Black & White Barbershop
Community Engagement | Milwaukee, WI

DREAM Builders engaged in an exciting restoration and modernization effort for the historic building which is home to Black & White Barbershop. The scope of work balances preservation with adaptive enhancement: replacing three second-floor exterior glass block windows with historically accurate sash windows, evaluating the possibility of restoring first-floor window openings previously infilled with brick, and redesigning the interior space of the barbershop itself.

As part of our services, we explored historic preservation funding opportunities: researching available grants through the Department of City Development and Historic Preservation programs, assessing eligibility criteria, and preparing support materials.
Ultimately, this renovation was more than a facelift, it is a sensitive restoration that respects the building’s heritage, reactivates dormant openings, enhances usability, and accommodates new functions while preserving character.

(Sharing below is a circa-1970 photograph of the original building (from Milwaukee’s historic photo archives).

Scope of Services