A Rental to Renovation in Columbus, OH

It isn’t unusual for people to test out products before buying them — glasses, clothing, cars — but buying a house is usually a leap of faith. For Stephanie Hayward and her husband Brandon Pence, renting a house for four years was how they found their home in Columbus, OH.

Stephanie attended Ohio State University in Columbus and Brandon moved shortly after completing his graduate program at University of Michigan. They fell in love with the city and chose to live in a developing neighborhood close to downtown with a lot of new restaurants and shops and only a short bike ride to work. Both Stephanie and Brandon are trained architects, but Brandon found his path in web design and development three years ago, while Stephanie practices architecture as part owner of a local firm. They rented a four-bedroom house for four years until one Sunday morning their landlord, who was working on repairs that had broken the night before, offered to sell the house to them. “We thought it was an outrageous idea at first, but then realized that it’s not every day you get to test drive a house for four years before deciding to buy it.” With experience under their belt, Stephanie and Brandon knew exactly how they wanted to transform their rental into a home. They dove right in with a construction loan and a six-month deadline from the bank. The house was completely gutted and they had to move out for a portion of the renovation. “Even though we met our deadline and the contractors were out in six months, it probably took a full year before the house really started to feel like home.”

Stephanie and Brandon have been thoughtful with distributing their space. At just over 1,000 square feet, every inch counts. In the rental, a half bath and laundry took up over half of the kitchen. During the renovation, they increased the size of the bedroom closet, adding in a stacked washer and dryer, and moved the half bath under the stairs, making each of the spaces more useable. While out of the house during the renovation, they took time to assess what they needed and what they could live without. “We have been very conscious of keeping clutter to a minimum. Part of the reason our house feels so much bigger now is because we got rid of so much stuff!” These simple changes maximized the living space and transformed the house into exactly what Stephanie and Brandon had envisioned. —Bethany

Photography by Megan Leigh Barnard

SOURCE LIST

Living Room
Wall Paint – Sherwin Williams 7668 March Wind
Trim Paint – Sherwin Williams 7005 Pure White (typical everywhere)
Window Panels – Made by Stephanie’s mom with fabric by Robert Allen
Ceiling Fan – Modern Fan Company – Ball Fan
Sofa – Gus Modern Jane Loft Bi-Sectional in Totem Storm
Pillows – Target
Large rug – West Elm
Coffee Table – West Elm
Entry rug – Target
Bookshelves – IKEA EXPEDIT (now replaced by KALLAX)
Bookshelf Baskets – IKEA
Shoe Storage – IKEA
Yellow Shelf – IKEA
Credenza – Vintage Broyhill Brasilia
Vase (on Credenza) – Crate and Barrel
Blue Tray – Crate and Barrel
Coffee Table – West Elm
TV Stand – IKEA BESTA
Chair – Hans Wegner Shell Chair
Floor Lamp – IKEA
Basket – World Market
Coral throw – World Market
Jack Accent – Home Goods
Clock – Crate and Barrel

Powder Room 
Wallpaper – MissPrint
Sink – Duravit
Mirror – IKEA
Sconce – onefortythree
Toilet Accessories – Delta Trinsic
Faucet – Delta Trinsic
Basket – Home Goods
Rug – Home Goods
Towel – Target

Kitchen
Wall Paint –Sherwin Williams 7668 March Wind
Accent wall paint – Sherwin Williams 6990 Caviar 
Trim and Cabinet Paint –Sherwin Williams 7005 Pure White
Cabinets & Hardware – IKEA
Dining Light – West Elm
Dining table and chairs – West Elm
Rug – Rugs USA
Window Treatments – fabric by Robert Allen
Knife Magnet – IKEA
Table Runner – Target
Wall Art – These are Things
Utensil Holder – Target
Marble fruit stand – Crate and Barrel
Dog Bowls and Stand – Home Goods
Dog Bowl Placemat – Columbus Museum of Art Store
Art Glass on shelves – Vintage
Wood bowl and Candlesticks – Vintage
Milk Glass – Vintage
Art print – These are Things

Bedroom
Wall Paint – Sherwin Williams 6244 Naval
Nightstands – West Elm
Lamps – World Market
Rug –  World Market
Drapery /Pillow Fabric – Nate Berkus
Coordinate Fabric – Nate Berkus (both made by Stephanie’s mom)
Mirror –  IKEA
Ceiling Fan – Modern Fan Company – Ball Fan (with light kit)
Felted Loops Pillow – DIY by Stephanie
Bench – DIY by Brandon

Office
Wall Paint – Sherwin Williams 7674 Peppercorn
Desks – IKEA (table top, legs, filing cabinet)
Shelves – Lowes
Shelf Brackets – The Container Store
Shelf Storage – IKEA, Target, Crate and Barrel
Rug – old, Rugs USA
Chair – Vintage Baumritter Rocker (cushions made by Stephanie’s Mom)
Blanket – made by Brandon’s Mom

Bathroom
Wall Paint – Sherwin Williams 6227 Meditative 
Bathtub – Rubix Maax
Bath fixtures – Moen Align
Shower Curtain – West Elm
Shower Rod – Amazon
Bath Mat – IKEA
Bath Rug – At Home
Vanity – IKEA GODMORGON and ODENSVIK sink
Faucet – Moen Align
Mirror – IKEA Stockholm Mirror
Sconces – Shades of Light
Dresser – NORDLI Series from IKEA
Floor Tile – Carrera Marble Hex Tile from Floor and Decor
Wall Tile – Subway Tile from Hamilton Parker

from Design*Sponge http://www.designsponge.com/2017/02/a-rental-to-renovation-in-columbus-oh.html

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/157196688064