GREENE – Four months into the renovations of the Sherwood Hotel and the interior already exudes an unmistakable air of freshness as a result of Don and DJ Dunlap’s efforts to bring the landmark building into the 21st century.
Bringing their extensive renovation skills to bear, the father and son owners have already completely refurbished segments of the building.
“Progress is right on schedule,” said Don, adding that Feb. 20 will represent the four-month anniversary of their acquisition. The two are also currently juggling the renovations with their day jobs as plumber and electrician, managing to find time to work on the Sherwood in the evenings and on weekends.
Work on the main floor has already come a long way and gone is the dreary ambience of the Sherwood’s main floor. Most of the walls have been repainted, replacing drab wallpaper with a lively hue of maroon. Work on the main floor’s ceilings has also been completed and the lighting has been replaced with bright new LED illuminations, rustic-themed fixtures bracketing the walls, and hanging chandeliers, which while manufactured in this millennium feature a nod in design to the Sherwood’s seniority.
The Dunlaps have secured four separate LLCs, an indication of the level of progress achieved which extends far beyond the physical renovations to the building, as well as a necessary step towards securing a liquor license.
“We have seen a lot of support and not just from locals,” said DJ. Though still months away from (re-)opening, the popularity of the project can already be seen on its Facebook page, which has generated 755 likes and 636 shares as of Tuesday morning after being online for only a few months.
“All the comments and interest on Facebook really helps keep us motivated,” added Don. “We are going to see even more interest when it starts warming up again and it’s going to be a breath of fresh air to be able to work in a warm building.” The duo intends to leave the front doors open while toiling once the weather has turned and will invite people to stop in to see their progress.
While steady headway has been made on the upstairs portion of the building, the Dunlaps are still bouncing around ideas for the second bar to be located in the Sherwood’s basement, which is a mirror image of the main dinning hall directly above. Instead of a full wall-length bar, as had previously been envisioned, they are now considering devoting one section of the basement to the bar, leaving the rest of the space open to serve as a sort of convention room. They are also toying with the notion of having a 1920s prohibition theme for the decor, large wall-mounted TVs notwithstanding.
The Raymond Corporation has already booked to the Sherwood to host an event on April 5. A separate open house is also scheduled for May 1, in conjunction with the Greene Art Walk and the Sherwood’s 100-year anniversary. The Dunlaps intend to have the first floor completed and spotlesss for the May 1 event.
“We are just thrilled, absolutely thrilled to have this happen,” said Greene Arts Council member and owner of Tydings Real Estate, Sharon McLean. “It will be our third art walk and we are looking at it as our biggest and best yet, because of the Sherwood. The Dunlap family has just been wonderful and they have taken a huge interest in the community.”