When Beth and Josh Fenton fell in love with a 175-year-old house, they knew any level of remodeling would demand close attention to maintain its historic integrity.
The Fenton family – Beth, Josh and their three boys – have called Westerville home since 2017 and waited until last year to undertake their renovation. Beginning in October 2020, the project was just finished in May.
The house, built in 1841, has so much character from being added on to and restructured by previous owners.
“There are all these little treasures in the house,” Beth Fenton says. “If you built a new house from scratch, for example, you would pick out light fixtures that all matched. But with this house, none of that happened. Some of the light fixtures I never would have picked out but wouldn’t get rid of because they’re so quirky.”
But with such an old house came difficulties when the remodel, headed by Stellar Construction, began. Older homes often have internal issues that are uncovered during remodeling which is what happened in this case.
“We knew that was a possibility, so we were prepared for that,” she says, “but probably not quite as prepared as we expected we’d need to be.”
Common remodeling roadblocks aside, the process was enjoyable, as Fenton felt she was able to implement her personal style and design into every aspect of the home. She calls her approach traditional with a modern aesthetic.
“Black and white and wood goes really well together,” Fenton says, “and it keeps it pretty simple while allowing a more modern feel.”
One of the most fascinating features of the house is the kitchen fireplace, a centerpiece of the space. It’s would have been used by the original homeowners to cook their dinners. Today, it is used for heat and comfort only.
With the new kitchen came an unexpected issue: The large, modern refrigerator wouldn’t fit, so it was installed in the walk-in pantry, along with some other appliances. While this was originally thought to be a problem, the unique solution actually gave the family more kitchen space.
Fenton’s favorite space, aside from the kitchen, is the nearby sunroom. It’s poised to have the best vantage point in the house, so she can keep an eye on everyone and everything going on from the comfort of a cozy area.
“It’s really sunny and I have a lot of plants, so I like to read and have a cup of coffee there,” Fenton says. “It keeps me in the mix of everything without being smack in the middle of the kitchen.”
Another room of note is Fenton’s personal yoga studio. Not only does she love being able to pop downstairs early in the morning for a workout, but the space is also used by friends and family.
“We do family yoga. I have three boys and we do meditation and wind downs,” Fenton says. “My friends come over with their kids and we do parent-child yoga classes.”
While Josh isn’t a yogi, Fenton does try to get him in the studio once or twice a week.
And while it seems everything in the house is perfectly in place, the remodel isn’t finished just yet. There’s still one more significant piece remaining, currently untouched but with so much potential. Detached from the house is a one-room schoolhouse from the late 1800s.
“It’s really darling,” Fenton says. “It has a wood burning stove and beautiful hardwood floors. We haven’t touched it. I have no idea what we’ll do with it.”
But based on the work and creativity put into the rest of the home, it’s certain the Fentons will do a good job preserving the history of this little piece of Westerville.
Mallory Arnold is an editor. Feedback welcome at marnold@cityscenemediagroup.com.
