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Wayne Kitchen & Bath Works Marti Osterhout

By Deborah C. Gerbers

Marti Osterhout is a showroom consultant for Wayne Kitchen & Bath Works, a wholesale plumbing supplier serving Fort Wayne for 124 years.

As a subsidiary of Wayne Pipe & Supply, Wayne Kitchen & Bath offers various home products like faucets, sinks, water closets, grab bars, bathroom accessories and vanities — most anything in a home that works with water.

Osterhout came to Wayne Kitchen & Bath Works with a background in the flooring industry. “This gave me a good foundation working with the consumer,” she said. “I understand that no two bathrooms are alike, and we may need to help that customer solve problems in both small and large spaces.”

Osterhout moved to Fort Wayne when she was four years old. She attended Northrop High School and IPFW. “To this day, I still get together with my besties from high school every year,” she said. “I have been married to my husband Steve for 27 years, and we have four children from ages 26- 21. So, we have been incredibly busy. We have two grandkids, and I have to say they are so much fun!”

Living and working in Fort Wayne is ideal for Osterhout. “Fort Wayne is one of those cities that is small enough that you have that great sense of a small community,” she explained. “It is not too often that I go out and don’t see someone I know. And, here we have so much to offer — so many great restaurants, sporting venues, concerts, festivals and all the new things coming to downtown. I think we are lucky to be able to do something rural like go to a dairy farm or pumpkin patch, and then follow it up with a great meal at a downtown urban restaurant.”

Osterhout credits her parents as being her greatest role models in life. “Sometimes, you just don’t know how lucky you are until you grow up, take a look around with adult eyes and then realize you were given more than what you needed,” she said. “They taught us that nothing in life is free, so you must earn it. They would say ‘take the trip, give to those who are in need, take the gamble and love with all you have.’ Most importantly, don’t forget to be in the moment, because tomorrow is not promised.”

When she’s not working on the showroom floor helping customers select plumbing fixtures for remodels and new homes, Osterhout enjoys spending time with her family. “I am incredibly lucky to enjoy what I do. Going to work is something I have fun doing. If I have a long-term goal, it would be to travel more, and spend more time with my adult children since we can all be seated in the bar now.”

essentials HOMEI am At Home with Cara Lee Wade and Todd Espeland

By Lauren Caggiano

Many dream of finding “the one.” In the case of Cara Lee Wade and Todd Espeland, it was a match made in heaven — first with their romantic union and later with finding their dream house in Fort Wayne’s hip 46807 neighborhood.

The story of Gnome Manor — as they affectionately call their abode — starts in the year 2007. Wade had moved to Fort Wayne, after accepting a position with the University of Saint Francis’ School of Creative Arts. She lived in a few places in West Central and most recently in the ‘07, before deciding to put down roots.

“When we decided to buy, we really wanted to be downtown,” she said. “We’re more fans of an old house than a cookie-cutter new house in a suburban subdivision.”

While they were drawn to West Central’s appeal, they were priced out. The ‘07 seemed like a good bet, because of its location, price point and vibe. In retrospect, Wade agrees it was the right move for them ultimately.

“The (neighborhood) has a wonderful mix of different styles of homes, but also different styles of homeowners,” she said.

Wade said she’s been able to experience that diversity up close, taking her dogs for walks in the neighborhood. She appreciates the ‘07’s walkability, positive energy and the spirit of her neighbors.

Now, two years later, Wade says there’s nowhere else she’d rather live, even if it took some time for everything to align. The Tudor-style brick home is on a corner lot with a spacious yard, much to the delight of their two dogs. In her words, the 1930s-era 4-bedroom 1.5 bath home is “quirky” and has no shortage of character. The architecture spoke to her whimsy side instantly — she was smitten by its design.

“I immediately named it Gnome Manor, because it looks like a place where gnomes would live,” she said.

She’s not the only one who feels that way, either.

“Over the summer, I was sitting on my porch reading and this little boy on a bike was approaching the house,” she said. “He stopped and kind of stared at the house and said, ‘your house looks like magic.’ And then he rode away, and it might have been my favorite thing of the year.”

Speaking of favorite things, Wade said she and Espeland have enjoyed making the place their own, inside and out. For instance, they’ve pulled down wallpaper, changed the wall paint color and even started a garden. They’ve also added some personality to the yard with the addition of tchotchkes and lights.

Photo by Bambi Guthrie

Wade said they’ve had some help with the more involved projects along the way, and she feels fortunate to work with contractors who share their vision for the house.

While the home is still a work in progress, Wade said that’s part of the fun.

“We’ve got a little list of things that still need to be done,” she said. “But when you buy an old house, you know to expect that.”