Photos by Jeffrey S. Hall Photography
Eileen Schilling, owner of Abode Real Living, in the King Thompson House kitchen
When real estate developers and brothers Ben and King Thompson founded Upper Arlington in 1913, the pair knew there was no better place to settle down. In 1916, the Thompsons’ homes were two of only a handful of homes built in Upper Arlington, but they knew it would only grow from there.
King Thompson’s home still stands as it did in 1916; although, after coming into new ownership shortly more than a year ago, the home saw some major changes with the help of Abode Real Living, a remodeling and design company based in Columbus. Walls were knocked down, doors torn out and rooms expanded.
When Abode owner Eileen Schilling was first approached by the homeowner, she was nervous because of the size and the history of the home, but anxiety quickly turned to excitement.
“I was like, ‘Can I do this?’ because it was scary,” says Schilling. “I was excited … so we accomplished it, and they’ve referred me to a lot of great people.”
King Thompson might not recognize the house he built in the early 1900s, but he surely would like how it looks.
Amanda DePerro is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at hbealer@cityscenecolumbus.com.
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The master bedroom and bath were previously very small, as King Thompson had built two rooms into the corner of the home. Schilling got rid of the entire extra bedroom to make way for a much larger master suite.
“We got this tub at such a great deal,” says Schilling. “It was a floor sample that we stained and painted the legs to.”
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The master bedroom and bath were previously very small, as King Thompson had built two rooms into the corner of the home. Schilling got rid of the entire extra bedroom to make way for a much larger master suite.
“We got this tub at such a great deal,” says Schilling. “It was a floor sample that we stained and painted the legs to.”
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The master bedroom and bath were previously very small, as King Thompson had built two rooms into the corner of the home. Schilling got rid of the entire extra bedroom to make way for a much larger master suite.
“We got this tub at such a great deal,” says Schilling. “It was a floor sample that we stained and painted the legs to.”
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The upstairs guest bathroom has one of Schilling’s favorite pieces: the cabinets with inlaid fish. At first, she says, the homeowners were apprehensive about the bold lighting, but seeing them installed erased all doubt.
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The stairs leading from the kitchen into a second-story sitting room were cramped, dark and claustrophobic. Schilling removed the heavy half-wall railings and allowed for more light to come into the entire room, which is lined with windows on each of its three exterior walls.
“This was all wood – it was so heavy everywhere,” says Schilling. “This was (previous owner’s) office, but we made it another sitting room.”
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With columns lining the walkway between the dining and living rooms, the living room felt cramped and detached from the kitchen and rest of the home. The corner column couldn’t be removed, so Schilling added cohesiveness by matching the column to the range hood, giving it a metallic, worn look. Schilling also exchanged the cluttered, busy support beams in favor of rustic, reclaimed wood beams.
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The kitchen is another favorite of Schilling’s. The new homeowner has a passion for cooking, and needed a larger, more open and contemporary kitchen. Before the remodel, an extra door led from the kitchen the driveway. Schilling removed that door in favor of more light and to accommodate for more counter space, and extended the kitchen, favoring a bigger kitchen over a large enclosed porch on the opposite side of the space.
“Walking into the kitchen, I knew I wanted a light – a little bit of a green – cabinet on the finish,” says Schilling. “I had cream at the beginning, and at the very end I changed it … to be honest, everyone says it looks so much better. I just feel like there shouldn’t have been cream in the house.”
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The homeowner often works from home, and required a home office to fit that need. A cream carpet was ripped out to make for dark hardwood floors to match the shelves. To complete the masculine look, Schilling says, required a steampunk-esque desk and Eames Lounge Chair.
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In the basement is a large, rustic wine cellar suitable for any wine connoisseur. Brick flooring was brought in and rustic, reclaimed wood walls and ceiling complete the look, with lighting illuminating each bottle of wine.
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“We went really rustic in here,” says Schilling of the basement. “It was very tight. We raised the ceiling, moved the ductwork. … Everything was touched. We put the doors on, the railings, the flooring, the carpet. I can’t stop putting rustic in everywhere.”
The basement’s rustic look is completed with reclaimed wood backing the large television and huge, fully functional barn door.
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Although Schilling estimates that Abode touched 70% of the home, pieces here and there still bring the home back to the days when King Thompson walked its halls. For a year, the children of Upper Arlington didn’t have a schoolhouse, so King Thompson’s basement was fitted as a classroom. In the current homeowner’s basement still sits the same chalkboard used in that early 1900s classroom. Schilling made it a centerpiece and framed it in reclaimed wood to give it both a rustic look to fit the basement as well as to maintain its historic properties.
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The King Thompson house as it stands today in 2016
