BRANDON STEFFEN

How would you describe your style?

Our decorating style can be best described as traditional, which has been influenced by the era of our home. Built in the 1890’s, it has had a colorful life, to say the least. It was originally built as a single-family home by a wealthy Fort Wayne merchant. In the 1930’s, it became a church parsonage for about 20 years before being converted into sleeping rooms and apartments. Fortunately, through the years, most of the original woodwork and historic features were kept intact.

When we purchased the home, we instantly fell in love with all the charm, character, and the potential of restoring the home to its original grandeur. Throughout the renovation process, our style quickly became apparent as we wanted our home to remain somewhat formal, but updated with homey, unique, and comfortable

Tell us a little about each of the areas you chose to highlight. Why did you choose them? What makes them your faves?

Dining and Living Area

We chose to highlight our main living area, which combines our entry, dining, and living rooms. We love entertaining family and friends, and this is the perfect spot to do so. During our renovation, we were able to create an open concept, while still showcasing the historic features of the home, such as the original staircase, pocket doors, and uncovering an original brick fireplace in the dining room.

Kitchen

The kitchen is one of our favorite rooms in the home. We both love to cook. However, we knew when we designed the kitchen that this space would become one of our primary living areas. In the morning, the kitchen island makes the perfect place to drink coffee. Later, it sometimes transitions into our home office by day and ends as our gathering place at night.

Master bedroom

We love our Master bedroom. When we designed this space, we wanted a large comfy place to escape to at the end of the day. This space was previously two rooms and features a large seating area overlooking the street below. Gus, our giant schnoodle, spends his day sitting in the bay window guarding “his sidewalk” and waiting for us to return home.

When you think of your home, what’s the feeling you hope your family and visitors have?

When family and friends visit, we hope that our home is fun and inviting. We want them to join us for a glass of red wine by the fireplace in the winter or relax with a refreshing adult beverage on the front porch on a summer evening.

What’s your favorite color?

We love Agreeable Gray by Sherwin Williams. It is such a versatile color that goes great with any style. a