Most people have some kind of lifestyle change after their children are grown. For Diana and Tommaso Ciaffoncini, that change was moving out of Worthington, the neighborhood where they had lived in four different homes and raised their family, and moving into Downtown.
They had looked at a few buildings but really fell in love with the Brunson Building.
“It was a drastic change,” says Tommaso. “Cement. Steel.”
“We were one of the first people to sign on [to live in the building],” says Diana. “We have everything we used to in a smaller version. I’m very happy here.”
When the opportunity arose to move their business Origo Branding Co. to the ground floor, the couple did it without hesitation. It gave them the chance to really have all of their life Downtown.
“I love the fact we live where we live,” says Diana. “We walk everywhere and live entirely right here. We enjoy all of the restaurants in the area, the parks, the riverfront, everything in the Short North…it’s great to be a part of developing this community.”
Tommaso appreciates the diversity that Downtown offers. “It’s easy to make friendships here.”
The couple designed the 2100 square foot, 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo themselves. Tommaso had a Murphy bed built into the wall in the library to accommodate guests. The glass walls allow light to pass through yet provide privacy when guests are visiting.
In nice weather, they love to spend time on the balcony. A sitting area looks over the east side of Columbus and provides a wonderful view of the sunrise. When the weather is hotter, they are able to open windows on both ends of the home to provide a cooling breeze.
They have plenty of space to entertain friends and love to do so. Cooking is a passion for Diana. She volunteers for Dress for Success and put together a cookbook that promotes eating healthy and economically.
The couple are particularly fond of the way architect Jonathan Barnes blended old and new in his redesign of the building. “The contrast is what we like,” says Tommaso. It reminds him of they way buildings are designed in Paris.