The project won the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI)’s 2025 East Central Regional Remodeler of the Year award in the Residential Addition ($250,000-$500,000) category and the Residential Landscape / Outdoor Living ($100,000-250,000) category.
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After meticulous planning, Upper Arlington residents Michelle and William Fitzgibbon are now enjoying a new kitchen in their century-old home, remodeled by J.S. Brown.
According to J.S. Brown President and Partner Monica Lewis, the Fitzgibbons have a beautiful home with lovely original architecture, but with two daughters, the home’s cramped kitchen became impractical for the family’s lifestyle.
“We loved the neighborhood, we loved the look of the house and how it functions for our family, but knew that we needed more space in the kitchen,” Michelle says. “We congregate there, we like to cook together as a family.”
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Before
The couple sought a more functional area for cooking and entertaining while maintaining the character of their historic home. This resulted in a complex addition and remodel project that transformed the existing kitchen space into a banquet area and added a larger kitchen, mud room and outdoor patio.
The couple says they each oversaw different aspects of their renovation, with Michelle handling the interior design and William tackling the outdoor patio.
“We’ve always wanted our kitchen to be that place, that focal point where we are as a family,” Michelle says. “There are probably days when the kitchen is the only place that we use in our house other than our bedrooms.”
Outside, an added Bluestone patio, outdoor TV, gas firepit and a kitchen and bar space with a built-in grill, encourage the family to spend more time outdoors.
“We use the space almost year-round and certainly grill out at least three to four times a week,” William says.
The design choices behind the remodel reflect the couple’s desire for consistency and cohesion. It was important to them that the classic and traditional aesthetic of their historical home would seamlessly transfer into the updated kitchen while incorporating some modern touches to keep it operable.
“I think that the elements of this home from when it was first constructed are the things that we fell in love with, things that we would never want to change within the home,” Michelle says. “We love the baseboards and the crown molding and all of those things that make this home so special.”
In addition to the molding and baseboards, the limestone built into the interior and exterior of the home is also original. It is appropriately nicknamed Upper Arlington stone, as it came from an old local quarry and can be seen in many homes in the area, Lewis says.
This historic stone is featured in the renovated kitchen in the form of an old chimney. The initial renovation plans included removing it, but the couple decided otherwise.
“They had planned on putting drywall over that stone (when) we were doing a walkthrough,” Michelle says. “William and I were looking at it and he said, ‘I really love that stone’ and I said, ‘So do I.’”
Some of Michelle’s more modern choices include bold blue paint on the massive island counter and bar. This color pops when compared to the bright white palette featured throughout the rest of the kitchen and home. These unique choices, Lewis says, speak to Michelle’s impeccable judgment and taste.
Construction of the remodel concluded in 2023, after the couple’s final walkthrough in September. Michelle says her favorite part of her renovated kitchen is her new stove.
“I love that I have six burners, and the griddle area and the two ovens,” she says.
William, on the other hand, prefers the outdoor firepit – and the company it hosts.
“Sitting outside on a crisp fall evening with a bourbon and my cat,” William says. “It doesn’t get much better.”
France Denman is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
