By Duane St. Clair

After a two-year search for the right empty-nester home, Lee and Adele Stratton finally found it in an Upper Arlington neighborhood they liked. But the 1950s vintage ranch would have to be completely rebuilt to create the home they wanted for their retirement years.

As they contemplated moving from their four-level split about three years ago (they had called it home since 1989), the Strattons toured ranch homes and neighborhoods but couldn’t find the right one. Lee desired a ranch home with a nice yard in a neighborhood with access to amenities such as parks. They knew remodeling was in store, regardless what house they bought so it would be updated as they wanted their next home to be.

Finally, a house on Lytham Road four blocks from their home hit the market last year and the Strattons decided to buy it. When the couple realized the overhaul would be too much for Lee, a do-it-yourselfer, they visited homes by builders on a list Lee developed. A Dublin home similar to their new one by J.S. Brown Co. Inc., of Columbus convinced them to choose Jeff Brown to do the work.

The Strattons met in their home with Brown and designer Terry Macko of Macko Boehmer Associates of Newark. The Strattons wanted Brown and Macko to understand what they wanted to accomplish by remodeling. “This is our lifestyle. We don’t need a lot of space,” Lee explains. The couple prepared a list of features and amenities to incorporate in the new house.

When Macko’s first plan came back, “He hit the nail on the head,” Lee says. The Strattons saw everything they wanted was incorporated in ways they liked. Eventually, they made a few minor changes, which is normal in such extensive projects.

Two add-on glass and aluminum room enclosures came off the back of the house. In their place came two additions: one became a family room and kitchen dining area, the other a master suite tying into the old main bedroom, creating a larger suite with modern amenities. Much of the roof was replaced and a small porch added to redefine the entry. According to Brown, combining the brick exterior with new stucco and Hardiplank siding for a seamless remodel was a challenge.

Inside, workers removed a chimney with three faulty flues, providing more space in a family room created in a former breezeway. That space was redone to create a dining room and a large laundry room with access to the garage and space for a freezer. Lee says the couple eats most meals at home, so they wanted easy first floor access to both the laundry and food storage.

A large brick fireplace was also taken out, with a modern vented gas fireplace installed in its place in the living room. Other removals included a second chimney, a basement incinerator and water-soaked wall paneling.

The kitchen was redone with new cabinets, an island with stool-height dining area, new appliances and other special amenities for the couple. A columned wall separates the dinette area and the kitchen while ample windows afford views of the rear yard and brighten both areas. The Strattons used and enjoyed a screened porch on their old home, so they had one added off the family room.

The master suite now has a large bath: The counters have separate mirrors and sinks; there is a soaking tub in one corner (an amenity Adele wanted and uses); there is also a two-person shower and a walk-in closet. To make it all happen, the home was rewired and re-plumbed. Tank-less water heaters, one at either end of the home, lessen the need for long water lines to serve the kitchen and the master suite.

Looking ahead to the future, The Strattons decided to widen hallways in case either ever needs a walker or wheelchair in the home. Old bathrooms were upgraded. The house is tied together by new wood floors in most areas. Some existing floors were refinished to match the new ones.

Lee says he also found “the neighbors yards drained onto mine and it drained toward the house.” To combat this, hey had the yard re-graded and adequate drainage installed.

The Stratton’s original home sold just weeks after it went on the market in mid-summer. The sale allowed them to move days before professional landscapers dressed up the yard. Lee says he and Adele don’t have a favorite result from the remodel.

“(Adele) wakes up every morning and says, ‘I love this house,’” Lee says. “That’s the best part of it because that isn’t what I was hearing before. We have a brand new house, basically.”

Duane St. Clair is a contributing editor for Upper Arlington Magazine.