Jeff Johnson, a furniture maker and sculptor in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., was in need of a place to live and work 15 years ago when he came upon this neo-Gothic 1909 fire station. He knocked on the door and asked if he could rent the third floor, which appeared to be vacant. The owner, an electrical contractor using the building for storage, said no, he wasn’t looking for a renter; he wanted a buyer for the whole building. With help from the city, Johnson bought the firehouse and renovated the third floor for his home and shop. His brother Jeep, a glass artist, lives on the second floor and has his studio on the ground floor. Jeff, who teaches woodworking and furniture design at SUNY New Paltz, says he chipped away at the renovation bit by bit “as time and money permitted.” Asked how long the renovation took all told, he said, “I think we’re still renovating.”

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