SLIDESHOW: Sneak peak of new Shelter Lounge

Employees and guests of Turnstyle, the Market Street graphic design agency, got a sneak peak at Ballard's newest bar, Shelter Lounge, Sept. 24.

Turnstyle was celebrating its fifth anniversary at the new bar, which is located at 4910 Leary Ave. N.W.

Shelter owner Kevin Carlson, a Ballard native and 1994 Ballard High School graduate, said the bar is still a few weeks from being ready to open.

Carlson has friends at Turnstyle and agreed to host the party for them, which forced him to hurry to get the bar usable, he said.

One Turnstyle employee and friend of Carlson said the floor had been covered in sawdust only a few hours before the party.

Carlson, who could be seen moving about the bar with a phone in one hand and a power drill in the other, said there is still a lot of work to do before he is ready for the public to see Shelter.

For example, the large outdoor fire pit still needs to be installed, as do the outdoor tables, and most of the plants that will surround the patio have not yet been planted.

The roofed patio and circular bar that is half inside and half outside are the distinguishing features of the bar.

Shelter is also noticeable for its large use of cedar, which Carlson told the Ballard News-Tribune in June he wanted to use because Ballard was at one time the cedar capital of the world.

The location had been home to The Station until it closed in December 2008.