Fall 2019, 330 Homes

FALL 2019

GET INSIDE THREE DREA M HOUSES

HISTORIC FARMHOUSE RECLAIMS ITS ROOTS

FRENCH COUNTRY DESIGN ELEVATES A KITCHEN REDO

CASSIE and JOEL TESTA'S DOWNTOWN PENTHOUSE photo by Tylar Sutton

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contents october 2019 | volume 1 | issue 1

dream house

18

CU STO M B U I LD

30

LUXU RY P ENTH O U S E

42

H I STO R I C HOME

fresh design 10 FARMHOUSE REMODEL 12 RESURFACING: WALLPAPER 14 KITCHEN MAKEOVER

market watch 26 LISTINGS ALERT

space lift 28 BATHROOM RENOVATION 52 BACKYARD OVERHAUL

smart tech 36 HOME THEATER 50 SOLAR POWER

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33O HOMES fall 2019

FALL 2019

on the cover 30 | SKY HIGH | photo by Tylar Sutton

GET INSIDE THREE DREA M HOUSES

HISTORIC FARMHOUSE RECLAIMS ITS ROOTS

33O HOMES fall 2019

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5

FRENCH COUNTRY DESIGN ELEVATES A KITCHEN REDO

CASSIE and JOEL TESTA'S DOWNTOWN PENTHOUSE photo by Tylar Sutton

welcome

by COLIN BAKER

COM E ON I N

Our inaugural 330 Homes magazine guides you through the joys and challenges of owning a home.

a supplement to Akron Life magazine Publisher COLIN BAKER

cbaker@bakermediagroup.com

W

e are so excited to bring you the first edition of 330 Homes. This has been a long time coming, and it’s finally here.

A massive 91 percent of regular Akron Life subscribers are homeowners. A home of one’s own is probably the biggest investment we make in our lives, so we wanted to create a magazine that focuses on our readers’ homes and how they can make them better.

I have been a do-it-yourself guy most of my life, and there isn’t a part of homeownership I haven’t tried to tackle. I have learned over the years to leave the hard stuff to the professionals, like plumbing and electrical work. And early on I realized I can’t do everything I’d like to do.

It happened one day when I climbed up a small ladder onto my roof to inspect my chimney — only to realize how steep it was and that I didn’t have a safe way down. Since I have always worked on cars and been mechanically capable, I thought that working on houses — and chimneys — was a natural fit. The difference with cars is that I don’t get stuck 25 feet off the ground. I had to slowly inch my way down while clinging to a dormer window frame that juts out of the sharply slanted roof

and grabbing onto the gutter before I finally reached the small ladder.

That was my "aha!" moment. I said, I don’t care what this costs, I’m not doing it again.

My wife has a list of things I have screwed up that she doesn’t want me to touch as well. It’s pretty much any detailed work.

I’m good at the big picture stuff like laying down flooring, but often there are little pieces that never get put together, like that last tiny section of tile. The only time it all gets fixed is when we are selling.

Looking through magazines like 330 Homes has always helped spark inspiration for new ways to spruce up our home. I live in a historic Tudor house on the west side of Akron, and though we love its design and beauty, it also needs a lot of maintenance.

For those that aren’t handy, 330 Homes is packed with great local professionals who specialize in making your home beautiful. From solar power to bathroom remodeling, we have tons of expert advice to help you launch your own home improvement project. Just remember — you’re going to need a bigger ladder.

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33O HOMES fall 2019

Creative Director WILLIAM L . TECKMYER III

wteckmyer@bakermediagroup.com Managing Editor K E L LY P E T RY S Z Y N

kpetr yszyn@bakermediagroup.com Editorial Associate SHARON BEST

sbest@bakermediagroup.com Graphic Designer T Y L A R S U T TO N

tsutton@bakermediagroup.com C o n t r i b u t i n g Wr i t e r LY N N E T H O M P S O N Photographers T Y L A R S U T TO N SHANE WYNN Sales COLIN BAKER B U N N Y L AC E Y STEVE T YSON BEN DICOLA B R E E YO U N G

sales@bakermediagroup.com Circulation JESSICA BURKHART

jburkhart@bakermediagroup.com 330-253-0056, ext. 112 Editorial Interns C A R O L I N E C R AW F O R D A L LY S O N N I C H O L S

october 2019 | volume 1 | issue 1 33O HOMES is published by Baker Media Group, LLC, 1653 Merriman Road, Suite 116, Akron, OH 44313. Copyright 2019©

by Baker Media Group, LLC, All rights reserved.

Reproduction or use of editorial or pictorial content in any manner is prohibited without written permission. Unsolicited manuscripts will not be returned unless accompanied by an addressed envelope and sufficient postage. Baker Media Group, LLC and Akron Life accept no responsibility for unsolicited material. Subscription rates: Continental U.S., One year —$19.95, Two years —$34.95. Call for Alaska, Hawaii or international rates. Single issues available by calling the circulation department or visiting akronlife.com/store. $3.95 each plus $3.50 shipping & handling. Editorial, advertising and business offices: (330) 253-0056, fax (330) 253-5868.

THE KELLY FOLDEN group

K el l y Folden .c om

fresh design

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market watch

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space lift

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smart tech

by LYNNE THOMPSON and photos provided by KAREN STARR

A historic farmhouse renovation mixes original beauty with contemporary touches.

T

“They wanted to honor the was finished in a food-safe his 1840s structure for what it was 170sealant also applied to the Tallmadge some years ago,” Starr says. countertops. Starr points out farmhouse how a grid of joists left over When workers removed the kitchen from the demo has been in the ownweather-ravaged drywall and ers’ family for decades. carpeting, they exposed orig- became framework for a contemporary light fixture. inal hand-hewn beams and But over the years it hardwood floors. The own“We drilled through some of had been modernized ers loved the warm natural the crossbeams and ran the to the point that its woods and wanted a design cabling through,” she says. historical roots were that not only showcased those rustic features but also Paino carpenters used rustic obscured. When a cladding culled from a colrepurposed wood salvaged hole in the roof left lapsing 1840s barn on the from demolishing two-thirds property to build dining room water damage, the of the second floor and a pantry doors — hung approstaircase to make way for a homeowners were priately on sliding barn door vaulted living room, kitchen ready to renovate hardware — as well as masand dining room. ter bedroom nightstands and — and rethink the “The homeowners are pasa large armoire. interior design. They sionate about the environStarr kept things fresh with sought out Karen ment,” Starr says. “They take locally made pieces such as extra steps in everything Starr, co-owner and Akron artist Sara Edwards’ they do to be environmenlead interior designer throw pillows on the living tally conscious.” room sofa, all stitched from at Hazel Tree Design Some poplar and white oak reclaimed Turkish kilim rugs, Studio in Akron, and floorboards and joists found a and North Canton carpenter Kent-based Paino second life in a new staircase Michael McAlear’s live-edge Architects & Builders built at the far end of the wood-and-glass side table. living room. “We built into The table especially ties to restore the home’s the staircase some drawers together the modern-farmhistoric charm while because storage is limited in house aesthetic. adding a few updated an old farmhouse — there’re “The homeowners really no closets,” Starr says. elements. wanted this home to feel like Other salvaged wood pieces, planed smooth, top dining room window seats, a dining table and kitchen cabinetry. The tabletop was stained espresso before it

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33O HOMES fall 2019

there are elements of 1840 to today in it,” Starr says.

LEFT: An 1840s Tallmadge farmhouse kitchen renovation features a lighting fixture and cabinetry made from joists and wood salvaged from the home.

CENTER: A master bedroom has nightstands made with cladding repurposed from a historic barn on the property. BOTTOM RIGHT: Original beams and hardwood floors shine in a vaulted living room.

[ FA R M H O U S E ]

33O HOMES fall 2019

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fresh design

R E S U R FA C I N G :

[ WA L L PA P E R ] The wallpaper fatigue that followed the ‘80s and ’90s is over. Now there’s fresh interest in the exciting prints and patterns that have taken its place, says Karen Starr, Hazel Tree Design Studio co-owner and lead interior designer. Her new book, “If This Wallpaper Could Talk” ($49.95), out Oct. 12, peels back this excitement with a look at Akron’s most interesting wallpapers from past to present and how people are using them now.

“We don’t see a lot of people installing it everywhere unless it is used as a textural background to set the scene for the rest of the room,” Starr says.

Her book contains glossy photos, stories of the people who love wallpaper and chapters on local landmarks such as Hower House and Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens. It highlights unusual installations like on stair risers in a scuff-resistant commercial-grade geometric pattern and wrapping a bathroom-alcove ceiling in a rose-gold metallic floral print. “I love wallpaper on a ceiling,” she says. “It’s the most difficult thing to install, but it’s certainly one of the most impactful.”

Advances in materials have made wallcoverings more appealing and hassle free with dry strippable wallpaper and removable wallpaper that can be replaced on a whim.

“If you get sick of it,” Starr says, “it’s a lot easier to change it out.”

photos by SHANE WYNN 12

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fresh design

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market watch

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space lift

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smart tech

by SHARON BEST and photos by ISO PHOTOSTUDIO

F R E NC H CON N EC T ION

A sophisticated remodel blends a kitchen into the rest of an elegant home.

T

o align the existing bold kitchen decor of this 25-year-old Medina home with its stately exterior and its owner’s love of entertaining, designer Amy Douglass went with a French country-style remodel.

the

C A B I N E T RY: The homeowner’s antique furniture is visible from the kitchen, so Douglass used a cream color distressed

“It was like the inside didn’t go with the outside,” says the design director for the Interior Design Studio in Medina.

with a brown stain glaze to make new cabinets look historic.

Around the oven and range, she added extra detailing like faux legs, corner molding and an elab-

Douglass gave the room a more open feel by removing all the existing drop ceilings and soffits to reveal a two-story ceiling — which required extensive replumbing and rewiring. Doing so made space to install impressive beams with a faux wood finish that add to the French country feel.

She also added a built-in pantry and two islands by stealing some unused space from the living room and removed a peninsula island to open traffic flow. “It’s the same footprint but it works better,” she says.

Douglass walks us through integrating new additions with antique furniture while making room for big dinner parties.

details

orate wooden faux marble hood to give the cabinetry a different look. “We wanted those cabinets to be a little more formal and decorative so they would go with the furniture,” she says.

The cabinets under the islands are darker to give a sense of weight and blend with the barstools and other furniture.

Douglass used the same brown stain as the wall cupboards without the cream base for a sense of unity.

F L O O R I N G : In most of the home, the flooring is roughsawn hickory in a soft gray glaze, but the homeowner wanted to avoid too much wood in the kitchen. Douglass chose

Plus, it has a worn appearance that complements the adjoining wooden floors and the rest of the home’s decor. “We wanted it to look old to fit the antiques but be functional,” she says.

porcelain tile for its durability and imperviousness to spills.

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33O HOMES fall 2019

fresh design

the

details

C O U N T E R T O P S : Douglass chose nonporous quartz that looks like marble for countertops that are nearly indestructible.

The island has an unusual unfinished edge that the homeowner fell in love with at a showroom.

“My comment was, We need to do it on the island and not the whole kitchen because it’s so powerful,” Douglass says. “It makes the island look bigger and heavier. It anchors the space.”

Adding upholstered seating at that island was important for the homeowner. “Her grandkids can sit right there when she’s cooking,” Douglass says.

O V E N S : Because the homeowner hosts big family dinners for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, she needed a lot of cooking space. Douglass gave her two wall ovens — including one that doubles as a convection microwave — a second microwave underneath one of the islands and a full-size oven with a stovetop.

DIRTY KITCHEN: A laundry room adjacent to the kitchen was expanded to include a dirty kitchen the homeowner requested to hide the mess of cooking from guests. Douglass moved the washer and dryer to the opposite wall, replaced

L I G H T I N G : To make sure

under and above the cabinets

the homeowner had plenty of light, Douglass used dual dinette-sized chandeliers over the island instead of pendant lights. She also added lighting

the cabinetry and added a sink

for versatility. “At night she’ll

and dishwasher. “When she

have the soft glow around the

entertains, all those dishes

ceiling that emphasizes the two-

come into this dirty kitchen

story ceiling, like a big night-

and get washed and put away

light,” Douglass says.

back in the main kitchen,” she says. “That’s how we keep the beautiful one nice.”

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33O HOMES fall 2019

Call 216-362-4660

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330-1019

COMFORT 18

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33O HOMES fall 2019

dream house

by SHARON BEST and photos by SHANE WYNN

E

mergency room Dr. Karl Wodrich and his wife, Jennifer, wanted to simplify their lives. Their last home in Cuyahoga Falls was traditional and had rooms their family of five never went in, including a formal dining room. They were ready to find a more comfortable and usable space.

ZONE

A custom home in Bath is a functional and casual fit for a doctor and his family.

33O HOMES fall 2019

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dream house “We definitely wanted more of an informal home that’s livable,” 51-year-old Karl says.

They worked with Old World Classics, a Canton custom home design firm, to create a casual, more open floor plan by looking at a model home plan as inspiration and tailoring it for their active family.

In December 2018, the Wodriches moved into a 3,500-square-foot custom home they had built on a 2 1/2 -acre plot in the new Estates of Bath development. It was downsizing a bit from their former 4,200-squarefoot home, but the open spaces make it feel big and airy.

A contemporary, minimalist aesthetic contributes to the home’s unfussy feel. Clean lines on modern furniture and smooth white crown molding let statement lighting fixtures shine through. Ceramic tiles with the look of marble in the foyer pair seamlessly with dark wood floors in the living areas, anchoring a relaxing palette of charcoal gray and off-white that carries through the entire two-story house.

The result is a neutral space that doesn’t feel cold.

“All the walls are curved edges,” says 48-year-old Jennifer. “It’s calming.”

The home’s mostly open floor plan features 10-foot ceilings over backto-back living areas, one with glass sliding doors to access the outdoor brick patio, the other structured around a working fireplace. The living room, hearth room, dining area and kitchen all lead into each other through artistically curved archways that Karl says add “real character.” Contrasting furniture sets, in leather, medium gray upholstery and light gray upholstery, delineate those spaces as separate without clutter, allowing the close-knit family to be together while engaging in different activities.

“The kids do their homework in different areas here,” Jennifer says.

“We like having them with us.” [ continued on page 22 ]

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[ continued from page 20 ]

Natural light fills the home with warmth, thanks to large windows on almost every wall, including two-story windows in the stairwell and over the kitchen sink — where a section of the ceiling also soars to the full two-story height. Choosing smaller areas for tall ceilings was an important lesson the Wodriches learned from their previous home.

“In our living room, we had tall ceilings like this, but we also had a lot of echoing,” Karl says.

“This is a nice compromise to still get that light but not have those issues.”

A large island topped with light gray quartz dominates the spacious kitchen, surrounded by five weighty padded barstools. An 8-foot light-wood dining table with leaves to extend it to 12 feet sits next to the island, but the kids generally prefer perching at the island for laid-back family meals.

“If I’m making something, they’ll start eating right here, and then we’ll move over [to the table],” Jennifer says.

Neither of the Wodriches is a gourmet cook, so they made substantial changes to the traditional kitchen design from Old World and swapped out the standard industrial oven.

“I wanted a double oven because I have a cookie bake every Christmas,” Jennifer says.

The answer to adding them was to tuck two high-capacity wall ovens into an adjacent galley-sized back kitchen, with extra shelves and cabinets for pantry storage. They kept the Thermadore stovetop in the kitchen and switched in charcoal gray drawers with simple chrome pulls beneath it where the oven would have gone, lending the room a cleaner look.

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dream house

33O HOMES fall 2019

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dderseiag m n throeun sdes The couple’s teenage daughter gets a mini suite for her bedroom thanks to the addition of the back kitchen, which expanded the second-floor footprint enough for her own full bath above it.

“The downstairs is similar to the model, but up here we completely redid it,” Karl says of altering the second-story floor plan that eliminates a guest room and tailors the remaining rooms to their family.

The teenage boys have a Jack-and-Jill setup with double sinks in a shared bathroom adjoining their separate bedrooms.

“Their names are Josh and Jacob, so it’s perfect,” Karl says.

Connecting their bedrooms to the bathroom, barn doors that match those on the first-floor laundry room save space while allowing privacy and continuing the home’s simplistic design approach. “These barn doors were perfect because I didn’t want pocket doors,” Jennifer says.

The large master suite features extra insulation for soundproofing and automated roomdarkening shades on the windows to accommodate times when Karl works night shifts in the emergency room and has to sleep during the day.

“People don’t have to worry about being quiet,” he says.

The light and spacious master bath includes a separate water closet with door for the toilet, an adjacent walk-in closet, a full tub and a shower stall.

“I love baths,” Jennifer says, citing her evening ritual with bubbles and candles.

While Karl isn’t a bath guy, his oasis is the gym in their comfy carpeted basement filled with ample light from high windows.

There, the health-conscious doctor and his sporty family stay fit using the rowing machine, mirrored wall, stationary bike and free weights.

“Exercise is very important to us.

This is more convenient,” says Jennifer, noting she and Karl both work out about four or five times a week. The gym sits in an open area off a rec room, set up for the kids with cushy sofas and a big-screen TV.

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This connectedness is the simplicity the Wodriches were seeking. They looked at existing homes, but none had everything they needed, and none felt like home.

“Doing it exactly how we wanted it,” says Jennifer, “it’s a better fit.”

33O HOMES fall 2019

CLOSER LOOK: In the first-floor laundry room off the home’s foyer, Karl and Jennifer Wodrich included a special feature for their black and yellow Labrador retrievers, Hunter and Sanibel.

COLLECTIVE EXPER IENCE. POWERFUL RESULTS.

“One of my favorite aspects of this home is the dog shower,” Jennifer says. After letting the 3-year-old dogs

Our Realtors® sell three times as many homes as the average Realtor.® *

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property, Jennifer can swing open the shower’s hipheight glass door and walk them right in for a bath that

Our agents operate full-time and our collaborative approach means nothing is missed.

keeps all the water and suds *According to the National Association of Realtors

contained.

The entire laundry-slashdog-spa can be closed off with two sliding barn doors

CUSTOMER RATING

4.9 OUT OF 5 STARS

or left open to allow even more natural light into the foyer and open living area.

STOW OFFICE

PenneyRealEstate.com

330-689-0700 33O HOMES fall 2019

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AKRON OFFICE

330-835-6201

fresh design

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market watch

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smart tech

by LYNNE THOMPSON

L IST I NGS A LERT

K

ent State University is reorganizing its real estate portfolio.

Planners have identified about 200 acres of land the university owns throughout Kent, Brimfield and Franklin Township that it can’t use anymore — which means it’s all going up for sale.

The group of agents pictured are from Stouffer Realty headquarters in Fairlawn.

Stouffer has eight local offices and was selected over national brokerages to represent Kent State University.

“With the internet, we can The university rarely create a national exposure sells large pieces of land, for real estate just like any making this a big opporlarge national company,” tunity for anyone who’s he says. wanted to relocate closer to the thousands of students, While Kent State cited professors and visitors who the parcels for sale don’t pass through Kent every day. have strategic value to the university, the land is a Local real estate firm big opportunity for others, Stouffer Realty is managincluding developers — and ing the land sale that could there’s already been some exceed $4 million total. housing buzz.

Such large-scale deals are usually managed by national None of the parcels were corporate real estate firms, under purchase agreebut president and broker ment at press time, but Gary Stouffer is confident 33.55 acres at 5439 Burnett his firm knows The 330, Road has attracted interuniversity and industry well est. The land boasts a enough to handle it.

2.5-acre pond and frontage

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on Summit Street across from the university’s Summit East parking lot.

It’s already zoned for highdensity residential development, which Stouffer says means housing other than a single-family home.

Another parcel, the 25-acre southern portion of the former Kent State University Golf Course on Powdermill Road, is zoned for lowdensity residential development — aka lots for singlefamily homes.

Land around the northern portion of the former Kent State golf course and a parcel on state Route 43 are currently zoned com-

33O HOMES fall 2019

mercial, so any developers looking to turn that area into a residential neighborhood would need to pursue rezoning. It could be worth it, though, to expand Kent’s population with a new crop of homeowners, shoppers and taxpayers while providing the university with capital to continue its own improvements.

“Whenever you get new housing, you get new people,” Stouffer says.

“And you get people that can afford to spend some money in that area.”

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fresh design

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market watch

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space lift

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smart tech

by LYNNE THOMPSON and photos provided by WINDER REMODELING

BR IGH T SPOT

An airy remodel freshens up a dark bathroom without major renovations.

the

details

F L O O R : A new heated floor with a programmable thermostat means the homeowner no longer has to stand on a surface that feels colder than other parts of the house. Workers installed a tile underlayment to accommodate the system’s electrical wires, then topped it with Carrara marble laid in a basketweave pattern to boost visual interest and function. “Having smaller tile, which amounts to more grout joints, in a slippery space like a bathroom offers some slip resistance,” Winder notes.

WA L L S : The homeowner liked the 5 1/2-inch-wide beadboard on his kitchen ceiling so much that he had Winder install a similar custom-milled white board on the bathroom walls to provide subtle texture. A durable

D

eep brown-stained cabinetry and woodwork, black granite countertops, beige tile and murky paint added up to a 5-by-9-foot bathroom that was too dark for its Hudson homeowner.

“It felt smaller than it had to feel because of the dark finishes,” says Chris Winder, owner of Winder Remodeling.

The homeowner wanted to keep the layout the same, so his Akron firm devised a remodel that would lighten up the space without any major construction.

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He steps us through the upgrades his team made to transform the bathroom into a light, bright retreat that looks bigger and feels airier.

33O HOMES fall 2019

urethane-based paint protects the poplar wood from occasional splashes.

C E I L I N G : Winder’s crew installed a Velux Sun Tunnel skylight that extends from the ceiling through the attic to the roof. He explains the tunnel has a metallic finish that reflects

and intensifies light streaming through a 14-inch recessed lens in the ceiling. “I was impressed with the amount of light it brought in,” he says.

S H O W E R : The 3-by-5-foot shower features a rain head, bench and recessed shelf. The homeowner chose to have walls tiled in a light gray Carrara marble that, like the gray-quartz countertop on the custom Shaker-style vanity, contrasts the abundance of white. But the shower also appears to be a seamless extension of the bathroom, thanks to the same marble basket-weave floor and a frameless glass enclosure.

“That’s what most people want: just a continuation of the space,” Winder says.

Quality in Every Detail

WE BUILD EACH AND EVERY HOME AS IF IT WERE OUR OWN. 330-848-4330 | knlhomes.com 33O HOMES fall 2019

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dream house

by LYNNE THOMPSON and photos by TYLAR SUTTON

An Akron developer’s personal loft is a sleek downtown showpiece made for a family.

O

ne of the first things visitors to Joel and Cassie Testa’s downtown Akron penthouse notice is the shiny black dining room table for 12, a custom conversation piece often mistaken for a real grand piano. Joel explains it actually doubles as a high-tech player piano that also plays music via an iPod connected to a jack and built-in speakers. He then lifts the piano keyboard cover to reveal an electronic keyboard he stores in it.

“The space is one that you would typically want to see a grand piano in,” says the 47-year-old president and chief operating officer of Northside Lofts developer Testa Cos. “In a loft, you want to conserve space — you’re normally downsizing — so I wanted something that could function as a dining room table, that could function as a desk.”

It’s just one of the many innovative ways the Testas have made living in a six-bedroom, 2 1/2 bath

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Northside Loft luxurious and a practical fit for their family of five.

The couple sold their Northampton Township home and moved in three years ago. Along with 13-year-old Zoe and 10-year-old Giovanni, Joel’s children from a previous marriage, they spent several weekends trying out Northside Lofts models while they headed downtown to bike the Towpath Trail, ice skate at Lock 3 and visit the Akron Art Museum.

“We finally decided, Let’s go all in.

Let’s give up the safety net, let’s design and build out a unit we’re not putting on the market,” Joel says.

The 4,571-square-foot interior was little more than a concrete shell when the Testas arrived. After more than three years of renovating and building it out, it’s now an urban showplace with a carvedfrom-a-warehouse aesthetic and postcard-perfect views of Akron.

CLOSER LOOK Joel and Cassie Testa’s great room

The Testas painted most of the drywall white and floored the entire place in a vinyl plank that mimics the look of hickory. A cantilevered black steel linear fireplace with a black steel television cabinet hovering over it provides delineation between the great room and the piano dining table.

accent wall looks like a building exterior emblazoned with a faded advertisement for a long-gone hotel. A contractor created the look and feel of brick by applying individual inch-thick brick veneers to the drywall and filling in the joints with mortar.

The kitchen is outfitted with cabinetry painted matte dark gray, quartz countertops and a lighted black-painted glass backsplash. A white 12-foot island with 10 stools is the family’s go-to noshing spot.

“I played around with some different techniques, sponge painting and ragging,” Joel says of the weathered white paint job.

The pseudo advertisement is

“Every meal we eat as a family, unless it’s outside, is here,” Joel says. Furniture on a nearby balcony accommodates alfresco meals.

the logo for Joel and Cassie’s

A floating aluminum-and-wood staircase rises to an indoor secondfloor media room in the middle of a massive multilevel rooftop deck, the bulk of the loft’s 6,500-plussquare-foot outdoor-living space.

The couple leads the way from an outdoor kitchen, bar and seating area around a fire pit through a garden where herbs and vegetables grow in planters to an outdoor living room. A few steps lead to a private outdoor theater with a drop-down screen, projector and speakers — the perfect place for family movie night under the stars.

traced it and painted it black.

favorite Manhattan hotel. Joel re-created the logo on his laptop, then projected it onto the wall,

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dream house

[ PENTHOUSE ]

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UPCOMING LISTING This luxurious downtown Akron loft will be listed in the spring. $2 MILLION cassie@testacompanies.com

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33O HOMES fall 2019

The Testas furnished the indoor rooms in black, white and various shades of gray. “[Joel’s] favorite color is black,” Cassie says. One of the few exceptions is a dusty purple bench in the first-floor master suite that complements purple undertones of gray woven fabric on the bed’s towering tufted headboard and upholstered frame.

Like the children’s rooms across the hall, the suite opens onto a wraparound balcony. Joel demonstrates how five glass panels slide to one side and stack to make the master bedroom and balcony one.

An EcoSmart fireplace built into a wheeled laminate cabinet keeps the couple warm on cool nights. It burns denatured ethanol, which Joel describes as a cleaner process that yields carbon dioxide and steam.

When the couple learned Cassie was pregnant last year, they took over part of a neighboring penthouse to add a downstairs gym and upstairs bedroom for Zoe so the teen’s old first-floor digs could be turned into a nursery for baby Sofia. That nursery won’t be used much. The Testas are having a house built in Silver Lake, near Joel’s parents, and putting the penthouse up for sale in the spring. While they are looking forward to more family time, they will miss the loft and all the work they put into making it their own.

“We hate to leave this place,” he admits. “We absolutely love it — it’s so much about who we are.

But my parents will only be here for so long.”

Now another family can experience this contemporary and practical piece of downtown living.

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by LYNNE THOMPSON and photo provided by SOUND & VISION

SHOW T I M E

The big sound and picture of the cineplex comes home with a high-tech theater.

T

he theater in this Brecksville home shares a trait with the superheroes depicted in the movie posters on its walls: Both are endowed with amazing abilities that aren’t revealed until they’re called into action. The homeowners love Marvel movies and worked with Sound & Vision in Cuyahoga Falls to install a theater that would make watching “Avengers: Endgame” at home as epic as in the cineplex. We unreel the high-tech features that make this home theater feel like a trip to the movies — without the long lines and sticky floors.

the

d e tails

S C R E E N : For cinema-

level clarity, the Screen Innovations 7 Series 110-inch screen is made of a coated vinyl-like gray material that absorbs light from the ceiling-mounted Sony 4K video projector and brightens the picture. It rejects illumination from surrounding lights left on while you watch. “On

a more traditional white screen that [doesn’t] have these light-rejecting properties, ambient light would have a tendency to wash out your picture,” says Sound & Vision President Mike Woods, calling it “the new standard” for providing a crystal-clear high-definition experience.

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A U D I O SYS T E M : The

disappear around the screen, providing a clean, contemthree Paradigm front speakporary look that makes both ers and four surround sound spouses happy. “The husband counterparts are really versawould have probably loved tile. “Whether [it’s for] watchto have big speakers standing TV, watching movies or ing on the floor,” Woods says. listening to music, they do a “But [the wife] wanted what great job,” Woods says. Two we call ‘an invisible theater,’ 12-inch JL Audio subwoofwhere you have all the sound ers complete the system the and experience, but you don’t resident audiophiles love for see all the speakers.” cranking their fave tunes. The unobtrusive built-ins all but

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PROCESSOR AND A M P L I F I E R : While

[ COOL BUY ]

many systems use one receiver containing a source-switching audio and video processor and speaker-powering amplifier, this system employs a separate Anthem Electronics processor and amplifier wired in from a utility room that save money in the long run.

Woods explains that while a high-quality amplifier can be used for 20-plus years, processor technologies change rapidly.

“Instead of somebody having to buy a whole new receiver, they can just upgrade their processor,” he says.

C O N T R O L4 S M A R T H O M E S Y S T E M We’ve all pulled out of the driveway and wondered if we left the lights on. Now you can remotely turn off any pesky lights you forgot with the Control4 smart home system, which Sound & Vision in Cuyahoga Falls sells and installs. Rather than fiddling with several smart home devices, Control4 simplifies your tech by merging management of lighting, security, entertainment and climate control into one app on a TV, computer, tablet or cellphone.

For lighting, Control4 lets you program for scenarios like a weeknight return from work that requires entry illumination or a party that calls for dimmed

FINISHING TOUCHES:

lights in living areas.

The Kinetics Noise Control ceiling, constructed of panels studded with tiny fiber-optic lights, makes the space look like an outdoor cinema under a starry night sky while working with a Kinetics wall system to soundproof the theater by 70 to 80 percent. “If someone’s watching a movie and wants to listen at movie-theater volume, [the homeowners] didn’t want the sound to go through the rest of the house and disturb everybody else,” Woods says.

“You can hit this all on button,’” says Sound & Vision President Mike Woods, “and it will turn on every light in your house.”

Not only does this centralized smart home system make your life easier, it can also save you money. Control4 helps save on energy costs by programming your heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to the ideal temperature before you return each night or by adjusting the set daytime temperature remotely whenever conditions change — say, on an unexpectedly hot day to keep pets cool. Control4 also allows you to play or turn off music and TVs throughout your home. The hassle-free automation is great, but the peace of mind this kind of smart home system provides can also be a deciding factor. Control4 lets you monitor your property via cameras, so you can worry less.

“You can be on vacation in Florida, turn on your phone, open up the app and be looking at your cameras back in Ohio,” Woods says.

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dream house

H I STO RY

MAKER

by LYNNE THOMPSON and photos provided by BRAD BOWERS

A home on an iconic property is now a gathering place for family and community.

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T

his Cape Cod has a sweet history. It stands on 2 acres that were once part of a farm cosmetics giant Jesse Grover Bell purchased in the 1940s. The founder of the Bonne Bell Co. — maker of the Lip Smackers flavored lip balms beloved by generations of teens — christened the spread Bonne Brook Farm and used it as a family weekend retreat. The house was built in the early '60s on the farm-turned-subdivision property for Bell’s daughter, Virginia Bragg, and her husband, Richard. They equipped it with upscale features of that era including a dumbwaiter and intercom system.

But Amy and Brad Bowers associate a different history with the property. The couple bought the 3,500-squarefoot abode from Amy’s family in 1993 because it was the happy home in which Amy grew up.

Amy fondly remembers picking blackberries, playing kick the can and hunting for tadpoles in the yard. The house her parents purchased in 1965 was in a prime location yet still secluded, the perfect place for her and Brad to raise their three kids in a familiar setting.

“There’re probably 35 homes in our neighborhood, and seven of them are [owned by] second-generation people,” says 54-year-old Amy, who co-owns the Akron documentmanagement service company Casnet with her husband. “I grew up with these people or their parents.”

“It [had] a beautiful yard,” adds 54-year-old Brad. “We felt fortunate at a pretty young age to buy it.”

But as the years went on, the first floor became too small for the many cocktail parties, dinners and fundraisers the Bowers hosted as members of organizations. Amy currently sits on the Akron Children’s Hospital Women’s Board, Bath Township Trustee Advisory Board and Bath

33O HOMES fall 2019

Park Board. She also serves as Bath Volunteers for Service home tour chair and Bath Horse Show committee chair. Brad is vice president of nominating for the local Boy Scouts of America Council, an Old Trail School trustee and volunteer court-appointed special advocate for Summit County children.

In 2003, the couple embarked on an extensive remodeling project with Akron architect Stephen Leuenberger and Akron builder Steven Moore that added roughly 2,500 square feet and turned the four-bedroom, 4 1/2-bath house into a 6,000-square-foot residence.

“It’s the family homestead,” Brad explains, “so we were committed to staying.”

The first phase involved tearing down a screened-in porch and adding a 1,400-square-foot great room. A sitting area surrounds a massive Maryland river stone fireplace, a sunken area offers cozy television viewing and a wet bar stands on a quirky rubber floor — all under a vaulted ceiling with exposed Douglas fir beams and skylights. A spiral iron staircase by the bar descends to a 1,500-bottle wine cellar that houses Brad’s collection and a tasting room below.

“The addition is almost as big as the rest of the house,” Brad says. “That’s why we angled it towards the back — so it didn’t look like an aberration from the street.”

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The Bowers worked with Akron interior designer Alan Garren to finish the space in a rustic-yet-refined earthtoned decor. The bar and the knee wall surrounding the sunken area, like the bulk of the other built-ins, were custom made in cherry wood and topped in Madura gold granite from Custom Creations Woodworking of Stow.

“We’re outdoorsy people, skiers and that,” Brad says. “So we like a lot of wood to feel like we’re in a ski lodge.”

Contractors also pushed out a portion of the first floor at the back of the house off the existing kitchen, dining room and living room, reconfiguring those areas to create a spacious kitchen and dining area separated by a wall with a two-sided Maryland river stone fireplace. The kitchen boasts beech floors, cherry cabinetry and a hefty central island with a sink set in granite and iroko-topped prep and dining areas.

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“Fifty people can stand in the kitchen, eat and hang out,” Brad says. “A lot of times, we’ll use the island as a buffet.”

Banks of built-ins separating the kitchen from the great room provide additional counter space. “We’ll usually put desserts and coffee on there when we have people over,” Brad says. The Madura gold granite countertop on the dining-room buffet sits on units that heat the stone to keep serving dishes warm.

The home’s back exterior was transformed beyond recognition. A simple staircase from a first-floor door to a bluestone patio off the walkout basement was replaced by a pergola-shaded deck, turning that bluestone patio into a partially covered space. Another patio was added off the back of the great room, and a new screened-in porch adjoins its front. Those outdoor spaces combine with the property’s grounds to provide plenty of room for outdoor functions like the couple’s annual Oktoberfest.

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CLOSER LOOK Amy and Brad Bowers fool the eye by creating what appears to be an architectural feature in their great room addition.

The couple commissioned a round acrylic painting by Akron artist Cathy Dully featuring a linear design and earthy colors pulled out of a sofa throw pillow. The couple then hung it in the uppermost section of a built-in floor-toceiling entertainment center.

The painting appears to glow, like a stained-glass window, but homeowner Brad Bowers says something else gives it that sunlit effect. “We have a spotlight on it,” he says.

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The second phase of renovations gutted the second-floor master suite, removing the ceiling to create a vaulted counterpart where the attic once was and eliminating the tiny office to expand and reconfigure the bedroom, bath and closet.

The vaulted master bath may be the most eye-catching room in the house, in part because of its 8-by-8-foot travertine marble shower. The absence of a curtain or door makes its glass-tile wall inlay a focal point for the room. The couple used the same red onyx for the shower floor and bench as they did for the back-to-back hisand-hers vanities that jut out on a floating divider wall.

“It’s really a very dramatic, cool piece of stone [that] makes a statement,” Amy says.

Completed after four years, the remodeling project was intended to create venues for large-scale entertaining, but their thoughtful attention to details in these private spaces reinforces the fact that the spacious house is still a home — where they spend Sunday afternoons watching football in the great room, throw Thanksgiving dinners for over 30 people and host weddings for friends and relatives in the backyard. And they still have plenty of their own history to make in it.

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H. Everson Designs can help you create and complete a space you will absolutely love, from inspiration to reality — conception to completion.

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by LYNNE THOMPSON and photos by JESS ENNIS

SUN BURST

Now may be the time to switch to solar power.

A

nyone who’s endured a dreary Greater Akron winter may dismiss a residential solar power system as an investment reserved for more sun-soaked climes. But Jess Ennis, founder and president of Sun Lion Energy in Hudson, says a system tailored to meet your energy needs can yield substantial savings for you, as well as environmental benefits.

“Instead of importing electricity that’s generated from burning fossil fuels and emit-

ting CO2 and various other toxins into the atmosphere, you’re producing your own electricity directly from sunlight,” he says.

You’ll want to act fast if solar power interests you. While Ennis estimates the average residential solar power system costs between $10,000 and $30,000, a federal tax credit helps defray the cost, but it’s shrinking soon.

This is the last year to take advantage of the maximum 30-percent tax credit — it drops to 26 percent in 2020 and continues decreasing thereafter.

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An average system consists of 20 3-by-5-foot solar panels installed on roofmounted rails, an inverter that converts the direct current generated by the panels to the alternating current most homes use, a generation meter and the accompanying wiring.

A good deal of space is needed to accommodate the system. Ennis says approximately 300 square feet of unshaded roof is needed to fit 20 solar panels, though a ground system could work, too. Keep in mind that shade is an obstacle, so put the

33O HOMES fall 2019

panels in a sun-drenched spot. Also some municipalities dictate where panels can be installed — on the back of the home, for example. Ennis assures that the silicon-and-temperedglass panels are designed to blend into the roofs of most houses with a black or deep blue color.

“Certainly, it’s a matter of taste,” he says. “But I think most often, people like the look of them and want to show them off.”

Since the system doesn't always generate enough

electricity to meet a household’s entire needs, it's connected to the electrical grid and the homeowner has a supplemental account with a local electric company.

There are times, however, when the solar system provides more than a household requires, mainly in the sunny summer. Ennis explains that in Ohio, that surplus is sent to the electrical grid and monitored by a meter, resulting in a credit on your electrical bill that may be enough to cancel out any balance owed to the utility company — and that’s the goal.

“If you have enough rooftop space to host a system that’s big enough, by the end of the year, you can net out your electricity costs,” he says.

Scott Thomas Furniture The Don Drumm Collection

scottthomasfurniture.com 330-247-0190 33O HOMES fall 2019

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by LYNNE THOMPSON and photos by SUNCREST GARDENS and photographer ANDY WEBB

LEVEL UP

A simple deck becomes an oasis for outdoor entertainment with a multistory expansion.

A

3,400-squarefoot Bath home boasted a spacious covered deck where homeowners could take in breathtaking views of the rolling hills and woodlands that stretch beyond its 1-acre property. But after construction finished on the custom home in 2013, the homeowners wanted to expand the outdoor living space by attaching a patio that would extend the deck to the nearby kitchen entrance for easier entertaining with a backdrop of stunning views.

There was only one problem: The deck extended over an existing walkout basement patio — a whopping 12 feet above ground level — and an expansion would have to rise to the deck’s soaring height. The homeowners enlisted Suncrest Gardens in Peninsula to bridge the gap.

“The elevation of the project made the design dramatic but also challenging,” says

Suncrest Gardens Landscape Architect Cathy Serafin.

Serafin and her team built up an existing retaining wall to the left of the basement patio, which remained intact. Over 100 tons of fill soil created the base for a patio almost level to the deck and neighboring kitchen door. Stabilizing it with 15-foot concrete pylons, they poured a concrete patio atop that new base and laid Pennsylvania bluestone in a rustic pattern. [ continued on page 56 ]

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DESIGNED BY MBS, INSPIRED BY YOU MBS Interiors is a full-service kitchen and bath design center in Canton, Ohio. In addition to our professional design services, we offer the highest quality custom cabinetry from Kraftmaid, StarMark, Ultracraft, Merillat and Mid-Continent. MBS Interiors is proud to offer you one-of-a-kind designs that represent your style. Make your kitchen and bath designs, MBS Interiors. sparkle with expert de desi siign gnss, pproducts, rodu ro duct ctts, s aand ndd sservices ervi er v ce vi cess wi with th M BS Int BS nter e iors.

Visit MBS Canton to discuss your project with a kitchen and bath designer!

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WEATHER GUARD Shorter days, cooler temperatures and turning leaves are sure signs that winter is coming. Suncrest Gardens Landscape Architect Cathy Serafin offers a few to-dos to ensure landscaping survives it.

Cut back perennials and ornamental grasses. Serafin suggests leaving 4 to 6 inches of growth to keep them dormant during warm spells. “It gives your gardens a neater look going into winter,” she adds.

Apply deer repellent. Combine a commercial repellent such as Deer Away spray with an antidesiccant. “The anti-desiccant puts a film on the leaf [that] prevents your plants from drying out due to brutal winds and cold temperatures,” she says.

Wrap more vulnerable plants in burlap. Serafin singles out installations that are newer or pricier as those you may want to cover with an added layer.

“It protects the plants from the cold winter winds and from salt damage,” she explains.

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Then they constructed a 14-foot-long gas fireplace with a wraparound hearth, cushy seating, cultured stone facing that mimics sandstone and limestone accents, just like the L-shaped grill-and-bar area.

The entire cozy feature is visible from the dining room.

“When [the homeowners] are entertaining in the winter, they can click the fireplace on and have a fire going outside,” Serafin says.

Next to the fireplace, the first basin of a water feature serves as a key element in the transition down to ground level.

Steps, a pathway and a bridge lead you over a waterfall tumbling into a second basin and down to the lawn.

The entire addition is framed by a large window in a heated potting shed off the house’s back right corner, a perk the resident green thumb reaches via a stone path.

“It’s a nice view — great working conditions [for] a gardener,” Serafin says.

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s p o n s o r ed c o n t en t

BACK TO SCHOOL = BACK TO ORGA NIZ ATION Let Closet Factory help transform your home into an organized oasis that will be the envy of your friends!

Our expert designers help create spaces that make it easy to stay organized. From glamorous walk-in closets that showcase your wardrobe to functional mudrooms to store backpacks and sports equipment, an organized system will get you out the door quickly and stress-free.

Our designs range from simple to spectacular and everything in between.

Closet Factory is the custom storage authority, and we design around you to create an organization plan tailored to your needs. We design, manufacture and install custom closets, home offices, mudrooms, garages, pantries, entertainment centers, wallbeds and more.

Our Northeast Ohio location has been family-owned and operated for over 21 years. That means you receive the experience you need with the personal touch you want. Call today for a free in-home consultation or visit our website.

Closet Factory Cleveland 216-362-4660 closetfactory.com

sponsor e d conte nt

BE A MIR ACLE M A K ER. Shana Kim is passionate about supporting kids in our local community. Join Shana in supporting our local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

For every transaction of buying or selling a home, Shana will make a donation that helps support medical research initiatives and provides lifesaving care to local kids.

Put your money where your miracles are! Work with Shana and give kids every chance to get better.

Over 1 million wishes have come true through over 1 million dollars that has been donated through RE/MAX Crossroads to local children’s hospitals.

Globally make a difference in children’s lives with Shana as your local, national and global real estate agent serving over 85 countries with over 40 languages and 60 currencies. Selling, buying, building and relocating can bring miracles to our community!

Call Shana Kim today.

330-618-7848 SalesbyShana@gmail.com

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s p o n s or e d con te nt

HOW TO P R E PA R E A N D SE L L YOU R HOUSE As a realtor since 1988 who sells over 100 homes a year, Will Penney is constantly asked what to do to get a house ready to sell. “It seems that this step in the moving process is really overwhelming for many people — but it doesn’t have to be. Remember that you only need impress four people when we list and sell your house: the buyer, buyer’s realtor, home inspector and bank appraiser,” says Will Penney.

Many people don’t realize that the appraiser, hired by the buyer’s bank, can ask for repairs to be made as a condition of the buyer’s loan. “To help our clients avoid stress, we have an educational report titled ‘11 Things You Need to Know to Pass a Home Inspection.’ This report addresses the most common issues that arise following a buyer’s home inspection,” he says.

“We also offer to walk through a house with the homeowner prior to listing it for sale, so we can point out common pitfalls to address ahead of time. One of the biggest questions we get is how to declutter. We recommend buying some large plastic tubs and filling them with anything you’re not currently using: clothes, collections, toys, knickknacks, etc. Then store those in the basement or garage, and you’re one step closer to moving,” notes Penney.

If you’d like to get an idea of how much your house is worth, visit neohomevalues.com, enter your address and receive an instant automatic home value. “Of course, if you’d like to discuss the home prepping, listing or selling process, you can always contact us. We are here to help,” he says.

Will Penney, Penney Real Estate Co. 330-760-2866 penneyrealestate.com

s p o n s o r ed c o n t en t

NEW DON DRUMM COL L ECTION AT SCOTT THOMAS FURNITURE One of Akron’s premier artists, designer Rosemary A. Hamed — former owner of R.A. Hamed Oriental Rugs — recently joined forces with internationally recognized sculptor Don Drumm to produce a stunning new line of furniture for Scott Thomas Furniture.

Scott Thomas is a leading designer and manufacturer of fine furniture and a recipient of the American Society of Furniture Designers Pinnacle award for design excellence.

The Don Drumm Collection is now being manufactured in the United States and features one-of-a-kind dining tables, credenzas, coffee tables and more with Don Drumm’s metal artwork embedded into each piece.

Custom orders are also available.

Scott Thomas Furniture graces homes and offices in 48 states and throughout Europe and Asia, including several American embassies. Each piece is a future collectable.

We are now accepting appointments to view the current collection.

Scott Thomas Furniture 330-247-0190 scottthomasfurniture.com 58

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GUIDE THE INTERIOR DESIGN STUDIO

WESTERN RESERVE DESIGNER FABRICS

Interior Design Studio is owned and operated by sisters Katie Heinz and Julie McNabb. Our highly skilled interior designers are equipped to undertake all projects, including consultations and custom furniture. From window treatments to high-end renovations, we want you to enjoy the experience of transforming a house into your home.

Western Reserve Designer Fabrics offers an extensive collection of premium window treatments from custom fabric drapes and top treatments to beautifully crafted plantation shutters, blinds, and solar and roller shades.

We also offer full-service upholstery and slipcover fabrications as well as custom bedding, decorative pillows, rugs and designer wallpapers.

THE INTERIOR DESIGN S TUDIO 207 South Court St., Medina 330-725-7623 interiordesignstudiooh.com

WES TERN RESERVE DESIGNER FABRICS 137 East Ave., Suite 104, Tallmadge 330-633-4936 wrdf.com

THE KKP GROUP

JEAN FARINACCI, REALTOR HOWARD HANNA

The KKP Group partners together solving problems, generating ideas and creating interiors that are timeless. Clients are engaged to become a part of the design process. We define your style and the way you live, balancing function and aesthetics to make your space unique and unforgettable ... just like our clients.

Jean Farinacci has more than 25 years of experience making home ownership a reality, with high tech and high touch.

She prides herself in receiving five-star ratings from her clients, based on an honest and caring approach. Please feel free to call or text, and visit her website.

JE AN FARINACCI, RE ALTOR 2603 West Market St., Akron 330-603-2444 jeanfarinacci.howardhanna.com

THE K K P GROUP 154 E. Aurora Road, Northfield 216-978-1043 thekkpgroup.com

KATHY REID, BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOME SERVICES

GARTH ANDREW CO. Garth Andrew Company is a full-service residential and commercial interior design studio. After 71 years as a family-owned business, we know the value of personal customer service. Our goal is to provide clients with exactly what they want and need to fulfill their interior design dreams.

Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Kathy Reid Realty is the award-winning Northeast Ohio connection to full real estate services including relocation, foreclosures, bank-owned and new construction homes. Our experienced team is committed to personal, dedicated service and an integrity to professionally satisfy our customers' needs.

Kathy Reid Realty

K ATHY REID, RE ALTOR 205 N. Main St. Hudson 330-650-2600 bhhskathyreid.com

33O HOMES fall 2019

GARTH ANDRE W CO. 1969 N. Cleveland Massillon Road, Bath 330-666-2504 garthandrews.com

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THE

C O L L E C T I O N® Fine Homes & Luxury Properties

xpectations xc eeded E E Agents with the RE/MAX Collection are known for a higher level of service and cater to clients with discerning taste. Our extraordinary listings will exceed expectations with sophisticated marketing resources backed by the brand strength of the No. 1 name in real estate.* Fine Homes & Luxury Properties | theremaxcollection.com *Source: MMR Strategy Group study of unaided awareness.

SHANA KIM REAL ESTATE AGENT RE/MAX CROSSROADS PROPERTIES

SalesbyShana@gmail.com 330-618-7848