“We left it ours by fully gutting the location,” says Theodore Preston. “Well, not really — we kept the original architectural elements — but it sure felt like it!” After Preston and William Logan found their 1959 colonial revival, they wanted to make a home loaded with history and detail. With Preston’s background in architecture and engineering, the couple adopted the wonder of what was in front of these, and worked together with the house’s great potential.
Since the next owners of the Ohio property house, Preston and Logan built their lives to it with regard to the property’s history, and also their very own. A lot of the decoration comes out of reclaimed materials or was made by the couple themselves, leading to a house constructed from their hands and hearts.
at a Glance
Who lives here: Theodore Preston, William Logan and their two children
Location: Liberty, Ohio
Size: 5,000 square feet; 7 bedrooms, 3.5 baths
What is interesting: The kitchen counter is made of salvaged wood by a bowling alley.
Adrienne DeRosa
Adrienne DeRosa
A winding staircase from the foyer alludes to the grandeur of the rest of the home.The richly colored upper foyer on top of the staircase is an ideal location for resting with tea and curling up with a fantastic book. The painting was a gift by the cousin of Logan.
Painted vertical stripes on the walls ground the distance in a fresh, updated manner. Preston and Logan maintained the majority of the original lighting fixtures, like this wooden chandelier, to keep the house’s original feel.
Paint: Raisin (top photo), Benjamin Moore; Woodland Mystery, Sherwin-Williams; Dry Sage, Benjamin Moore
Adrienne DeRosa
The window in this closet-turned-stairwell was salvaged from a barn belonging to Preston’s father. During the accession of their third-floor bedrooms, then it had been installed to catch light from the third floor skylight and painted to coordinate with the remaining interior trim.
Adrienne DeRosa
Preston and Logan designed and planted the gorgeous front garden themselves, creating a classy yet casual entry to the house. “While I respect a well-manicured landscape, there is nothing more rewarding and enriching as being out there yourself,” says Preston.
Adrienne DeRosa
A painted stencil welcome sign greets visitors as they approach the house by way of a turn-around driveway. The item was previously used in Preston and Logan’s style shop. The couple handmade the sign with scrap wood, spray paint along with a reclaimed fence article from Logan’s father. The letters were dry brushed for an additional rustic effect.
Adrienne DeRosa
The kitchen features a beautiful interplay between classic and made-to-look-vintage pieces. Preston and Logan painted each one of the brickwork inside this area white and designed the island to fit existing cabinetry.
The cupboard builder found salvaged bowling alley wood and used it to make the stainless steeledged countertop that does not look too fresh or out of location. Shelving at both ends of the island carry baskets, providing additional storage.
Lighted hanging pot rack: Lowe’s
Adrienne DeRosa
The first Thermador ovens remain in use today, a nod to the previous homeowners’ kosher cooking demands. The couple wanted the kitchen to have a rustic, old-world style and inserted a textured signal within the inset cooktop. To make the signal, letters from Hobby Lobby were affixed to a piece of timber, and leftover trim pieces were inserted as a border. An antiqued white finish gives the signal an aged look.
A home made shelf over the ovens holds a bevy of antiques, every with sentimental value. The shelf was made using the remaining crown molding pieces from the fireplace mantels from the family room and living area.
Adrienne DeRosa
This double-sided clock out of Hobby Lobby works flawlessly together with all the antiques on display over the oven, such as espresso pots out of Italy along with Preston’s youth bicycle horn. “With an endless supply of cash, anybody should be able to be surrounded by beauty, but it is the real magic happening when it’s possible to do it in a financial institution,” says Preston.
Adrienne DeRosa
The sunroom has a relaxed feel thanks to a bright white palette and cocktail lounge seats. The bench was salvaged from a retired train station near and was given a coating of high-gloss black paint. Festive red glasses and bar accessories on top of the minibar punctuate the area with color and spirit.
Adrienne DeRosa
A 48-year-old medical dining table from the Prestons’ delivery doctor gets new life for a liquor cabinet in the corner of their sunroom. A reclaimed porch post was transformed to a coat rack. Logan also traded a railroad lantern for the parking meter, which originated out of his hometown of New Castle, Pennsylvania. Preston designed these intentional vignettes to make a house that reflected their family’s history. “These function as visual anchors for the energy they have as snacks for what’s important to me personally,” he says.
Adrienne DeRosa
Preston transformed a formerly unused space into a private retreat beyond the sunroom. He also installed the arbor and wrapped string lights for a romantic glow throughout day parties.
Adrienne DeRosa
Ivy covers three sides of the arbor, therefore an inviting white wooden door helps transition the terrace to the backyard. Preston explains his house as a refuge. “No other location puts my spirit on such solid ground,” he says.
Adrienne DeRosa
Muted gold walls from the master bedroom infuse the space with heat, while dark furniture offers comparison and formality. “I’m motivated by the notion of sanctuary,” Preston says. “I like a house to tell the story of world travels, family and friendships.”
Wall paint: Restrained Gold, Sherwin-Williams; bed: Value City Furniture
Adrienne DeRosa
In the living area, the couple added that the mantel and placed a dining set in the middle of the space to accommodate people. A sectional couch ensures that everybody has a seat at holiday parties.
The living area also features the couple’s collection of classic instruments. While many were bought from auctions and thrift shops, some were gifts from family and friends, such as Preston’s youth guitar.
Gilded mirror and entrance window mirrors: Sam’s Club
Adrienne DeRosa
The gold walls carry throughout the house into the casual living area, highlighting the room’s original brass chandelier. Preston and Logan constructed the mantel over the fireplace and also painted the surround black for a graphic punch.
The wall clock is a Western Union antique — a present from Logan’s former employer. Set against the vivid white paneling, the clock sets up a visual reference for the trio of framed prints that hang over the mantel.
Wall paint: Restrained Gold, Sherwin-Williams
Adrienne DeRosa
Framed classic film posters decorate the walls over the living room couch. “Our decorating doctrine is much more of a clinic,” Preston says. “We fill our house with things we like in an eclectic manner. Whether it fits or not, we’re very accommodating.”
Adrienne DeRosa
Logan and Preston picked elegant gold background to provide the guest bathroom a facelift and match the first flooring and fixtures. Broad black and white stripes equilibrium the conventional style and keep the distance from feeling bloated. The vanity and mirror remain, updated with shiny black paint.
Wall covering: Gold Metallics, Sherwin-Williams; wall paint: Antique White, Sears Easy Living and Black Bean Soup, Benjamin Moore
Adrienne DeRosa
From the formal dining area, a bold berry color contrasts with white wainscoting. Each one of the woodwork and background are first to the house. Preston painted over the classic velvet-flocked background to find this rich color. “While this may sound like a sin to a lot of purists, it had been avocado!”
Like the other light fixtures from the house, this dining room chandelier was selected by the house’s original designer in 1959. By adding black shades and crystal decorations, Logan and Presto made it their very own.
Wall paint: Wild Raspberry, Lowe’s Southern Living Paints; dining set, china cupboard: Lexington Chez Michele
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