Lawrence brothers bring inn back to life

FALLS VILLAGE — Renovating the Falls Village Inn is a challenge, according to builder Malcolm Lawrence.

Lawrence showed a visitor around Monday morning, Aug. 2. He and his brother, Bryan, do business as Ren O’Vation, out of Greenwich, Conn. —which is where they met the inn’s new owner, Colin Chambers.

“Colin had been saying he’d like to throw some business our way when he got the opportunity,� said the Malcolm Lawrence, an Englishman who came to the U.S. in 2001 hoping to work in radio.

The Sept. 11 attack that year on the World Trade Center changed their plans. The Lawrences went into business for themselves instead.

The old inn presents many challenges, Lawrence said. Not least of these is the way that old buildings tend to settle in the middle.

This means that there really isn’t a right angle in the place. And that means, for one thing, there is no heading down to the Home Depot for a cabinet or a sink — standard products won’t fit in the unique configurations of the building.

Besides, Lawrence said he is using his contacts to obtain the best possible materials for the renovation of the historic inn.

The Falls Village job came at a good time for the Lawrence brothers.

“Work has been very sparse the last 18 months or two years,� said Malcolm Lawrence.

“And it’s great fun — not like just putting a bathroom in for a homeowner. We’re seeing a level of completion on a larger scale.�

Actually, the Lawrences  were brought in originally to do just the bathrooms; but as other subcontractors have dropped out for various reasons, the brothers are picking up additional tasks.

Interest is high. “Everyday it seems somebody drops in, wants to know when we’re opening. Hikers say they will be passing through in three months and can they book a room? I tell them they can try ...�

In an e-mail (and on the Inn’s Facebook page) Chambers said a crew from a reality television show was due in town later this week to film the renovation work. The betting here is that the Lawrences will be stars, especially with the contrast between the chatty Malcolm and the quiet Bryan.