In the historic city of Hudson, your destination is a quintessential Victorian farmhouse beautifully decorated for the season. The house, a Folk Gothic Victorian with unusually intricate gingerbread trim, was constructed in 1876 for Colonel S.D. Harris and his wife, Marion, and was sited on a large farm, then located on the outskirts of the village of Hudson.
In the years since the home’s construction, it has undergone numerous additions and remodels. Since the current homeowners purchased it, they have spent the last year restoring and remodeling the exterior, interior, and landscaping to both modernize certain rooms and return other previously “updated” rooms to a style more sympathetic to the age and original design of the building.
As you enter through the new oak door, designed in coordination with a local carpentry specialist and the homeowner, you arrive in the entry room. The deep pink wallpaper, chosen by a previous owner, is in keeping with the design of the house and the decorative style of the homeowners, so it remains. Note the Gothic arch woodwork over the doors and windows, and the original wood floors. These design elements are repeated in various other rooms throughout the house. This room is big enough to accommodate a large tree in its center, decorated in white lights, silver and mercuryglass globes, a black-and-white plaid garland, and silhouette ornaments. Items on the antique furniture in the room and swags above the windows and doors hint at the rustic decorating theme you will see in other rooms of the house.
In the dining room, the glorious floral wallpaper is a William Morris pattern, enlarged by the House of Hackney to update a classic pattern. The room, which once served as a store for neighboring farmers, is filled with antique furniture; the blue console was found dusty and dirty in the basement and is believed to be a vintage kitchen cabinet. The table is set with Lenox Holiday Collection china. The many windows here provide enough light for plants to flourish, even in an Ohio winter.
Upstairs, you first enter a large sitting room. The exterior gables create angled roof lines in all the upstairs rooms, creating unique and cozy spaces. The tree here is simple yet elegant, with white lights and red ribbon bows. “Star Wars” portraits decorate the walls here and in the guest bedroom, and a large leather ottoman serves as a coffee table. Besides the guest bedroom, there is an office and a newly remodeled bathroom on this level.
Now down to the kitchen, which the homeowners recently renovated in a manner deemed sensitive to the age of the house. The round oak table in front of the window seat has an unusual history. It was once owned by Frances Jennings Casement, a suffragette from Painesville, who was a key leader of Ohio’s early women’s rights movement. The dark green cabinets, made by Amish craftsmen, are duplicated in the laundry/mud room located down the hall. Classic kitchen décor, including the apron-front sink, honed marble countertops, and brass sink and lighting fixtures, creates a sophisticated room that fits seamlessly in a historic home.
Down the hall, past a large deck, you enter the primary bedroom. This room was one of the many additions to the house. The homeowners took care to return historic details, bringing the room back in time and keeping it in the style of the original front rooms. A vintage “Cleveland Plain Dealer” wagon full of Christmas presents sits in one corner, and the tallboy dresser, nightstands, and bedside lamps are among the antiques in the room. Be sure to peek into the newly renovated ensuite bathroom with its Carrara marble countertop and marble subway tile floor.
On to the living room, one of the rooms original to the house, with original wood floors. Matching green velvet sofas situated across from each other provide comfortable seating for reading, chatting, or simply sitting by the fire. The TV located above the fireplace is cleverly disguised as classic paintings. The homeowners added a wall of bookcases behind one sofa, and a wall of art above the other, to personalize the space. Off this room, an office features another wall of bookcases for reading material.
As you exit through the sunroom with its rattan furniture, one last tree decorated in a timeless fashion bids you farewell to this distinctive Victorian residence.