WALLACE — Dozens of residents packed the entryway to the Brooks Hotel for the grand reveal of the newly remodeled lobby Thursday afternoon.  

With giant scissors in hand, owner Emily Nelson chopped through the ribbon to a round of applause and then it was time to party.  

“We are so blessed to be in such a supportive community,” Nelson said. “I think that the story provided, given the adversity we had to overcome to get where we are today, is a relatable experience that hits home for a lot of people.”  

The new lobby area borrows heavily from the past, with ornate wooden displays, marble countertops, warm lighting and a vintage key display for the hotel’s rooms, all while still feeling modern.  

Nelson knew what she wanted when she began the project; she’d been planning it for a long time. Then, she leaned on her education in architecture and design to put it all into motion.  

“I had spent my summers here since I was a very young girl,” Nelson said. “Summers primarily spent sitting in the office waiting for my grandpa to be done working so we could go play.   

She said from the beginning, there were two things that drove the design. First was redoing the layout of the space so it could have a focal point on the room keys. Second, it needed to feel elevated and special. 

"To achieve this, I wanted to have a stone anchoring this space to its rich natural surroundings," Nelson said. "I scoured several slab yards until I found the perfect piece. I landed on a gorgeous marble that I stare at with awe since installation, it’s my favorite thing in the room.” 

Along with her other renovation efforts in the building’s restaurant and rooms, the lobby’s completion is the end of Nelson’s first phase of work on the hotel.  

Wallace Chamber of Commerce Director Julie George said she was proud of Nelson and her work in the hotel.   

“The whole community of the Silver Valley is so supportive of the work Emily has done for the Brooks Hotel because they feel her youthful passion at work and have seen the monumental change to the historical building and how the business now thrives,” George said.