Stories

A Rental to Renovation

Posted by Stephanie Hayward | April 5, 2017 | Culture
Kitchen Renovation

Whether it’s a brand new build, or renovating an older home, it seems only natural for architects to want to design the space where they spend the most time (that is, outside of the office of course!) My husband and I were afforded the opportunity to renovate the house we had rented for four years after our landlord offered to sell it to us. It’s a small, older home in an improving neighborhood just outside of downtown, and we’ve loved our short commutes to work and being within walking distance to dozens of great restaurants and other Columbus happenings. However, after being a rental for so long, it was in need of some TLC in order for it be a space we would be proud to call our home.

After spending the better half of 2015 eating dinner at the Giant Eagle salad bar while our house was completely gutted, we finally created a space that suits us and uses the just-over-1,000sf floor plan as efficiently as possible.

Detail shots of the living room

Over the past couple months we’ve been honored to have the house featured in a few different publications. The prominent design blog, Design*Sponge highlighted our home in February 2017, and the local magazine, 614, also did a small piece about our space which was featured in the March 2017 print issue.

As any homeowner knows, a house is never completely done; there’s always another project to add to the never ending list. But I think to safe to say we’ve finally arrived to a point where we can relax and enjoy the space we’ve created, for now, at least.

All photos by Megan Leigh Barnard

Stephanie Hayward
About The Author

Stephanie Hayward - Architecture

Stephanie began her architectural career in a Bowling Green, Ohio elementary school art room where she designed her first dream home out of foam core. She ultimately traveled to Columbus to hone her craft at Ohio State University where she received her Master of Architecture. After graduating she opted to stay in Columbus to practice architecture and share her talents with the community by promoting design awareness and advocating for women in architecture through her involvement in the AIA and The Center for Architecture and Design. She has also taught design studios at Ohio State and is a guest critic at reviews.

Related Stories

Quote Wall

Random thoughts overheard in our studio.

Arena District
Final pieces falling into place for Arena District, 20 years later

It was 20 years ago that Nationwide Arena opened at the corner of Nationwide Boulevard and Front Street as the home of the National Hockey League expansion team the Columbus Blue Jackets. Architect Dan Hanes describes the area pre-arena as “basically parking lots, with a few small buildings here and there.” Hanes’ firm at the time, Heinlein Schrock out of Kansas City, partnered with NBBJ on the arena’s design, and Hanes set up shop in Columbus to help Nationwide Realty with offices, condominiums and apartments. The 200-acre district now stretches to I-670 on the north, the Olentangy River on the west, North High Street on the east and West Spring Street to the south. Parks Edge and the Chipotle building will continue a design tradition that emphasizes brick facades with a striking incorporation of glass.

Mothertrucker

The tale tale of how we got the company truck.