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Photo courtesy of Sophia Tobias
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Photo courtesy of Sophia Tobias
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Photo courtesy of Sophia Tobias
“(I dreamed of playing in the) Buckeyes for sure. To me, that was better than playing in the NFL with growing up in Columbus, anything beyond the Buckeyes was icing on the cake.” - Jake Stoneburner
The name Jake Stoneburner probably rings a bell for football fans. A former Ohio State Buckeye footballer and retired NFL player for the Miami Dolphins, Stoneburner is back in central Ohio and taking on new adventures.
Photo courtesy of Sophia Tobias
After getting waived multiple times and living in three cities in one month during his NFL career, Stoneburner wanted to find a place to call home. He decided upon Powell for a few reasons – the serenity of nature while still in the bustle of Columbus, close proximity to his family in Dublin and a quick commute to work at his father’s company, Stoneburner Wealth Management, LLC.
“Coach Tressel always said, ‘Use Ohio State, don’t let Ohio State use you,’ and he never meant during football, but post-football,” Stoneburner explains. “So, between my dad starting a company 20 years ago and the Ohio State network here, it was a no brainer. … Columbus is just where I want to start my career.”
The house isn’t his forever home, especially now that he’s engaged and thinking about starting a family, but for a first-time house he bought completely on his own before the age of 30, it’s perfect.
Walking into his abode, I’m immediately greeted by Stoneburner’s new puppy Kevin, named after the bird in the Walt Disney/Pixar film, Up – Stoneburner explains his love for all things Disney, saying his fiancé, Alex, who grew up in Southern Florida, is more obsessed. Breezing past the foyer, the home opens up and features mostly natural light. The walls are lively with family artwork – landscape paintings by his grandmother’s father – and a tall stone fireplace creates a dramatic focal point.
Making our way into the kitchen, a flickering tangerine candle fills the space with tropical vibes. Then I notice a shelf full of candles through a glass cupboard, and I have to ask about them.
“I love candles, I’m obsessed with them,” he says. “And when Bath & Body Works has any type of sale – look out.”
Wanting to play into the whole “What’s in your fridge?” household tour, I shamelessly ask him what’s behind the stainless-steel doors. Multiple flavors of Propel Water are scattered about – Stoneburner explains his love for the drink after years of playing football – organic shakes, vegetables and apples in a Mickey Mouse bag (he laughs at their love for Disney) fill the remaining space.
But what’s an OSU and NFL player without a memorabilia room? The upstairs loft is a capsule of his favorite things – jerseys and pictures of him on the field, Marvel Comics artwork, a custom-made tree-bark mask from Costa Rica, and a large collection of finished and unfinished jigsaw puzzles featuring Disney scenes or colorful collages.
“The goal: have a bunch of the puzzles glued and then an entire room filled with them all framed,” Stoneburner says. “I’m not sure it will ever be in this house because of how it’s set up I want it to be somewhere like a den where you can see all the puzzles we’ve done over the years.”
The outside patio is the pièce de résistance. From a shimmering pond to a thriving clematis that will eventually cover the pergola, to the cozy firepit and mint leaf garden, the backyard is an oasis.
“There are multiple nights of cotton candy sunsets and it reflects off the water,” he says.
Eventually, Stoneburner hopes to live in the country or on more land. But as of right now, he’s perfectly content watching the sunset, creating the most beautiful backdrop in Powell.
Photo courtesy of Jake Stoneburner
Other Small Details
- In the foyer, a bulletin board covered in mini polaroid’s via white string showcases close friends and family that have entered his Powell-based abode. Stoneburner explains that it was inspired by his buddy whose house features a whole wall of polaroid portraits.
- Several years ago, Stoneburner traveled to Tokyo for 12 days with a friend and lived it up in a spacious city apartment – but they also visited the countryside. There, he took images of the traditional architecture and lush gardens. A landscape snapshot is now displayed in his living room, surrounded by a Harry Potter wand and other fun kick-knacks.
- Apart from the beautiful sunset, Stoneburner says some days he’ll wake up and see dozens of deer laying his is backyard. He has also become more interested in plants and is excited to upkeep his garden.
- Other football memorabilia include a comic where he and his friend are running from the cops, an actual incident where the two were arrested for public urination. Stoneburner now laughs about the situation.
- Stoneburner wanted to make Alex feel at home, so he created her an art room where she can sit in the sun and painting in her free time.
Lydia Freudenberg is the brand loyalty specialist. Feedback welcome at lfreudenberg@cityscenemediagroup.com.
