A reimagining of an early 1900’s Prairie Style home in the historic Olde Towne East neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio.
Located in Columbus’s historic Olde Towne East, the home was designed in the early 1900’s by Florence Kenyon Hayden Rector, Ohio’s first female architect. However, after passing through a series of owners and years of neglect, the house was abandoned in the 1980’s. The structure was due to be demolished and would have been lost forever had it not been for a new set of owners who stepped in and salvaged the home.
Between the house being left in disrepair and then undergoing a series of renovations, part of the original details of the house had been lost. We found inspiration in the history of the home and were motivated to breathe new life into it. We wanted to honor the past design but not feel constrained by a preservationist approach to a restoration.
We started with the kitchen design and then let that inform how we designed the rest of the space. The previous kitchen was small and dark, with no space for people to gather. We transformed it into a place that is inviting and capable of hosting family and friends. One of the more symbolic and practical moves we made was making the kitchen table the central feature of the kitchen, rather than an island. It’s now where the family has breakfast every morning and dinner every night. It’s the heart of the home.