Come Back

This 1840s Tallmadge farmhouse has been in the owners’ family for decades. But over the years it had been modernized to the point that its historical roots were obscured. When a hole in the roof left water damage, the homeowners were ready to renovate — and rethink the interior design. They sought out Karen Starr, co-owner and lead interior designer at Hazel Tree Design Studio in Akron, and Kent-based Paino Architects & Builders to restore the home’s historic charm while adding a few updated elements.

“They wanted to honor the structure for what it was 170-some years ago,” Starr says.

When workers removed weather-ravaged drywall and carpeting, they exposed original hand-hewn beams and hardwood floors. The owners loved the warm natural woods and wanted a design that not only showcased those rustic features but also repurposed wood salvaged from demolishing two-thirds of the second floor and a staircase to make way for a vaulted living room, kitchen and dining room.

“The homeowners are passionate about the environment,” Starr says. “They take extra steps in everything they do to be environmentally conscious.”

Some poplar and white oak floorboards and joists found a second life in a new staircase built at the far end of the living room. “We built into the staircase some drawers because storage is limited in an old farmhouse — there’re no closets,” Starr says.

Other salvaged wood pieces, planed smooth, top dining room window seats, a dining table and kitchen cabinetry. The tabletop was stained espresso before it was finished in a food-safe sealant also applied to the countertops. Starr points out how a grid of joists left over the kitchen from the demo became framework for a contemporary light fixture.

“We drilled through some of the crossbeams and ran the cabling through,” she says.

Paino carpenters used rustic cladding culled from a collapsing 1840s barn on the property to build dining room pantry doors — hung appropriately on sliding barn door hardware — as well as master bedroom nightstands and a large armoire.

Starr kept things fresh with locally made pieces such as Akron artist Sara Edwards’ throw pillows on the living room sofa, all stitched from reclaimed Turkish kilim rugs, and North Canton carpenter Michael McAlear’s live-edge wood-and-glass side table. The table especially ties together the modern-farmhouse aesthetic.

“The homeowners really wanted this home to feel like there are elements of 1840 to today in it,” Starr says.