This time we wander over to Woodland Park to tour the home of Matthew Arnold and Scott Ramsey. Woodland Park bills itself as Columbus’ Best Kept Secret, boasting many big, beautiful homes of exquisite architecture and two beautiful neighborhood boulevards that provide lush green spaces. The neighborhood is located in the Near East Side of Columbus and has also been called the “North Gateway to Franklin Park.” The proximity to Franklin Park and Wolfe Park are things Matthew and Scott both really like, as it gives them ample areas to walk their two dogs, Polu and Dusty.
Scott bought the 3,000 square foot, 4 bedroom, 2 full baths, 2 half baths, and finished attic home in April of 2002. The home was built in 1905. He was looking for a home with old, historic charm without the price of German Village. They have done lots of the work of restoring the home themselves, keeping true to the Victorian and Arts & Crafts look to the house, while adding some contemporary aspects. The floors and stairs are all original, as is the stained glass window at the mid-stair landing. As you walk up to the house, you are greeted by beautiful stained glass panels in the front door, added in the 1950s.
For furniture, they like to shop at stores like Crate and Barrel and Z Gallerie, but they have also found some of their favorite pieces in Amish Country. The china cabinet comes from the Amish community in Nashville, Ohio. It is a gorgeous piece of furniture that really adds a rich feel to the dining room.
Matthew’s favorite room is the kitchen. He enjoys cooking – redesigning the kitchen was his favorite room to do. They worked with Kitchen Kraft to design the layout and do the construction. Construction was completed in only four weeks, and that was with a last minute change to add another cabinet/countertop instead of a window bench seat. After it was finished, they were glad to have the extra counter space as it makes working in the kitchen together very enjoyable.
The couple also likes to garden and has redesigned their backyard to serve many different functions. There is plenty of room for the dogs, places for vegetables such as tomatoes, chives and cucumbers, room to entertain and a spot to compost.
One of Scott’s favorite additions was the half bathroom they put in to the right of the stairs. It has really made a difference to the layout of the house. They worked with a company that had it done in only two weeks. A true attest that you can really fit a half bathroom anywhere, and it can be beautiful!
They also like to collect art. They have a sculpture that came from the Grandview Mercantile in the Short North. They also have a painting they won at “Art for Life,” a biennial fundraiser of the Columbus Aids Task Force. Last year it took place in the old City Center space. They won the painting “Purple Haze” by Karen Alles, a local artist from Powell, Ohio. The painting looks great with the southwest influences throughout the house. Scott is from Arizona and has works from southwest artists that remind him of home.
If you would like to find out more about Woodland Park, visit their Neighborhood Association website. It offers lots of homes for sale that are very close to downtown.