'Pioneer' couple turns office into home

By: Carol Roehm [croehm@dancomnews.com]

DANVILLE — Proprietors making a home above their business is not a new idea.

But Don and Marie Pribble, owners of the Java Hut at 13 N. Vermilion St., may be one of the first Danville business owners in modern times to rekindle a historic tradition.

"It's Old World," Marie said. "People from France and Germany did this to be closer to their business."

Don said the decision to live upstairs of their coffee and tea shop "kind of evolved."

"We were living in a big house on North Vermilion Street," he said.

"We would get home at 6:30 or 7 at night and then have to get up at 4 in morning to go back to the store.

"We weren't getting any enjoyment out of the big house. It had become just a place to sleep."

"Economically, this made sense," he said of turning the upstairs of the building they own into a residence.

Marie said adding residences above businesses in downtown districts is a trend that is catching on in other parts of the United States.

"We've lived in several cities with warehouses that were turned into residences," she said.

"It's saving downtown areas because people have more of an investment than just their business."

Michelle Young-Blanchard, executive director of Downtown Danville Inc., called the Pribbles "pioneers" and said she would like to see more residences being added above businesses in downtown Danville.

Young-Blanchard said Marie Pribble serves on DDI's board of directors and "is a true champion for downtown."

"She sees the vision for downtown," she said. "We support her 100 percent.

"We hope this will spark others, because there has been a lot of talk about second-story residences."

Young-Blanchard said that although there are two other projects "in the wings" to add residences above businesses in the downtown district, the Pribbles' project is the first.

"They are pioneers for Danville in that sense," she said.

Contractors from Progressive Builders have been transforming what used to be an office above the Java Hut into the Pribbles' new residence, complete with a master bedroom, two full baths, and an open area with a kitchen, living room, family room and dining room.

"It had most recently been the office of (investigator) Jack Smith, but he's moved across the street and is above The Heron," Marie said.

The couple called upon Jack Walsh of Progressive Builders to help them visualize how to best utilize the space.

"Jack Walsh came up with some of the most wonderful solutions for the space," she said.

"It's 2,000 square feet, which is bigger than the first home we built in Virginia, but it's smaller than our house on North Vermilion," Marie said.

"We'll have enough furniture to just fill it without it feeling crowded."

After removing five layers of paneling, paint and wallpaper from the walls, contractors uncovered a number of original features of the circa 1882 building, which at one time had been a dry goods store and more recently an Arthur Murray ballroom dance studio.

Two of the three skylights that were original to the building have been replaced, and Marie said she is trying to incorporate as much of the building's exposed brick wall in her interior decor scheme.

"The carpenters found two beautiful windows that had been covered up for years," she said.

The arched windows have ended up being located in the bedroom and master bathroom and will provide a great source of natural light, she said.

Only about a foot of the space's 12-foot-high ceilings will be lost to insulation, duct work and other modern necessities. Wide tongue and groove pine boards will cover the floor.

"I always thought it would be fun to take an old building and restore it to its former beauty," Marie said.

"Danville has its share of old buildings, and the city is a treasure for old architecture."

The couple is looking forward to moving into their new residence over Labor Day.

"We're renting a duplex right now because we had no idea our house would sell so quickly," she said. "It means we'll have to move twice, but that's OK."

The couple hopes to have the interior of their new home completely decorated in time for the Renaissance Initiative's Christmas House Walk this winter.

Copyright © 2003 Commercial-News