Since Jamie Jones first moved into her husband’s 1929 Upper Arlington home, she has spent the last 12 years slowly remodeling it.
As a 28-year-old inexperienced with remodeling, Jones was overwhelmed with the work that needed to be done.
“I had no idea how daunting it could be,” she says.
Jones’ husband, Grant, bought the home in May 2000, and Jones moved in when the couple got engaged. Back then, the home sported a design that was half rustic, half colonial, with rose pinks and powder blues.
“It was very weird,” Jones says.
Jones worked with the Cleary Company on three main projects that would transform the home.
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The first, in 2005, was a master suite renovation. Hardwood floors were added to the bedroom, and an existing master bath turned into a walk-in closet. The fourth bedroom became the new master bath, featuring a large shower and a his-and-her sink with a built-in vanity.
In 2007, they added a bedroom on the second floor above the family room for the Jones’ son, Hudson, now 9. They reconfigured a second-floor bathroom so that both the newly built bedroom and another guest bedroom could access it.
In 2012, the Jones completely renovated their kitchen and family room, adding a small mud room with closets and a built-in bench.
In the 1970s, a previous owner had added a new garage and a family room to the home. The space had brick floors and an outdoor fireplace from its previous service as an outdoor patio.
“You could tell it used to be outside,” Jones says.
The fireplace, once bright red brick, was painted cream. The rustic mantle was replaced.
Faux cedar beams in the ceiling were removed and recessed lighting put in.
“We just really softened up the room,” Jones says.
The long, skinny kitchen had been updated in the 1960s, Jones says. When she moved in, she updated the fridge and oven as a temporary fix.
“We just kind of put a band-aid on it,” she says.
In 2012, the kitchen was gutted, receiving new cabinets, floors and appliances and a new electrical panel. They also rebuilt a wet bar and added heated tile in the kitchen.
“My puppy just lies there,” Jones says.
The third project made the first floor functional for the family, giving them the ability to host large family get-togethers during the holidays, says April Howe, marketing coordinator with Cleary Company.
“The whole layout of the house wasn’t working,” Howe says.
Helping to enlarge the kitchen was the decision to move a powder room from the front to the back of the home.
Also integral to the layout improvement was the demolition of the second staircase, located in the kitchen. The staircase, which separated the family room from the kitchen, might have been used by servants at one time, Howe says. Now, the kitchen is a pass-through area rather than a gathering space.
Another tell-tale piece of historical architecture was the kitchen’s fireplace – now purely decorative – which was whitewashed to give it a modern feel. A door near the fireplace, a bit bigger than a bread box, might have been used at one time for milk or firewood, Howe says.
Jones says she feels fortunate that she, Grant, Hudson and daughter Evelyne, 8, had the opportunity to make their home their own. The process that started in 2003 appears to have come to an end.
“I think we’re done,” Jones says.
Sarah Sole is an editor. Feedback welcome at ssole@cityscenemediagroup.com.
