Beau Jo’s is a restaurant in Idaho Springs, CO which is housed in what was, over a hundred years ago, the gold/ currency exchange building in a booming Colorado mining town.  As a result there is a large iron safe in the restaurant.  The inside of this safe has been beautifully preserved and the hand paintings are magnificent.  The outside of the safe was a wreck and Michelle Frances was commissioned to come in and restore/ recreate the paintings which may once have adorned the piece.  Michelle did uncover some faded paint on the side of the piece and followed those designs meticulously but the fronts of the safe’s doors were a total mystery.  Michelle, with help from the Beau Jo’s managers, came up with this design.

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