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German Village Staging and Styling at Hannah’s Haus AirBnb

By Jessica Pack

There are different facets to the work that staging companies perform. The property on Livingston Avenue was one that fell outside the norm. This was not a home that was for sale, but rather a home that was going to be used as an AirBnb. This means that we work closely with the homeowners on budget, overall aesthetic, inventory lists, you name it.

The home was a duplex right below downtown Columbus, and a hop, skip and a jump away from one of our favorite German Village restaurants, Katzinger’s Deli.

We had to approach staging this differently than we would for homes that we stage for sale. Knowing that items going into the AirBnb would need to be decorative as well as functional… It really made us put on our thinking caps.

Thankfully, we at Sanctuary Staging have experience with styling AirBnbs in the past. With staging, it’s purely aesthetic. We need to WOW the customer as quickly as possible. Although we do look at functionality, it’s not necessarily as important as it would be where guests are actually staying in the space, like at this AirBnb.

I watched a design competition awhile back where the contestants had weekly challenges that were judged. Losers of the challenges were eliminated. One challenge was a hotel that was updating its rooms. The hotel had something to do with chocolate. Each contestant was given a room and a type of chocolate to design around. The designers used that as their inspiration while at the same time, still had to consider the function: it was a hotel.

I remember the results and the judges comments because… well… I enjoy those kinds of programs *smile.* I didn’t know it at the time, but it turned out to be useful brain candy when we were brought in to work at Livingston. Feedback from the judges on that show that applied to our task included how easy or difficult it was to clean between guests. That meant giving consideration to the materials used and the amount of decorations (knickknacks and all things pretty). The color of towels and bedding. Using fewer fragile or breakable things. Having that information tucked away in my memory bank actually paid off!

I never really noticed how often we DO use items that look fantastic in MLS pictures but are actually something my grandma would probably have smacked my hand and said, “Do not touch!” Those were kinds of things we specifically tried to not use for this project. It required a different mindset than normal but that is also the same twist of the creative flow that makes things interesting.

Sanctuary prides itself on being efficient. We allot a time frame with our customers and do a darn good job of meeting or beating those deadlines. After all, customers want their properties listed so they can sell them.

Livingston offered us a different scenario, and what a great idea they had! The owners decided they wanted to stay the night (in their own property) and see how things felt and how it all worked. This way they could feel like a guest and see the space through a different lens.

They came into it with a different perspective as a “guest.” They uncovered some functional issues with the house that they didn’t know were problematic and were able to repair or replace some of those things before they went live.

Onto the décor itself (admittedly our favorite part): The dining room was open to the front door, and we went with a baker’s rack – a little sad for it to leave our inventory, but it was just perfect in this space and coordinated so perfectly with the centerpiece and chandelier.

The living room close by had tall shelves that we brought in some historic Columbus and German Village books and more vintage décor. The kitchen had open shelving throughout, so we had fun with a few bowls and accessories. Upstairs were three spacious bedrooms, and we weren’t sure which one we would have chosen if we were guests.

If you are ever in the German Village area, check out this AirBnb called Hannah’s Haus right on Livingston Avenue. They are live and thriving!

Staged by Sanctuary Staging, Photo by JPG Media

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It’s Groovy on Granby

By Jessica Pack

A mid-century chair walks into a bar. Bartender says, ‘Come on over and have a seat!’ Chair says, ‘I can’t – I’m all tapered out.” There seems to be very few jokes about furniture online. Trust me… I looked. Even less when it comes to style specific design. In this case, Mid Century Modern (henceforth to be abbreviated as MCM) which was the style of our latest stage in Worthington, OH.

Most of Columbus and its surrounding suburbs are developed. The further out one goes, the flatter it is. There are varying degrees to which areas are grown but by and large, the ‘burbs closest to downtown have been around the longest. Most of which have the same formula of charming houses close together with little to no yard.

As I was driving to our house on Granby, the roads were winding streets. The homes were super cute cottages. The area was so peaceful that even the squirrels were abundant. I turned off the neighborhood street onto Granby and was wondering if I was in the right place. Our home was actually down a hill, barely visible from the street, and was tucked into a fully wooded half-acre lot. My curiosity was piqued about what we would find inside (as long as I escaped the automatic deer repellant system… aka: a motion sensitive sprinkler system that was hidden amongst the delicious-to-deer hostas it was protecting. Yes, I tripped the “alarm” but was only minimally soaked).

I cracked out my (hard copy) dictionary to try to find the right word for it. Best I can come up with for the house is that it is an enigma. (Puzzling… inexplicable). I use that term because in the middle of a ‘city’ one typically does not find a home such as Granby… yet, it exists and it is glorious! Full walls of windows on both levels that look out to a treed ravine with a babbling brook. We needed to highlight these views along with the home’s features. It was far out!

The decor we selected to marry with the style of the home was very MCM. The house boasted open exposed beams and orange accent walls that screamed 1960… groovy, baby. (I’d attempt to write like Austin Powers talks, but that might get old in a hurry. So, every now and then, imagine you hear him in my words.)

My boss got inspired prior to the stage and went shopping for some funkadelic retro items befitting the period and the style. It was interesting using the items she found and how they brought that 1960’s vibe to 2021. The record player… and albums… I chuckled. **My boss is younger than me and I actually OWNED a few record players in my lifetime. She found special record frames and hung albums inside the front door for an “Oh behave!” moment the minute you walked in.

Once inside, we ran with it. We made sense of the interior orange accent wall mainly through use of more colors from the same era. There’s a color palette associated with the 60’s and it encompasses golds, navy, olive green, red and sages. In our version of this groovy room, we threw a nod back in time with colors that complimented and used furniture with shapes that were on-point for both now AND then. All with open sight lines out the back to the gorgeous property.

We employed those same techniques in our throw back master with rust, mustard, and olive pillows on the bed. We opted for vases of retro colors and shapes on the dresser to carry that MCM idea though the space with colorful art from that same period color pallet… and a shagadelic rug, of course.

If there is such a thing as a 60s themed modern kitchen…that looked phenomenal, we delivered. The home was immaculate. I’m not sure if it was just updated with amenities that looked vintage OR if things like the kitchen cabinets were well-maintained original elements. Whatever was the case, they were in mint condition. No, not mint the color… we saved that for the lower level family room. In the kitchen, we went all out with our old-school finds like a fondue set! We like to live dangerously. Our table setting used actual antique green glass plates and a 60s inspired floral patterned linen. No risk… no fun. It must worked, because when the seller saw our work and their re-envisioned home, they didn’t want to leave.

We carried the same ideas throughout the office and lower level bedrooms. There was no mini me when it came to the way the whole house was one cohesive “look” that must’ve also spoken to buyers because the house only lasted on the market for one day. Go for the gold, baby! ***Cue “Soul Bossa Nova” and Watusi on outta here. Yeah, baby!!!

Staged by Sanctuary Staging, Photo by Columbus Pics

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Bringing back the “BAM!” on Bradwood Avenue

By Jessica Pack

Many of the homes we stage have been “sterilized” for sale. By that, I am referring to being stripped of color. A neutral backdrop is appealing to a larger variety of buyers. I understand that reality in terms of what it means from a sales perspective. However, there is another side of me that is drawn to rich deep colors. My personal home would be a reflection of that but today we are talking about 6086 Bradwood.

The home was less than 5 years old and the resident must have been someone with the same fondness of color saturation as me. Upon entry to Bradwood, I could tell this homeowner was my kindred spirit. The home featured accent walls of glorious color. If not a wall, a curtain or some element that added life to the space.

It was a little bit thrilling to decorate this home. The vibrant red wall in the living room was such a feature that it only made sense to celebrate it. Thanks to a specialty home we decorated with a similar color pallet, we had the perfect area rug to bring it all together. The room…scratch that… the whole house felt like a million bucks when we finished.

Every step taken in Bradwood was just fun. From the dining room featuring deep blue walls and a funky light fixture to the unique shelves in the bathrooms. Yes, I found parts of the bathroom to possess pizzazz! Of course, that pizzazz was kicked up a notch with what WE did to the house. (If you could see me right now, I am taking a bow-LOL!)

There’s talent in making a room look good but it’s an ART when rooms are open to each other. You have to make sense of what is placed in one room compared to how it looks with a room to which it is visible. My boss helped decorate this property and there was a moment when I spied the perfect piece of art to hang in the loft. I think I made a spirited announcement about it and told her to wait in the red-wall living room while I went to the loft and held up the art against the brue/gray wall to show her. ***Confession: I think the exact phrase I told her she would say when I showed her the art was, “OMG, That’s (insert colorful bad word language) awesome!” And she did… because it was just that awesome.

Two second floor bedrooms were ideal for a dash of coloration and we opted for a train theme in one and a mermaid theme in the other. Originally, we had planned to pull the purple curtains from the mermaid room and replace them with neutral panels but when we saw the space with the bedding in place, the vibrant curtains made sense and up they stayed.

The first floor master had color by way of curtains too. Black curtains, to be exact. Our solution was to keep the bedding in the greige family and then pop some olive green. Imagine Emeril Lagasse tossing his seasoning with a “BAM!!” That’s what we did, but with color. It was just the right shade in just the right amount to keep things interesting and to continue having vitality through the house.

A loft overlooking the living room looked as good peering down over the railing as it did from the living room looking up. It was a masterpiece and offered a second living space as well as a desk with a view of the trees outside.

We normally don’t stage outdoor spaces but the homeowner let us use her patio furniture and pergola. I sometimes wonder what people think of their spaces after we come in and see them in a different way. We cleaned up her table and chairs, used her outdoor rugs, moved the table under the pergola, created a seating area where the table had been, made use of her outdoor pillows, discarded dead plants and (going all Emeril again) BAM! Suddenly, the whole patio was transformed. The outside was visible via three large windows and the area complimented the neighboring rooms. I kinda didn’t want to leave! Alas, we did depart. It seemed like we no sooner locked the door behind us before the house went into contract. Four days. Even with all that color… appears there are plenty others out there like me who like an oomph of liveliness in their home.

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October 9, 2021September 16, 2021

A Glorious Victorian on Governor’s Place

By Jessica Pack

When we were asked to stage this old Victorian home close to downtown Columbus, we were able to see the house prior to its transformation back into glory. The first time I walked the house, I gotta be honest… it was a complete (de)construction zone but had the makings of something amazing. There were elements that had withstood the test of time… and some that had not.

At first, I wondered what of those original features would remain as the reality of house flipping is what it is: to make money. I secretly said a little prayer that the hardwood floors and ornate trim would still be there when we came back for the stage. That the, albeit it decorative, fireplaces in nearly every room would be in the finished product. I could see in my mind how I would decorate those rooms utilizing those elements. Most of my prayers were answered.

Because of the age of the home, many walls were plaster. The flippers exposed brick in a few rooms and I wanted to highlight these without drilling into them… a “forever” kind of move and so it became a lesson in the art of leaning.

Throughout the house, there were only a few rooms we actually hung art. In most rooms, art was leaned. It was a pleasant surprise that it wasn’t something that stood out as out of the ordinary.

As the movers loaded in the furniture, a last-minute decision was made to rotate the sofa and place it in front of the windows versus the predictable sofa wall. It made all the difference and the room suddenly felt like the gathering place it likely once was back in 1890. Now, however, it was adorned with trendy furniture and electric lamps!

According to the “the google,” electricity started being used in homes around 1882. While I can’t say for certain when electricity was added to 62 Governor’s Place, the outlets that I was plugging lamps into were clearly not there prior. Interesting to think about that. Electricity is an amenity that is our norm but has not always been. So, away I went… plugging in lights… going “Ooooo! Ahhhh” at my handiwork.

When I think about this home as a whole, I loved so much of the house it is hard to pick a favorite space. The kitchen was too cute for words! The 2-room bedroom was a space that no teen with any common sense would ever leave! The third floor with so much going on could easily accommodated a growing family or, as long as they still had good knees, an in-law suite where multi-generations could co-exist. The family room with old school elements that were just cool!

I was tickled with how it all came together. However, the police were probably less tickled when I tripped the alarm getting into the house, but it’s all part of the grander tale of the house on Governor’s Place. Sold in about a week. WooHoo!!!

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September 18, 2021September 16, 2021

A Charming Cape Cod in Columbus

By Jessica Pack

Many years have passed since settlers first came westward from England and landed on our eastern shores. A few hundred years, in fact, yet certain styles of homes continue. Colonists in New England built rectangular style homes because they were simple. Settlers were coming with few possessions and needed homes that were “easy” to build. Salt box was the name of the style back then.

My limited research has shown that the label, “Cape Cod” came about in the 1920s and 30s and was a reinvention of those earlier settler homes but with interiors for modern living. Our stage on Greenway was one such style house. Obviously, not nearly as old as a settler’s 1600s house, Greenway was actually built in 1937.

Over the years, updates were made to suit the needs of its residents. Updates like a finished lower level with a full bathroom in the basement; a completely new kitchen; and 3 bedrooms on the second floor. All would be luxuries early colonists likely did not have.

Even with the updates, the square footage of this gem was still less than 1400 square feet. Yet, fully staged with useful spaces that larger homes also offer, Greenway still felt roomy! A testament to our vision (hang on… I can’t type AND pat myself on the back).

There were only two rooms on the first floor of Greenway and the living room was one of the few spaces that probably retained the most original elements. It was a room that was big enough to be staged as both a living room and dining space. The home did not have a formal dining room and the slightly oversized front room was the perfect space to fit in both functions.

The other first floor room was the kitchen which had been totally overhauled… minus the Dutch door. The kitchen was clean and white with stainless appliances. We brought in stools at the island making it a fantastic family space. ****Did a little search on Dutch Doors…namely because I couldn’t think of the name of that type of “split door.” I didn’t realize that Dutch Doors were commonly used by early New Englanders to let in light while also being able to see children outside. It came full circle in my decorating brain with this Cape Cod/New England style.

The lower level was finished to include a gathering space and full bath. With only one other bathroom in the house, finding square footage to use for this very important function is an important one. Extra family space is always a bonus in small home and (I love my kids, but…) sometimes it’s nice to have a room to steal away to for alone time.

The fully finished second floor is where the three bedrooms were located along with the other full bath. I believe storage solutions in the bedrooms were added after 1937 but were actually a well thought out way to use the precious square footage.

Both large bedrooms had what appeared to be closets but upon closer examination, some were closets and some were doors that hid drawers…like built-in dressers! (I assure you, my cookie-cutter new build house did not have an option such as a built in dressers on the punch-list of possibilities) Some resident in the history of Greenway Ave had a vision that was so clever. Kudos to whomever that was!!

Because of that past vision, those bedrooms only needed beds and night stands. Getting dressers up narrow stairs with no room to pivot would have been a challenge. We were cruising down easy street with the built-ins! (Or UP easy street) (Well, it was the movers who got the best end of that deal). The bedrooms were spacious without the need for dressers so we brought in fun elements like accent chairs for a seating area in the master and a desk for some work space in the garden-themed guest room.

The final room of the home was a child’s bedroom. It, too, had one of the special storage spaces. The current sellers were a small family of 3. The “3” being a baby. They had created a nursery for him with doggie wall paper. It would have been an ordeal to remove the wall paper so we embraced it and just added more dogs. Is there anyone who doesn’t love puppies? Seriously. I’d even wager that the settlers loved dogs. And with that, dog-gone it, our Greenway tour has come to an end.

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August 28, 2021September 16, 2021

Keeping up with the Joneses on Millwood Drive

By Jessica Pack

1744 Millwood Drive…A home that took me back to my youth in many ways. Let me elaborate…through the eyes of a proud generation X-er who has experienced all things awesome and great in music and TV during my formative years.

I learned something new from working on this home! As trendy as split level homes are in the 2000s, I honestly didn’t know there was a difference between a split-level and a bi-level home. A split has at least 3 levels. 1744 Millwood is what would be considered a bi-level as there are just two levels…yet is somehow different from a 2-story home though. I am scratching my head a wee bit.

Either way, Millwood is a newly renovated home in a classic suburb of Columbus, OH. The outside remained the same but inside was rehabbed into something “now.” “Now” neutral color pallet. “Now” flooring material. “Now” lighting which was almost funky… the dining space fixture especially. There are times when homes need a complete overhaul just to be marketable. Millwood was a home rooted in the early 60s and I can almost guarantee it had design that mirrored its age. My kids remind me often that I am “old.” I like to reinvent myself with the occasional new hairstyle or outfit. Homes can do that too either out of necessity or to gain more mass appeal.

The kitchen island was one I had never seen. While I HAVE encountered different color cabinets used in the same space and even different materials used for countertops, I have not seen an island top made purposefully to look like a wooden table top with table legs. 1744 used stained hickory with and it was gorgeous! We made every effort to be minimalistic when staging the island as to not cover it all up. It is a thing of beauty! My gen X self saw this: The scene from the 80’s music video for Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” when Tawny Kitaen slithers all over David Coverdale’s Jaguar. Where my mind wanders sometimes makes me laugh. This island was as slick as the cars in the video and if realty had a sense of humor, there would be an image of this island with some hot model accentuating this kitchen feature as part of the listing material. Ha! …unlikely that will happen.

Millwood was also a prime example of open concept. It’s hard to say if the 1962 version of the living/dining/kitchen was as open as the home exists now, but everything a person needs is in one generous area and STILL has room to spare. We took care to make it feel like a welcoming and functional space…with the pizzazzle only Sanctuary can deliver.

We truly do aim to give buyers that visual aid when it comes to how spaces can be used. One of the ways we do this is with themed bedrooms. Families come in all shapes and sizes with a plethora of styles to boot. Sometimes that hint of inspiration lets a buyer see how their own tastes transfer to the home they’re touring. Our rooms have so much personality that the homes look like there really could be a little one roaming there.

Our master suites are typically a good balance of calming colors, soft textures, and a peaceful surround for a homeowner to lay their head at the end of the day…except that ours is for show…but for that one time when we started a stage in a VACANT home (not Millwood) and returned a few days later to discover the bed had been slept in. Ew! Adventures in staging!!!

The lower portion of this bi-level home was the balance of our stage. We visualized the area as recreation space with a little bit of something for everyone. A staging note: It took a few incarnations of this lower level before we landed on the ideal arrangement. Bottom line-if first you don’t succeed, try try again. It’s the nature of the beast and even we do it.

Overall, this home turned out simply adorable and we were thrilled to be part of the transformation. As I was writing about Millwood I actually looked up an image of the Brady Bunch house. Millwood looks surprisingly similar (minus the hills of Cali)! Totally random but,

Ahhhh, the good ole days! But one last thought… I had to Google the name of the generation that predated mine and it was a name I had never heard. Some of my online search showed that the Baby Boomers came before Generation X… other identify a subsection of the Baby Boomer era called ‘Generation Jones’ that encompassed the latter portion of the Baby Boomers. I had never heard of Generation Jones. If that’s the case, then Millwood is actually a Jones home. Knowing what they say about keeping up with the Joneses, Millwood will give its buyers many amenities that other home this age lack… and more…so the new owners will be ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ without even having to try.

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August 7, 2021July 9, 2021

A “Blooming” Home on Lilley Ave

By Jessica Pack

I find myself a creature of habit. I trend toward an existence in my own part of town. Of course, I sometimes venture past my invisible borders, but even though I have lived in central Ohio since 1987, there are still plenty of parts of the greater Columbus area I am still learning about or have not visited.

With that in mind, 587 Lilley sits in one such neighborhood. In fact, I actually had to Google the property to find out the NAME of the neighborhood! ***The little box that I live in***

587 Lilley exists in a part of Columbus called South of Main. It is an area that is a stone’s throw from Downtown and is being revitalized brick by brick. This is a perfect place to find a fixer upper for a VERY good price! It is one of those areas that has a lot of soul and it’s all up from here.

Just to keep it real, 587 is not the largest home on the block or the newest. It was built in 1900 and renovated in 2021 to new glory some 121 years after its doors first opened. It has a community garden right out the back door and the prospect of a bright future lies ahead for those who decide to call this area “Home.”

As for us, the stagers, it is our job to give it curb appeal… on the inside! There is something to be said about the practicality of easy access to your kitchen. Anyone who claims they have NOT made every effort to make only one trip with all the bags of groceries is telling stories. We have ALL waddled in loaded down with bags. Whether entering through the front or side door, both points put you in the kitchen, the heart of the home.

A popular trend these days is colored cabinetry and vinyl plank floors. Here, gray cabinets greet you upon entry and LVP flooring will surely be a very practical option with low maintenance. Seriously, who wants high maintenance in their lives?! The home was reimagined top to bottom and has gotten its very own mulligan.

This house has a newfound charm in its simplicity. With an eat-in kitchen and an island, there is still room for six to enjoy a meal. All new appliances and, well, all new everything, give this space a new beginning. We brought in decor that complimented the colors of the flooring and countertops to bring it all to one cohesive look that will definitely deliver that wow factor.

A living room with a small footprint deserved a simple solution to maximize seating. A sectional sofa and accent cubes worked like a charm and still gave plenty of walking room. Even with the many changes that took place in the home, the windows/window sizes were left the same. As it turned out they are actually perfect in their proportion. There wasn’t a room there that lacked natural light.

The next homeowner will have options galore when it comes to how they use the space. The three bedrooms offered on the second floor could easily be used as bedrooms (obviously) or used as a home office or even exercise space. The third floor was included in the renovated square footage and any little ones would love being able to scurry up there to hide.

To show how the needs of the buyer can be met in 1500 sq. feet, we had to be smart. Bedrooms are personal but we like to make them as welcoming as possible. On the flip side of that coin, we are girls who like pillows and we might, on occasion, go a little crazy with furry or bedazzled pillows. Nine pillows seemed like a good number the day we staged Lilley. We are fine with our choice and my inner princess scoffs anyone who says otherwise. Our master bedroom space was so inviting and there was even room for a reading chair. We had to be practical and our master bedroom space was made to look timeless…. classic… even with nine pillows. We are certain the new life that was given to this neighborhood and this home will resonate with just the right buyer and the vision for the area will be realized.

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July 17, 2021September 16, 2021

Ultimate Outdoor Entertaining in Southern Orchards, Columbus

By Jessica Pack

Having a working partnership with a flipper, we are sometimes asked at the last minute to stage a home. Sometimes, the request comes because the projected timelines of completion don’t happen when they are supposed to. So, we, as stagers, do what we can to accommodate.

Enter the case of 1128 E Columbus St. We received the “911” that the house was ready and needed staged yesterday! What can we do?! Get it it on the market! We need to sell! Sell! Sell!

Personally, I accept that challenge and raise my coworkers a nickel bet on how long it will take for the home to go into contract.

In this case, I had not seen this home at all prior to walking in for the stage. We will call her “Mrs. Sanctuary” took time out of her weekend to come into our warehouse to pull/pack/ prepare for the move so it was all ready for us and the movers on Monday morning.

Public images of 1128 E Columbus on the auditor website made me do a double take because this home received a MAJOR transformation. Yes, it had a wrap-around covered front porch before but now that porch is glorious AND a huge covered back deck was added. Honestly, the house itself is on the smaller side at 1346 sq ft, so having so much additional usable outdoor space had to be one of the many reasons the house was only on the market 12 days.

Inside this 1909 house, all the amenities of 2021 awaited. Everything was fresh and clean, white and grays. The kitchen/dining space was so spacious. Between the table and bar seating, we chose seating for six but there was easily room for double that should the leaves be used in the table. Having those kinds of options made that space extra user friendly.

Our goal as stagers is to give potential buyers ideas of what a home could look like. I know people who truly cannot “see” things in their mind’s eye. Call it a blessing (or a curse) that I see EVERYTHING in my mind’s eye… all the time… With the small footprint at E Columbus, we truly didn’t add all that much, but what we did add immediately created warm spaces that felt like someone lived there…someone with astounding decorating skills (wink* wink*)

The flippers exposed the brick in the living room and added a new mantle. I will call it a rich room and by that, I am referring to the color pallet. Deep browns and saturated shades of blues took the room to another level.

I was working on the 2nd floor when my coworker put this room together. My mind’s eye thought the space would be laid out in one way, while, it turned out, my coworker saw it another way. Because I had one vision in my head, I was blown away with the actual layout that had been created. It was a definite WOW moment.

In the second story, all I have to say is, “Windows, baby!” Whether the layout now is the same as the original floor plan from the 1900’s I cannot say, but the flippers did amazing work. This home took advantage of the light from all four sides of the home AND a skylight was added in the master. It was like a little paradise up there.

Here’s another stager moment: I literally went through a dozen incarnations of the decor placement on the master dresser before I was finally 100% happy. It was like one of those days when you don’t like your outfit and you proceed to grab multiple items and try on MANY before you land one you like. That happened to me the day we staged this house.

Every week we get a calendar for work which includes all upcoming stages and other work. I swear I hadn’t even recovered from being (a little bit) sore from staging this house when I saw on the calendar that it was already in contract and we would be de-staging it in days not all that far ahead. If I wasn’t still ouchy, I’d pat myself on the back on a job well done and a stage that resulted in a super fast sale. Go Sanctuary!

…on to the next! …and I forget who won the nickel.

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June 26, 2021September 16, 2021

A Fascinating Find on Fair Ave

By Jessica Pack

There’s a term, “Gay Nineties” which according to dictionary.com is ‘the 1890s in the United States, a period regarded nostalgically as a decade of prosperous comfort and associated with gaslights, early bicycles and cars, and the Gibson girl.’ While I struggle if I forget my cell phone when walking to the neighboring room, the way folks lived was, well, formal. FAR more than the norm for 2021—and even more so, with so many individuals working at home.

I held that concept in mind when we were asked to stage 1262 Fair Ave., a home built in 1890 in Columbus, Ohio. The home still had the original glass front door and I can only imagine the stories this home could tell about its “life.”

The first story I can share is that what I thought was the deadbolt, was actually the doorbell so no matter how many times I twisted it, the door would NOT come unlocked. Public records from the auditor website dating back to the early 1900’s list one of the early residents as Minnie Chilcote. As Minnie would be well into triple digits if she were alive today, her spirit likely roams the halls of 1262 Fair Ave and laughed a little bit at my failed attempt to enter her former home.

The home is now fully updated for life in the 21st century but there are still reminders throughout of the style and detail found in the Gay 90s. Pocket doors greet you as you walk in and at one time would have been able to offer privacy to those in the front living room. Kids were probably shooed away while the adults sipped a beverage. I made sure to include wine and glasses on the coffee table for that reason.

Both fireplaces in the living and dining rooms have a double mantle and tile work that blends timeless with modern. We opted to do more leaning art than hanging art to not disturb the plaster walls. I had never seen a detail like that and was glad they were not changed.

Families of today always yearn for storage and 1262 Fair retained the dining built-in hutch. Oh, the dinner parties Minnie must have thrown and the bone china that was on display inside that same cabinet. When we decorate a historic home, it’s impossible NOT to feel that connection with the past.

What was once two rooms, is now an open concept living room and kitchen with a huge bay window. The stainless appliances and white cabinetry allow natural light to flood this space with glorious sunshine-something we ALL want here in Ohio. When considering what pieces of decor to use in the kitchen, I found myself drawn to things like our vintage silver cream and sugar set or the galvanized metal planter to marry the old with the new. Those items were the perfect choices for a home whose bones are 131 years old.

On the refinished second floor, the door to each room is still capped with a transom window. While the home now boasts a current HVAC system, these transoms were yet another touch left in place to pay homage to the history of the home. Two bedrooms, the master suite, and a full bath are found on this level. The master was yet another opportunity seized to open up two rooms and create an inviting space for the new home owner. We placed the bed along a wall of windows. It welcomed you into the room which now had it’s own private full bath. Something Minnie would not have had back in her day.

The third floor was probably attic space in 1890, but today, is a fully finished room that is now a fourth bedroom.

From top to bottom, 1262 Fair Ave was a delight to decorate. The home is part of an area near downtown Columbus that is getting a lot of attention. Century old homes that are part of the story of central Ohio are being given new life and a chance to live on for another 100 years.

As an aside, when we were in the area, I found an old door knob in the gutter outside in the street. It was heavily painted and the rest of the hardware was long gone. I decided to pick it up and my inner “rehab addict” took it home and boiled it to remove the old paint. I couldn’t believe what it looked like cleaned up. Its highly ornate detail is beautiful! Did this knob come from 1262? Did Minnie once lay her hands on it to go from room to room? I will never know but it is wonderful to be part of the story.

Staged by Sanctuary Staging, Photo by JPG Media23

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June 12, 2021April 5, 2021

A Delight on Dennison

Our most recent stage took us to the Short North, just north of Downtown Columbus, filled with art galleries, fabulous food, shopping and so much more. We were hired on to stage a 2,300 square foot home with 5 bedrooms and 3 finished levels. This home was originally built in 1900 so naturally we wanted to bring out as much of its existing character in this historic home.

Starting at the front entry, we transformed a small living space into an office space, still a coveted room for homebuyers everywhere. We took inspiration from the wood tones in this century home and played it up! We finished out the space with a world map and a seating area that draws attention to the front window.

Across from the office was a designated living area. We continued to play off of the woodwork in this space.

Connected to the living room was a dining room large enough for our oversized dining table and seating for 8. What a prime spot to entertain!

This soothing blue kitchen was such a fun space to stage with its own bench to lounge and drink your morning coffee.

Our next floor to stage was the third floor, with ultimate penthouse privacy dedicated solely to the owner’s suite. We staged with a queen bed, décor around the beautiful bay window, and a cubby perfect for additional seating and a dresser. We think the calming blues and grays work perfectly in this space!

The second floor also included 4 bedrooms and a guest bath decked out in black and white, which as we all know, additional bedroom count is such a selling point.

Overall we were delighted with how this space turned out. It was warm and welcoming with spacious rooms laid out over multiple floors. We cannot wait to see it in contract!

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