ADVERTISEMENT

    At Home: Sunny Space Near Grandview

    When Omar Noory walked into the sunny 600 square foot apartment near Grandview, he knew he liked it. He had been wanting a place in Harrison West, Victorian Village or Grandview and this apartment fit the bill. It had hardwood floors, big windows for lots of natural light, and plenty of character in the wood trim. The size was great for him and his cat. Omar moved to Columbus from Cincinnati to attend the Columbus College of Art and Design. It was there that he met Jen Adrion, who would later become his girlfriend and business partner for These Are Things, their modern map design company.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    The Hamilton Parker Company“Just as I got everything the way I wanted and all of the boxes unpacked, Jen got in a bind and needed to move in,” said Omar. So into his perfect bachelor pad, moved his girlfriend, her cat and all of her boxes. Then on top of that, These Are Things was starting to take off and what would be the dining room became their home office. A desk behind their living room sofa became a shipping center. There was a lot of map and map shipping supplies building up.

    Finally, they went started working with a fulfillment house, Inquiry Systems and were able to just focus on designing things at home. “They have saved our lives and gave us our apartment back,” exclaimed Jen.

    The colorful modern maps definitely showcase what the interior of their home looks like. The living room is open and welcoming. Things that are cherished are on display.

    Their business mantra -if it’s not something they would hang on their wall, they won’t make it- has really helped them pare down their belongings to only the essential items that make them happy and get creative thoughts flowing.

    One of their newest acquisitions, a hanging display of a typewriter keyboard, was something Jen spotted at Tigertree and mulled over before going back to get it. It hangs in a prominent space in the hall.

    Their walls are filled with personal art. Some is by them, some is by friends and some are things they’ve found that they like.

    When shopping for home items, they enjoy cb2, West Elm, IKEA. The display shelves were salvaged from a discarded Ann Taylor seasonal display.

    Jen and Omar are a one car household and use their bicycles a lot to get around. Having their office in their home can be both a blessing and a curse because they find themselves working often and sometimes late. However, hunkering down inside their home is something they enjoy. When they do go out, some of their favorite dining spots include The Jury Room and Tasi Cafe for weekend brunch.

    Living in Columbus has served them well. They have family close by. They enjoy taking drives and photographing the gorgeous nature scenes you can find close to Columbus. They have great connections to the community here and have been giving back a portion of their profits to charitable organizations. They love traveling for inspiration and feel Columbus is a great home to come back to.

    “The cost of living can’t be beat,” said Jen. That factor has allowed them to make it as artists doing something they love. They agreed that Columbus has so much culture and things to do that it is a great place for an art business. They’ve been doing a great job showcasing to the world their wonderfully designed products coming from Columbus, Ohio.

    To read more about Jen and Omar’s business These Are Things, read my story about them on The Metropreneur.

    At Home is a monthly column on Columbus Underground focused on urban home remodeling and style as well as older home renovations and unique homes in Columbus. If you would like to have your home featured in the At Home series, please send me an email at [email protected].

    The Hamilton Parker Company[At Home is sponsored by The Hamilton Parker Company. Located in Columbus, Delaware and Cincinnati. The Columbus Showroom, open to the public and located at I-670 and Leonard Avenue, features brick & stone, ceramic tiles, garage doors and fireplaces for your home and landscaping projects. Currently, there is a fall sale on Hardscape Retail and other promotions are Ragno Boardwalk and Calabria 13×13 Porcelain Tiles 20% off until 12/31/2011. Click here for current promotions or stop by their showroom. M-F 8-5pm, Sat 8-noon, Extended hours Tue & Thur 5-7pm]

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Subscribe

    More to Explore:

    At Home: Reframing the Home Build Model with PANL

    When Erin and Carlin Guthrie started their panelized home...

    At Home: History Preserved at Columbus’ Kelton House

    The 10,000-square-foot Kelton House at 586 E. Town St....

    At Home: Old World Charm in Clintonville

    For Sylvia Zamora, storied, collected style is practically in...

    At Home: A Piece of Columbus History, Preserved

    Longtime Central Ohio residents likely remember Lazarus, the formerly-famed...

    Grandview Breaks Ground on New City Services Building

    Representatives with the City of Grandview Heights formally broke...
    Anne Evans
    Anne Evanshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-evans/
    Anne Evans is the Co-Founder and Director of Operations for The Metropreneur and Columbus Underground. She regularly contributes feature stories on both sites, as well as Mega Weekend each week. She has started and grown businesses, created experiences, forged community partnerships, and worked to create opportunities for others. She loves meeting new neighbors and those making an impact in our community. Want to connect?
    ADVERTISEMENT