Behind the Build: Rough-Ins Complete at Workshop & Gallery

Harmon Builders continues to make steady progress on our Workshop & Art Gallery Project in Sharpsburg, Md.

The following update was written by Riyam Al-Janabi, Harmon Builders’ current architectural intern, who is helping continue the project blog, “Behind the Build” by Emerson Harmon.

Harmon Builders continues to make steady progress on our Workshop & Art Gallery Project in Sharpsburg, Maryland.

Brief History of the Project – The Vision

HB’s most recent custom-build project—a workshop for building kit airplanes, woodworking, and a gallery space for the owner’s photo art—is moving ahead with its construction phases. Paul Harmon, Owner of Harmon Builders and Kirke Martin of M4 Studios, are the lead supervisors, builders and craftsmen on this project.

Construction Progress: Insulation and Interior Preparation

The major construction phase has already begun after all county inspections, including mechanical, electrical, and plumbing, have been completed. Harmon Builders has confidently moved into the insulation stage (a series of Rockwool insulation to provide increased acoustical insulation between the gallery and workshop walls and standard batt insulation) which finished last week. Drywall + plywood installation to follow next week.

The interior finish and millwork (ex: the workshop gallery’s ceiling will adorn custom, cross-section oak beams alongside the four skylights as a nod to the existing home’s Colonial-period cabin details), which will bring the building’s final character to life.

Designing the Gallery Experience

Starting at the porch and continuing through the front entrance into the gallery, the space opens with the couple’s photography and artwork. Here, LVP (Luxury Vinyl Plank) flooring grounds the room, creating a calm, comfortable setting that lets the work speak without distraction – tract lighting will span the beams (electric wires will be concealed inside of the box beams).

A Workshop Built for Craftsmanship and Function

Deeper into the shop, the character shifts. The space expands in both width and height (a semi-vaulted, ‘tray’ ceiling), accommodating large-scale aircraft components and finished pieces that need to move freely in and out. Custom rolling barn doors frame this transition, chosen not just for their practicality but for the way they echo the space’s working nature.

Overhead in the gallery, the vaulted ceiling with skylights draws in generous natural light, providing the space the ability to change the mood and increase light clarity required to highlight exhibits, or entertain visitors either during exhibits or for ambiance. The gallery space will have the flexibility to lighten or darken the room as needed when showcasing photography, with the remote-controlled solar shades. These elements together form a space where function and atmosphere are interwoven. The rhythm of work and the presence of art coexist with quiet strength.

Exterior Materials Inspired by the Existing Home

Looking at the exterior walls, the chosen colors—CertainTeed‘s “Brownstone,” red and brown—intentionally reflect the owners’ existing home and the enduring, hands-on nature of the work within. Accordingly, the white single doors will also be painted to match the rest of the barn doors and windows on the building.

The first exterior element completed was the Nitterhouse Masonry stone and masonry skirt around the workshop (photo #3 below), which helped create a stronger, cleaner and more durable transition by way of the natural grade of the property. The batten siding, along with the cedar-shake detailing at the eaves, was installed, so that the two elements are elegantly tied together. These details echo the siding + trim of the couple’s existing home– a Colonial period cabin (for which we’ll also provide an exterior siding + trim rehab to reflect the new Workshop building).

Harmon Builders’ Approach to Custom Building

Layering building sequences from the big and abstract to the careful and most delicate is a strategy used by Harmon Builders and by every talented artist. This ensures an incredibly clean and highly crafted masterpiece and an orchestration of all the trades HB works with for every custom build– in its conception, preconstruction and construction phases of projects alike.

With Harmon Builders, each project structure is thoughtfully prepared beyond construction, and the communication with homeowners and trades function as a well-oiled machine, ensuring it is properly set so the finished product performs well and looks great.

The interior build process is continuing to cover the insulation just completed and drywall to commence installation next week.

Finishing Touches and What’s Next

In June 2026, Paul installed the exterior pendant lights on the workshop, as seen in photo #2 below. As previously mentioned, the single white entry doors will be painted to match the color scheme of the installed red and brown doors in photo #1 below. Exterior painting is left until the end of the project to avoid compromising the paint application during the rough stages of construction and causing collateral damage.

The next important phases for the workshop on deck are: install the septic system, which is scheduled to start today, and tying in the well water and septic waste line connections to the new building to allow the flow of potable water into the space when the kitchen and bathroom fixtures are installed.

An exterior deck was added to the western side of the workshop to follow the new grade of earth, and will be a welcome addition for accessing the existing porch from this side of the building.

While the building process continues to evolve depending on the context, the workshop project is approaching the final stages of its build.

Don’t miss the big reveal—follow us for the final unveiling later this summer!

Stay tuned,
Riyam Al-Janabi, HB Intern
June 12, 2026

 Watch the process of another of our builds – an Industrial Cabin in the Mountains See the property on Airbnb