When a Westerville couple moved into a new condo during the COVID-19 pandemic, they felt that the two-story house was nice, but it needed to feel more like home.
Many rooms, including the kitchen and bathroom, felt a little too dark for their taste. Blacks, whites and grays rounded out the color scheme. They wanted to lighten the place up and accentuate the Italian-inspired design that characterized the neighborhood.
“When we walked in, it was a lovely home,” the homeowners say. “But we wanted to make it our own, brighten it up.”
They called local interior designer Anne Rogers hoping to infuse the condo with their own personalities.
Before photos (left), After photos (right)
Anne Rogers Interiors
Anne Rogers Interiors
When in Rome
Rogers and the homeowners drew on the Italian villa-style homes of the surrounding community along with the style preferences of the couple to emphasize natural light and weave a vibrant, natural Mediterranean color scheme throughout the entire condo.
The kitchen’s central island took on an elegant sage hue, while a bright yellow standing tub appeared in the bath.
Rustic exposed brick bloomed along the pantry and powder room walls as well as the dining room ceiling. The brick is accessorized with built-in shelves, transporting the couple to Italy while still being practical.
Room For Two
Renovating during the pandemic, the couple met supply chain challenges and experienced long-term lifestyle adjustments.
As the two were working from home, they sought a shared workspace that comfortably accommodated both of their new full-time work-from-home schedules. Rogers concocted a layout that the homeowners called both aesthetic and functional. The dark, wooden one-desk office space transformed into a white-shelved display of personal treasures, with room for two desks.
After work, the homeowners have fun downstairs in a bar area anchored by a pool table and showcasing their personal art collection. Crowning the space are four pendant lights, custom-made by an artist.
“They both love fine art,” Rogers says. “What really makes that space unique is their furnishings and their artwork … Those light fixtures were just how they like things. They like really unique, beautiful things that aren’t too crazy, but kind of gave it an uplift.”
Rogers noted the colorful house’s exemplification of traditional decor which is prominent in the Columbus, Ohio area compared with sleeker and more minimal modern styles that use less color.
Changing Things Up
The homeowners say the renovations are a product of hours of collaboration, planning and personal attention to detail which stretched the project past the boundaries they had originally imagined, moving from updating a few rooms to transforming the whole condo.
“If someone's going into this, it's important to pull in the right team to pull the ideas together,” the homeowners say. “Anne, she took us comfortably out of our comfort zone, proposing colors and designs that we wouldn't have considered.”
While Rogers may have tweaked the colors and size of the workload, her clients couldn’t be happier living in the final product.
“I don't have a favorite spot,” the homeowners say. “Anywhere you go in the home, you sit down and look around and it's upscale and beautiful but functional. It is low-key and comfortable kind of like our personality.”
The project resulted in a bit more than just home updates:
“They were lovely people to work with,” The homeowners say.
“I would say we are now friends,” Rogers agrees.
Jake Ruffer is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
