Adding modern amenities while maintaining historic character can often be a challenge, especially when a home dates back to 1861 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
When Joe and Johnni Beckel began updates to their Granville home, they gave Dave Fox Design Build Remodelers the added challenge of staying within bed-and-breakfast requirements. Though the couple has no intentions of using the home as a B&B, the house had been grandfathered in to B&B eligibility and if it were to lose the designation, it could never get it back. The Beckels didn’t want to be responsible for the loss of eligibility.
“It’s been a labor of love, that’s for sure,” Johnni says.
A Calculated Strategy
Despite the advanced age of the house and its marked lack of modern amenities, the Beckels – empty-nesters looking to downsize – looked at it as an opportunity to bring new life to the home.
“They loved the charm, they loved the character, they loved the story,” says Dave Fox Interior Design Manager Michelle Mixter, who worked with Design Consultant Scott Hennick to plan the extensive remodel.
Dave Fox designed the remodel in two phases: one for downstairs, one for upstairs. The remodelers completely changed the layout of the house, with the finished floor plan bearing little resemblance to the previous one.
A full bath off the entry foyer was relocated, and the space now houses a powder room. A wall near the back of the house was removed to turn the kitchen and family room into one large space with a screened porch. An enclosed dining room with French doors, a formal living room and a bedroom remain on the first floor.
The Beckels are big on curating items and accessories, and their choice of appliances from Florence, Italy – on top of a deference to history – led to the remodel’s themes, including its
vintage matte black and brass finish.
Historic Struggles
One particular challenge throughout the home was lighting. Because of its age, the house relied on decorative fixtures rather than recessed or under-cabinet lighting. Chandeliers, sconces and repurposed original light fixtures – some of which had been kept around by the previous homeowner – made it possible to better light the space.
In the dining room, two enormous matching chandeliers obtained from architectural salvage now hang above the 10-foot table. The existing trim was embellished to make it more cohesive and visually impressive.
Among the elements kept were the original windows and floors. Dave Fox used a cornhusk sandblaster to strip off paint and patches without hurting the original floor. An astute observer can spot the historic character, given the quarter- and half-inch seams through which one can see through to the basement.
The original doors were also retained, though they underwent a hardware update in addition to having their paint stripped.
Upstairs, the master bathroom is filled out by gold leaf mirrors, marble countertops and tile, and mirrored vanities. The Beckels wanted to keep the hardwood floors, but also wanted a claw-foot soaking tub, so Dave Fox created a wet zone and put the tub inside the shower area.
The updates also retain one of the most eye-catching existing elements: a fireplace with a witch’s crook, which means a chimney with a jog in it. Though there’s a mundane architectural explanation for the popularity of this design choice in the 19th century, the more fun explanation is an old wives’ tale that if your chimney is crooked, witches can’t use it to sneak into your house.
“We decided that we wanted to highlight and leave the fireplace brick exposed, as it was built back in the 1860s,” Mixter says.
More to Appreciate
Other project highlights include:
New scroll woodworking on new columns and the front of the house, matching the existing scroll woodworking on the staircases and exterior
A veneered wood drawer base, imported from an antique shop in England, in the powder room
A slight expansion of the screened porch
The removal of a staircase in the back of the house, creating a more open view
The project won both local and regional Contractor of the Year awards from the National
Association of the Remodeling Industry in the category of Residential Historical Renovation/Restoration $250,000 and Up.
Garth Bishop is a contributing editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
The Greatest Showroom
Projects such as the historic Granville remodel help explain why CityScene readers chose Dave Fox Design Build Remodeling for Best Remodeling Company in the 2022 Best of the ’Bus awards, but the company’s showroom may offer an even better explanation.
The showroom, which opened in 2015 in northwest Columbus, is memorable not just for its sheer scope – hosting more than 25 fixed displays and installations – but for its intuitive design that makes navigation a breeze for visitors, says Michelle Mixter, interior design manager for Dave Fox.
“People have the ability to walk and explore on their own, discovering little nooks and crannies, to make the space feel a little less overwhelming,” Mixter says.
The company, which celebrates its 40-year anniversary in 2022, also uses the space as a workroom, bringing clients into specific spaces to more easily add a visual component to their designs and figure out the right looks and finishes for their renovations. Mixter says visitors usually first notice the 12-foot island when they walk in, which helps them understand the scale of what Dave Fox is capable of, as well as the company’s understanding of function. Full-size countertop samples, bold movement pieces and constantly updated displays with the latest trends are also noteworthy, she says.
“It’s really hard to feel quality, to understand what quality is,” Mixter says. “Touching and feeling it makes a huge difference.”
