Best Remodeling Company: Dave Fox Design Build Remodelers
Over the course of 41 years, Dave Fox Design Build Remodelers has become one of the best-known remodelers, if not the best-known remodeler, in central Ohio.
The company doesn’t focus on any one particular type of renovation – kitchen, bathroom, basement, etc. – but on projects of an appropriate scope. Its ideal endeavor is a large, complex custom project, which it sees through from beginning to end, says company President Gary Demos.
A key part of Dave Fox’s success for those four decades has been to fixate on improvement rather than growth for growth’s sake, Demos says. This is done by looking out for the client’s best interests.
“It’s their house, it’s their dreams, and we want to help bring that to life,” he says.
Though it doesn’t promote it heavily, the company makes a point of donating to local charities and food banks, and works with community organizations that improve people’s lives.
Past: This $994,000 historical restoration was completed in 2021, where an 1861 Granville house, which was being used as a bed and breakfast, was turned back into a residence. Dave Fox was able to still ensure it met all the requirements for a B&B, as if it lost that designation, it couldn’t get it back. Highlights included a complete overhaul of the home’s layout to make it more livable; refrigerator columns and pantries repurposed to hold kitchen appliances, for which there was little storage before; and retention of an original fireplace chimney with a witch’s crook.
Present: A $96,000 remodel bestowed a more open feel and a unique look on this bathroom in a Lewis Center home. A too-small closet and a too-big jacuzzi tub are out; a two-sided, floating vanity island is in, making it far easier for the homeowners to get ready in the morning without getting in each other’s way. Geometric tile shapes in multiple finishes, nature-inspired materials
and a hammered-copper Japanese soaking tub fill out the space.
Future: The company is working on a kitchen addition in an Upper Arlington home, with the finished product most likely landing somewhere in the $500,000 range. Dave Fox has found that homeowners are increasingly looking for their spaces, particularly kitchens, to reflect their personalities – with bold accents and patterns – and this project illustrates that point. It’s highlighted by a sizable appliance package with a variety of smart features including at least three different cabinet finishes and a butler’s pantry to be used as an entertaining space for storage of wine and bourbon.
Best Home Builder: Bob Webb Homes
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With more than 60 years of history in central Ohio, Bob Webb Homes has been at the center of custom home-building here for decades.
The company has its name on some of the most recognizable luxury neighborhoods in the Columbus area – think Jerome Village, Tartan West, Evans Farm – and tends to make waves whenever a new project is announced. Its projects often steal the show at the BIA Parade of Homes, including this past year, when its single-family houses in Evans Farm and Jerome Village took home top honors.
Though each Bob Webb home is unique – the company is a custom builder, after all – some of its signature touches are immaculate flashing around windows, innovative built-ins, a reputation for top-quality trim and “messy kitchens” that allow the main kitchen to be used as more of a gathering space.
Bob Webb doesn’t just build homes in the communities it’s part of. The company also uses its model homes to host continuing education and other events for real estate agents. And during the holiday season, Bob Webb fulfills wish lists for local children who are in foster care.
Past: Bob Webb takes particular pride in its original Show Home in Jerome Village, which was built in 2017. Incorporating multiple different design elements and styles, the house was built on a scale and magnitude unlike any of the company’s many, many previous models, and was a source of inspiration for a considerable number of visitors.
Present: The company recently put the finishing touches on its third Show Home in the Jerome Village community. Though it’s located just down the street from the original, this house is an entirely different animal. It combines floor plan elements that have proved popular in previous projects, and repurposed several spaces to better appeal to the interests of today’s homebuyers.
Future: Bob Webb is in the process of building two new models in New Albany: one in brand new neighborhood Woodhaven, and one in the neighborhood’s Simplified Living community, the Post at Woodhaven. The neighborhood is designed with multigenerational living in mind, and the designs of the new models will reflect that, making them appropriate for residents of all ages.
Garth Bishop is a contributing editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
