My Houzz: Reclaimed Wood and Vintage Finds in an Ohio New Build
See how warm wood tones, custom features and personalized touches come together in this family’s home
Sarah Parisi Dowlin
March 21, 2019
Houzz contributor. Parisi Images creates purposeful photography to shape, share and celebrate the stories of your life, business and brand. Specializing in custom photo content and image strategy for small business owners, helps elevate brand stories to engage audiences and customer loyalty. Sarah contributes regularly to Houzz.com, among other publications.
Houzz contributor. Parisi Images creates purposeful photography to shape, share and... More
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Michael and Lora Short of 7 Maple Design and their daughters, Emerson, 7, and Finley, 4
Location: Madeira, Ohio
Size: 2,900 square feet (269 square meters), five bedrooms, 3½ bathrooms and a 1,110-square-foot basement
Year built: 2016
Who lives here: Michael and Lora Short of 7 Maple Design and their daughters, Emerson, 7, and Finley, 4
Location: Madeira, Ohio
Size: 2,900 square feet (269 square meters), five bedrooms, 3½ bathrooms and a 1,110-square-foot basement
Year built: 2016
For Michael and Lora Short, creating their family’s forever home in Madeira, Ohio, was a year-long labor of love. The couple bought a tear-down property. “It was a tiny Cape Cod that wasn’t salvageable as a flip, but we loved the area and the street,” Lora says. They also acquired existing plans for a new open design from M/I Homes. The two then worked with the company to modify the plans to fit their needs. Pictured here in the family room from left to right are Michael, Emerson, Finley and Lora.
The Shorts worked closely with local artisans to incorporate reclaimed materials to achieve a warm lived-in look. “We knew we wanted all the perks of a new home but the character and charm of an older one,” Lora says.
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The Shorts worked closely with local artisans to incorporate reclaimed materials to achieve a warm lived-in look. “We knew we wanted all the perks of a new home but the character and charm of an older one,” Lora says.
New to Houzz? Here’s How to Create and Use Ideabooks
The open floor plan works well for both daily life and for spending time with extended family and friends. “We love to entertain and host small and large groups, and we have an open-door policy,” Lora says. She adds that on any given night, 10 adults could be gathered around the kitchen island while kids run back and forth between the backyard, the finished basement and the upstairs playroom.
The custom kitchen island, made of reclaimed materials, was built by Mark Liechty of Cherry Pickers, a family business the couple discovered while visiting Michael’s family in Indiana. Cherry Pickers also created the wood countertops and the fireplace mantel.
The couple offset the costs for custom wood pieces like the island, floors and countertops by choosing noncustom light fixtures and installing standard cabinets.
Cabinets: Savannah collection with painted hazelnut glaze, American Woodmark
Find a local kitchen contractor on Houzz
The couple offset the costs for custom wood pieces like the island, floors and countertops by choosing noncustom light fixtures and installing standard cabinets.
Cabinets: Savannah collection with painted hazelnut glaze, American Woodmark
Find a local kitchen contractor on Houzz
The couple love rustic style and worked with Marcus Grooms of Ohio Wood Connection in Monroe, Ohio, to add reclaimed-wood beams to the ceiling in the dining room and in their upstairs master bedroom.
Shop for a rustic dining table
Shop for a rustic dining table
A collection of small wall-mounted clipboards from a craft store displays family images near the kitchen.
Both the dressing table and plant stand are vintage finds from estate-sale marketplace Everything But The House.
Both the dressing table and plant stand are vintage finds from estate-sale marketplace Everything But The House.
Sliding glass doors open from the family and dining rooms onto a fully screened-in patio. “We rarely sit in our living room from May through September, because we love being in our outdoor space,” Michael says.
Lora loves plants and makes them an integral part of the home’s interior and exterior spaces. “They bring warmth to a space,” she says.
Shop for outdoor patio lounge furniture
Lora loves plants and makes them an integral part of the home’s interior and exterior spaces. “They bring warmth to a space,” she says.
Shop for outdoor patio lounge furniture
Lora custom-designed these bookshelves to line the office space she created adjacent to the entryway. They were installed by Pete Kruger. The shelves are filled with family heirlooms and vintage finds, providing an inspiring backdrop to Lora’s office.
Michael and Lora say that their home, which they completed in September 2016, has become a source of inspiration for others. Encouraging feedback from family and friends about their home remodeling project also led the couple to start a design company, called 7 Maple Design. “The interest and demand for our services has blown us away,” Lora says.
Blueprints from a newly commissioned project are on display in the home office, seen here.
Michael and Lora say that their home, which they completed in September 2016, has become a source of inspiration for others. Encouraging feedback from family and friends about their home remodeling project also led the couple to start a design company, called 7 Maple Design. “The interest and demand for our services has blown us away,” Lora says.
Blueprints from a newly commissioned project are on display in the home office, seen here.
Reclaimed and vintage decor pieces can be found throughout the home. “We have always loved the idea of giving old things new life,” Michael says. “There is just something about the story and character of used or repurposed pieces that draws us in.”
An antique oak washstand from Everything But The House provides ample storage for documents and other odds and ends. Rolled-up blueprints describing the Shorts’ own home’s design specifications sit in a basket on top.
Iron gate piece: Cherry Pickers
Iron gate piece: Cherry Pickers
“We don’t have a grand foyer or high ceilings,” Lora says. Instead, a cozy entryway welcomes guests into the home.
Flooring custom-designed by Marcus Grooms of Ohio Wood Connection warms up the entire first floor. It’s a mix of salvaged wood from a nearby 1850s barn, pictured in the framed prints above the bench, and old flooring from a local church. “The floors are absolutely a statement piece; they are one of a kind,” Michael says. “Everyone is blown away when they walk into the house.”
The coat tree and dressing table are vintage.
Bench: Recycle Cincinnati
Flooring custom-designed by Marcus Grooms of Ohio Wood Connection warms up the entire first floor. It’s a mix of salvaged wood from a nearby 1850s barn, pictured in the framed prints above the bench, and old flooring from a local church. “The floors are absolutely a statement piece; they are one of a kind,” Michael says. “Everyone is blown away when they walk into the house.”
The coat tree and dressing table are vintage.
Bench: Recycle Cincinnati
The pantry doors do double duty as a gallery where the couple’s two daughters can show off their artwork.
Clip It Up: 8 Ways to Display Kids’ Art
Clip It Up: 8 Ways to Display Kids’ Art
In the same space, Lora repurposed doorknobs salvaged from the original house as wall hooks. A custom-made chalkboard with a reclaimed-wood frame helps the homeowners keep track of important dates.
The upstairs master suite provides a serene sanctuary for the couple. A wrought iron gate reclaimed by Cherry Pickers acts as a headboard, while a vintage couch found by Lora provides a cozy spot for relaxing. The ceiling beams are reclaimed wood.
Key Measurements for a Dream Bedroom
Key Measurements for a Dream Bedroom
The couple’s bedroom dresser is vintage and from Everything But The House.
Custom barn doors on vintage tracks lead to the master bath.
The Shorts repurposed vintage dressers in each bathroom as vanities. Here, a dresser found on Craigslist acts as a double vanity in the master bath. The custom countertops, made to look like concrete, were fabricated by A&B Granicrete Cincinnati, and the two square mirrors are framed with reclaimed barn wood.
15 Vintage Cabinets Become One-of-a-Kind Bathroom Vanities
15 Vintage Cabinets Become One-of-a-Kind Bathroom Vanities
Wood shiplap distressed by Amy Carr and Christie Wallace of Salvage Sisters Design adorns the walls of the large master bath.
The couple loves the double shower in the master bath. “It’s super convenient to throw the kids in the shower after playing outside all day,” Lora says.
The side table and vase are vintage.
The side table and vase are vintage.
Upstairs, a large play space features walls clad in reclaimed barn wood. All of the wood was used just the way it came; the darker gray pieces are weathered, while the whiter pieces had received less sun.
A custom wood bench fills the space along one wall and provides plenty of easily accessible storage space for toys and books. Whimsical framed artwork hangs above it.
A custom wood bench fills the space along one wall and provides plenty of easily accessible storage space for toys and books. Whimsical framed artwork hangs above it.
The barn wood wall treatment extends beyond the playroom and down the hall to the master suite. A barn door on a vintage track conceals the linen closet. All of the barn wood found on the upper level was provided by Cherry Picker.
The girls’ bathroom features an antique dresser that the couple found online and repurposed as a vanity.
Each daughter picked the paint color for her bedroom. Emerson, age 7, chose Tradewind by Sherwin-Williams for her walls. Large, colorful pompoms made from dyed coffee filters add interest above the bed.
House-shape wall organizers display some of Emerson’s favorite mementos.
Shop for kids’ wall shelving on Houzz
Shop for kids’ wall shelving on Houzz
Removable arrow decals act as temporary artwork and can be changed over the years as Emerson’s style evolves.
Finley, age 4, chose Vaguely Mauve by Sherwin-Williams for her room color. A vintage phone cabinet painted light blue was turned into a side table.
The new five-bedroom house provides plenty of room for the family and visitors, and fits in beautifully with the neighborhood.
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More on Houzz
10 Friendly Front-Yard Seating Ideas
Hire a general contractor
Shop for outdoor lighting
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More on Houzz
10 Friendly Front-Yard Seating Ideas
Hire a general contractor
Shop for outdoor lighting
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Nice to see older wood dressers, tables, etc which are left natural and not always painted. I was attracted to that large black clock in the bedroom. Was it a creation or purchased?
Finally! A home with lots of character and color in the home. I am so tired of the white on white on white... sofas, furniture, walls. Love the wood accents in the building materials, floors, beams and beautiful antiques that scream re-use and recycle. Why are so many people purchasing shiny and new when there is so much interesting vintage around. That's the fun of it... rather than ordering something from a catalogue. Be different. This home is warm, and it is a labor of love from the home owners. BRAVO!
Beautiful and homey. Doesn't give you that "new build" feeling. Very, very nice.