Houzz Tours
My Houzz: Bright 1924 Craftsman Beauty in Cincinnati
Original architectural features, classic style and midcentury furnishings shine in this family’s light-filled home
Fay, left, and Conlon, right, are pictured with their 8-year-old son, Eli, in their living room.
With 27 windows around the house, the home feels bright and airy. “All three of us need tons of sunlight to fuel our get-up-and-go lifestyle,” Fay says.
With 27 windows around the house, the home feels bright and airy. “All three of us need tons of sunlight to fuel our get-up-and-go lifestyle,” Fay says.
Both Fay and Conlon love the original built-in features, such as this wood cabinet next to the fireplace. “It’s one reason owning an old home can be so rewarding,” Fay says. She uses the cabinet to display a curated collection of vintage Fiestaware. The Eames rocker is also vintage.
Overall the couple’s decorating style is midcentury modern. Conlon says he naturally gravitates toward that style — growing up as the son of antiques dealers, he learned to appreciate vintage furniture. The blue Adrian Pearsall chair is a family favorite. The pink painting above the sectional is by a family friend.
Mixed in with the vintage furniture are complementary practical pieces, such as the sectional and accent pillows.
Find midcentury-style living room furniture
Mixed in with the vintage furniture are complementary practical pieces, such as the sectional and accent pillows.
Find midcentury-style living room furniture
The hardwood floors are original everywhere except the kitchen, where the couple selected new hardwood to match the old. The white chair and ottoman set are vintage.
The homeowners bought their dining table on Craigslist. “All it needed was a quick sanding and it looked as good as new,” Conlon says.
Find Windsor-style chairs
Find Windsor-style chairs
The art on the left, above, is by a homeless person who “always sits by Findlay Market, singing gospel music and playing instruments,” Fay says. The blue-and-gray painting above the vintage wood credenza is by a family friend.
The dining room light fixture has been in the family’s last three homes. The Taper stools are custom-made locally by artisans at Simple Wood Goods.
See more wood stools
See more wood stools
An Ikea shelving unit helps store a curated collection of books and plants. “I like to keep things pretty clean and minimal and have worked over the years to reduce,” Fay says. “We spend so much time on the go that it’s nice to simply relax when we are home without worrying about so much stuff.”
After. New white cabinets add storage and make the space feel more open and updated. The couple splurged on custom door trim for the kitchen to match the rest of the home. “Everything had to look original,” Fay says.
After buying the home, the couple spent a lot of time clearing out some of the previous owner’s things, including a collection of vacuum cleaners. The one thing that wasn’t cleared out was this vintage green rug, now used in the kitchen.
Cabinets: Sims-Lohman; hardware: Bona Decorative Hardware; window coverings: Smith & Noble
After buying the home, the couple spent a lot of time clearing out some of the previous owner’s things, including a collection of vacuum cleaners. The one thing that wasn’t cleared out was this vintage green rug, now used in the kitchen.
Cabinets: Sims-Lohman; hardware: Bona Decorative Hardware; window coverings: Smith & Noble
The couple removed a wall between the kitchen and dining room to add more light and an island where the family can prepare and share meals together.
They installed leathered gray granite countertops by Sims-Lohman after considering quartz. “I originally wanted quartz since they’re all the rage right now,” Fay says. “The salesperson showed me the leathered granite and I loved them — they are uncommon, much cheaper than quartz and so easy to maintain.”
Gray Owl wall paint: Benjamin Moore; metallic honeycomb glass pendants: discontinued, West Elm
Battle of the Countertops: Granite vs. Quartz
They installed leathered gray granite countertops by Sims-Lohman after considering quartz. “I originally wanted quartz since they’re all the rage right now,” Fay says. “The salesperson showed me the leathered granite and I loved them — they are uncommon, much cheaper than quartz and so easy to maintain.”
Gray Owl wall paint: Benjamin Moore; metallic honeycomb glass pendants: discontinued, West Elm
Battle of the Countertops: Granite vs. Quartz
Part of the renovations included adding a half bath on the main floor. “It was just empty space before,” Fay says. A vintage mirror hangs above the sink.
A giraffe from a local art show hangs above a piece from Puerto Rico. The bottom piece was won at a silent auction.
In the hallway is a Cincinnati needlepoint art piece that Fay got at a silent auction. She bid on the piece but lost to another bidder; she loved it so much that she ended up buying it from the winner, and it remains one of her favorite pieces.
Eli has a bright and cheery bedroom on the second floor. All of his furniture is vintage and the artwork features a collection of his creations mixed with the work of local artists and vintage pieces.
Lamp Room Gray wall paint: Farrow & Ball
Lamp Room Gray wall paint: Farrow & Ball
Both the desk and armoire are vintage. Artwork that pays tribute to the family’s roots in Ohio and love for Cincinnati are seen throughout the home, including in this gallery wall in Eli’s bedroom.
“The master bedroom is just the right size with the perfect amount of light,” Fay says. She says this is her favorite space because of its “calming” style.
Vintage table lamps on top of vintage nightstands flank the bed.
Lamp Room Gray wall paint: Farrow & Ball; Simple upholstered headboard: West Elm
Lamp Room Gray wall paint: Farrow & Ball; Simple upholstered headboard: West Elm
The couple renovated the upstairs bathroom by expanding its footprint. In order to fit the tub and shower combo, they broke down the original wall to access unused space.
Fay repainted this vintage cabinet, dug out from Conlon’s parents’ basement, to hold a collection of bath accessories.
Browse bathroom storage options
Browse bathroom storage options
A third bedroom offers space for guests and for playing video games, Fay says. All the furniture is vintage. A green-and-white shelf from Ikea holds artwork and knickknacks.
The couple love the family-friendly vibe of their Pleasant Ridge neighborhood. In front of their lawn is a custom Little Free Library made by local woodshop Brush Factory.
See more of this home
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 home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
See more of this home
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 home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
Who lives here: Erin Fay and Blake Conlon and their 8-year-old son, Eli
Location: Pleasant Ridge neighborhood of Cincinnati
Size: 1,450 square feet (135 square meters); three bedrooms, 1½ bathrooms
Year built: 1924
Erin Fay and Blake Conlon bought their 1924 Craftsman in Cincinnati after it was previously owned by a single occupant for 50 years. Fay, a real estate agent, and Conlon, a maintenance manager, acted as their own design and construction team to renovate the kitchen and bathrooms within eight weeks. “It’s a pretty traditional house, with lots of nice Craftsman features, so picking simple, classic finishes was my focus,” Fay says. “My main goal in the renovation was to put the house back to the way it was originally built.”
Gray Owl wall paint: Benjamin Moore