Earlier this month, the folks at Kimpton Hotels announced they would close Poste Moderne Brasserie for 12 days to give the eight-year-old restaurant a facelift. Y&H spent an hour on Friday afternoon reviewing some of the changes with Poste chef, Robert Weland.

Workers were still deep into the renovation process. The dining room and lounge had taken on a slightly more somber tone after crews had painted the walls, doors, and trim in shades of gray. (Paint nerd alert: The colors are “Kingsport gray,” “Ashley gray,” and “Crownsville gray.”)

But there was still much left to do. Take a look in pictures:

Weland is awaiting the photos of plants and herbs that will be inserted into the square frames that, well, frame the chef’s open kitchen.

The only setback that crews encountered was at the bar. The new granite countertop is heavy, so workers need to reinforce the bar before sliding it  into place. 

Weland says the atrium room, which leads to Poste’s popular summertime patio, is getting an insulation upgrade to help prevent the space from overheating in the summer and turning into a freezer in winter.

The side room at Poste just received a new ceiling. The old one apparently was dirty, which made me wonder what the diners at Poste were doing in the room. He suggested it wasn’t anything unusual. 

The dishes and wine bottles will be history when Poste reopens on Saturday, Feb. 27. They will be replaced with agrarian tools and stuff like that. Y&H suggested to Weland that Kimpton put a snow shovel in there.

The wood floors will be the last thing that crews touch before Poste reopens. They plan to refinish and stain the existing boards. 

Weland shows off the touches of gray at the freshly painted brasserie.