A hunt for the perfect set of tiles turned an already comprehensive remodel into a unique reimagining for this historic Old Worthington house.
The Original Vision
Anne Witsken and her husband, Michael Nicholas, bought the 1880-built home in July 2020.
Though they had only intended to tack on a master suite working with Orr Construction Company, the couple decided to correct additional concerns, starting with raising the ceiling in the kitchen.
“That led to knocking out the kitchen, which led to taking out some walls, which led to redoing all the floors, which led to you name it,” Witsken says.
The ambitious renovation, which was just finished this summer, has touched every part of the house, though the owners have made efforts to keep the aesthetic – paint, windows, doors, trim – consistent with the home’s late 19th-century origins.
Tile Inspiration
One of the key components to the remodel came into focus when Witsken spotted a Facebook Marketplace listing for 52 reclaimed encaustic tiles. When she went to pick them up, she found them even more visually impressive than they had looked online.
“I fell in love with these tiles,” she says. “They’re gorgeous. They’re green with a little hint of gold in them. They’re a one-of-a-kind type of thing.”
The only problem: When she laid them out in front of the fireplace, where she wanted them to go, there weren’t enough. Witsken connected with the Cincinnati-based Clay Alliance, whose members referred her to glaze technicians at Rookwood Pottery Company.
Rookwood was up to the task of creating new tiles to match the historic ones. And by sheer coincidence, the company happened to have been founded in 1880 – the very year the house was built.
“The glaze of the vintage tiles that (Witsken) found has almost a kind of gloss crackle finish,” says Aimee Koontz, director of marketing and design services for Rookwood. “It was important that we found something that really accentuated that.”
The artisans designed, built, sprayed, glazed and cut the new set of tiles by hand, Koontz says.
The company’s tilework was so impressive, Witsken used Rookwood tiles for part of the master bath and kitchen wall as well.
Additional Priorities
Besides the higher ceiling, the new kitchen boasts a quartz backsplash return with a ledge on one wall, as well as an island that incorporates some of the Rookwood tile. A Cambria countertop comes up 18 inches on the appliance wall, while a window wall has tile tying the countertop all the way to the ceiling, thanks to floating shelves and a horizontal soldier stack of tile leading up to them.
“Our kitchen island is actually a reclaimed work bench, and we used that to set the warmer tone for some of the cabinets and some of the fixtures,” Witsken says.
Elsewhere in the house, two new office spaces were added, one for Nicholas and one for Witsken: Nicholas’ replaces an enclosed porch, while Witsken’s occupies a loft/second-floor bonus room. Outdoors, a new deck with two entrances from the house has replaced the backyard pond.
“We really wanted to take advantage of this amazing backyard space and outdoor living situation, which we were never able to enjoy (before),” Witsken says.
Garth Bishop is a contributing editor for CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
