, to reassure me that it was right.”
Poulin, who oversees roughly 50 rental events yearly, most of them wedding receptions, says the change is a modern update that looks luxurious and expensive while honoring the home’s history. “One recent client was happy with the house itself, but didn’t care for the wallpaper,” he says. “She just came in for another meeting, and now, she’s a happy bride.”
Another challenge for the Holtz team was the timing. The work had to be completed in a three-week period in the summer, so as to not interfere with The Woman’s Club regular October-April program season as well as other events, many scheduled more than a year in advance. Beirne and Poulin said the company’s attention to detail makes all the difference.
“Rick is really invested and smart,” Beirne says. “And the team was thoroughly professional and tidy, leaving our club in a beautiful and updated condition.”
Care that a classic deserves.
by HJ HOLTZ | Jul 20, 2017 | Commercial Painting
Exciting things are happening at H.J. Holtz & Son! We just completed a three month office renovation and the new space looks phenomenal. Not only is it larger and more usable but it has inadvertently become a showcase of design ideas. There are so many innovative ideas in this functional space we just have to share!
When you walk into the office you are welcomed with a wall painted with Rust-Oleum Chalk paint in black finish. This huge black board can be written on using traditional chalk or liquid chalk markers. The H.J. Holtz & Son logo was stenciled with a brush using Benjamin Moore Interior Flat paint. It is such a clean and crisp look!
On the other side of this wall, we mixed three different blues (Benjamin Moore Regal Select Matte Finish – 805 New York State of Mind, HC-153 Marlboro Blue, 2062-40, Blue Daisy) creating an ombre effect. It is painted on the diagonal creating interest and has a textured feel.
In the conference room we used a grass cloth wallcovering by Cowtan and Tout. The Seagrass Lustre wallcovering was cut into squares. When it was hung, our craftsmen placed the squares in a pattern in different orientations. Because light reflections depend upon the direction of the weave, the wall looks like there are two different wallcoverings.
The walls in the powder room are covered with another Cowan and Tout paper, Verve Pewter. It is a commercial vinyl which means it is 54” wide. It is beautiful and a very versatile paper.
On our longest wall we had our craftsmen hand paint abstract swirls to create the movement of ribbon. They did not use tape to create this free flowing design — it was all done freehand! It adds color and dimension to the hallway, especially the way it wraps the corners of the walls.
The crowning jewel of the new space is the floor in the Shop/Break Room. The floor is an epoxy by Sherwin Williams called ArmorSeal, which is a heavy duty floor coating. It is strong enough to drive a car on! Wearing spiked shoes so they wouldn’t slip and would have access to the nooks, crannies and corners, our craftsmen poured two colors directly onto the floor – mixing them with a squeegee and a roller as they maneuvered around the room. The epoxy cures chemically in three hours so they had to move quickly! The finished product creates the illusion of the ocean right in our office. It is truly amazing.
The decor of our office not only complements the industrial style of the historic district that we are located in, Scott’s Addition, but it also reflects our company and what we can do. Thank you to Pye Interiors and Dominion Construction Partners for helping bring our vision to life. If you want to see first hand any of these decorative techniques stop by! We can create these designs in your home, studio or office.
by HJ HOLTZ | Sep 12, 2015 | Commercial Painting
Now that summer is over, many people around Richmond are focusing on work. If you happen to own your own business, or are responsible for a local office or shop, you may have been looking forward to this season when your staff would be back in force and fully productive.
Of course a lot goes into maximizing productivity, including the color of the work environment, of all things. Did you know that if you paint your office space you can improve the productivity and sense of well-being of your staff? Studies have revealed interesting insights, including the fact there is no universal color that equates to a more effective workplace. Factors such as industry and the “screening” capabilities of the individuals influence what colors are most appropriate.
One of our partners, Sherwin Williams, has shared more on this subject on their website. I encourage you to check out that post and give some thought to how well your office environment fosters productivity.
Even without going deep into the science, just looking around your business with fresh eyes can help you determine if you’re providing a pleasing environment that makes your staff comfortable and allows them to concentrate. Even for your own happiness, how does your office or business compare to your home environment? You probably spend more waking hours at work than at home — are you treating yourself to a sufficiently nice place to be?
If your clients are likely to visit your place of business, they offer perhaps the most important perspective to consider. If you were a client, how welcoming, clean, and up-to-date does your business look?
As is true with a home, a fresh coat of paint or more involved treatment of the walls in an office or work environment can have a dramatic effect at a relatively low cost. We can help your business make the right impression with your clients, give you a more pleasing place to work, and make you a hero to your employees by updating and beautifying the place where they spend many hours.
Ideas:
- Give the exterior of your business or building an update that tells your clients, prospective tenants, staff, and even future employees that you run a top-shelf business. If exterior work is on your list, please contact us soon to make sure we fit your project into our schedule before winter sets in.
- Make a statement with a branded impact wall — a specialty finish or wall graphic may be the way to go.
- Wallpaper to give character to spaces where clients come to meet with you or your staff.
- Simply repair and paint your office space walls that have are a little worse for wear.
For any interior project, we protect time in our winter schedule to tackle these projects. Why not kick off 2016 with a refreshed look? Give us a call at (804) 358-4109 to find out more about our January and February interior painting specials.
