Photography by Kyle Haines
South Fifth Street
Home of Lori Fry
Haus und Garten Tour 2022
Home of Lori Fry
Haus und Garten Tour 2022
When I decided I wanted to live in German Village, there wasn't much on the market. One rainy Saturday in February, there were 2 open houses. One on Sycamore that was completely renovated, and this house. I went to the Sycamore property first. Then I walked into this house and immediately knew this was the house for me.
The sled in my front room is one of just a few artifacts from my mom's childhood. It has to be 70 years old by now. Her dad painted her name - Nancy - on the planks in red paint. He passed away at age 47 - she was 17 at the time. Whenever she spoke about her dad, I could feel the sense of love she had for him and wistfulness for more time with him. There is probably more meaning in that sled than I will ever know. I never considered a child's sled an object of art - but it is home in the living room with my other favorite pieces of art.
I opted for an accent wall in the dining room where my favorite Donald Roberts painting hangs. I love the contrast of the blue wall with the yellows and lighter colors of the painting.
I love art that challenges, and looks different every time I view it. I have some whimsical pieces by Taos artist Santiago Perez. Julienne Byrne's "Man in Boat with Shoes" is an interesting piece - a friend carried him, wrapped in bubble wrap, from Columbus to my then-home in Florida - through Atlanta airport - I suppose he rode in the overhead bin for most of the trip. (with apologies to Julienne) - this was a sneaky purchase, so when my husband (ex) asked where it came from, without thinking, I told him I found it at TJ Maxx.
I love art that challenges, and looks different every time I view it. I have some whimsical pieces by Taos artist Santiago Perez. Julienne Byrne's "Man in Boat with Shoes" is an interesting piece - a friend carried him, wrapped in bubble wrap, from Columbus to my then-home in Florida - through Atlanta airport - I suppose he rode in the overhead bin for most of the trip. (with apologies to Julienne) - this was a sneaky purchase, so when my husband (ex) asked where it came from, without thinking, I told him I found it at TJ Maxx.
The home is a little quirky as the master bedroom is in the middle of the house. I struggled with that early on, and engaged Nicholson Construction to design a master plan that included relocation of the master bedroom and bathroom, an overhaul of the kitchen and updates to my sunroom - my office today. Phase 1 of the plan is complete: reconfiguring the kitchen area and breakfast room, removing closets and walls to open up the area from the front entry to the kitchen, raising the ceilings, and re-theming from 90's purple to a more contemporary look and feel. The dining room used to be completely separate from the kitchen (there was actually a door into the kitchen). There was also a coat closet to the left of the kitchen entry door. Inside the kitchen, there was a brick wall that ran the entire length of the kitchen. This separated the kitchen from a breakfast room. The entry to the basement was in this room. There was a laundry room in the kitchen. So the kitchen space was much narrower than it is today. We removed the coat closet and removed the brick wall. We enlarged the kitchen area width by about 5 feet, which required us to put a trap door over the basement stairs. We also eliminated soffits in the kitchen which raised the ceiling height another 14". A new butler's pantry occupies the remaining space from the original breakfast room. The dining room and kitchen now flow together nicely and the entire space is much more open.
Instead of a laundry room, the washer and dryer are enclosed in a large cabinet with a walnut top that complements the counters in the butler's pantry and floating shelves in the kitchen. Most of the cabinets are in the butler's pantry - which also makes the kitchen feel much more open.
I am a management consultant with Deloitte's Government & Public Services organization. Most of my work is related to digital transformation and cyber. I have been very fortunate to have a local client - so my commute is a healthy 5 minute drive or 20 minute walk when the weather permits.
Built in 1890. It was originally on the Jaeger farm. My understanding is that the land in this part of GV was carved out of the original farm and given to Jaeger's children for their homes. Hal and Lenore Schneiderman purchased the home 50 years ago for $25k. As Lenore relayed the story to me, she was driving down 5th street and the children of the deceased owners were outside. She approached them and offered $25 cash purchase. which they accepted. Over the years, they build on to the original structure, connected the garage to the main house (the room that is now my office), and added the carriage house. I believe the major renovation (resulting in the house I purchased) was done around 1994. They lived in the house for 45 years before it was listed in 2018. There was a ceramic placard on the front door with the Schneiderman's name on it. For the first year I lived here, I just couldn't take it down out of deference for the time they lived here and all of the love and care they put into it. When I did finally take it down, I gave it to Lenore. She laugned a little that I was so sentimental about it - which I appreciated.
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I love the character of the different spaces in the house and knew I could put my own style into it without having to un-do anything. It's also unique with an attached 2.5 car garage and carriage house - which I love My kids are adults now and I wanted a space where we could be together and not on top of each other all of the time. Fifth St. is quiet and feels like the heart of the area. It was a little above my price range so I decided to step back. A few weeks later, I saw the price dropped to within my range - and I couldn't believe it hadn't sold. I made an offer and that was that.
Some of my favorite things to do in GV include tennis at Schiller Park when you can get a court, tapas at Barcelona, and taking long walks to enjoy the uniqueness of the houses and gardens
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I was looking for a rescue dog and was directed to Tattered Paws and Golden Hearts - a Turkey-based rescue. These beautiful animals are often abandoned and the local rescue brings them to a place called The Garden, where they are cared for until adopted. I found "Bess" among the list of rescues up for adoption. It took a few months to bring her here (vetting of us, medical passport for her). This girl, found in a dump with a hole in her neck, traveled 8 hours from the Garden (I believe near the Syrian border) to Istambul, 11 hours in the air to Chicago, and 7 hours in the car with me to Columbus. I cried when she came out of her crate at o'Hare - she was 26 pounds lighter, missing lots of fur - pretty rough. I could only imagine how scary it must have been for her - long van ride, long flight, unfamiliar sounds, people, cargo hold, etc. (no wonder she barks at and chases trucks and helicopters) Then a car ride in the middle of the night in the back of my Volvo. But she was perfect from the moment she stepped out of her crate. She reminds me every day that there is always hope and positive change can come out of nowhere
My mother loved German Village and wanted to live here. I remember her taking my sister and I to the Brown Bag Deli and then to Schiller for Shakespeare in the Park. Many fond memories with my family at Schmidt's when Schnickel Fritz played - and also at Deibel's with Glen and Esther. She passed away the same year my daughter graduated from Upper Arlington. So it was time for me to move out of the suburbs and I couldn't think of a better place to be. Some of my parents ashes are in my Hydrangea bed (mom's favorite flower). Everything about this place reminds me of my mom and the memories we made.
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HOUSE 783 South Fifth Street ISSUE XVIII
