Photos by Troy McQuillen.
Modern Short-Stay Rentals Draw Aberdeen Visitors Downtown
Historic building gets breath of fresh décor
The Pochop family is Carly (with baby number 4 on the way), Weston (5), Remi (3), Willow (1), and Cory.
Many will recall Carly Pochop’s creative art studio on Eighth Avenue NE called Colorful Creations. There she built a steady following of artists, crafters, and hobbyists. But in 2018, she and her husband Cory were attracted to the downtown area due to increased foot traffic and a vibe of revitalization. They purchased a white glazed terra cotta building at 207 south Main (formerly Jan’s Ceramics) and relocated Colorful Creation in Aberdeen’s historic core. During a facelift of the building (purchased, renovated, and sold by Downtown Aberdeen Revitalization Team, or DART), the original business sign was discovered, revealing the building’s date and original owner. The name is A. Olander, and the store was a fine men’s wear shop when it opened in 1912. After a run at several downtown endeavors, a pregnant Carly decided to slow down and focus on the family. She sold Colorful Creations in 2021, but she and Cory retained the building, for which they had major plans.
Instead of traditional leased apartments, they went a different direction. They decided to convert them to short-stay rentals and advertise them on online services like Airbnb. They still went through a major backbreaking renovation of the units, stripping away 100 years of patina, wall coverings, and modern amenities from the 1970s. Carly says they furnished the units with things she would love to have in her home if the short-term rental plan doesn’t work out. They now have two finely appointed, historic-modern, hip rental units for visitors to Aberdeen. //
Check the availability of this rental online.
An odd fact about the Pochop’s Olander building is that it no longer has a staircase within its own walls. At some point the staircase in the Engels Event Center, known as the Firey Building, provided, and continues to provide, access to the second floor of both buildings.
The Pochops were surprised that guests come here from all over the country. They have a little notebook where guests can write a note or two, and they have sat down and read through all of the notes.
Cory and Carly believed some of the material covering the brick wall was installed when the building was built in 1912, so the brick had never seen sunlight.
It was important to retain elements that spoke to the building’s history while giving them a good polishing.
Carly knew the original skylights had to stay in the units. They are enormous and flood the space with natural light.
This is the second short-stay unit the Pochops created. The first, right down the hall, opened in 2021. This one was completed at the beginning of this year.
Carly said, “It was a ton of work to renovate this space. The hardest part was tearing down the 3 layers covering the brick wall and carrying buckets of plaster, lath, and drywall down 32 stairs for weeks. It was a good workout.”
Guests love the comfy home like feel and love being within walking distance of a lot of great places here in Aberdeen.
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