Elevated Home Marble Cliff house revamped with accessibility in mind

When moving all the way from Los Angeles to Ohio in 2021, Rich Newcome and Mark Enos wanted to make sure the renovations to their Marble Cliff home were executed properly.

With the help of J.S. Brown, Newcome says they made renovations that not only allow them to easily get around the house but also to add their own personal style.

Elevator access

Since Enos is a wheelchair user and Newcome’s 91-year-old mother, Yvonne, is living with them, accessibility was a major focus of the renovations.

Adding an elevator that could reach all three floors of the more than 7,000-squarefoot home was a must and J.S. Brown Sales

Consultant Tony Hudson says the hardest part was finding a spot to put it.

“We needed to be able to get access from the basement, first floor and second floor without disrupting a lot of space,” Hudson says.

The basement and second floor were easy since there wasn’t anything to move. On the first floor, however, they had to move the laundry room into an empty room across the hall to make space.

Although it required additional plumbing in the new room and some reconfiguration of the old space, Hudson says it allowed them to build the elevator inside the existing building without needing to change the footprint of the house.

Shifting and simplifying

With a big focus on accessibility, several other parts of the home were renovated to make them more ADA-compliant.

This meant adding extra space in bathrooms and bedrooms as well as turning bathtubs into walk-in showers with wallmounted folding seats for example.

The basement saw some major improvements with the addition of a wine storage room and kitchenette, making the originally empty space a livelier and functional one.

While reconfiguring the upstairs master bedroom, J.S. Brown was able to give the couple a large walk-in closet that is easy for Enos to get around and doubles as a mini-lounge area for Newcome to relax.

Throughout much of the rest of the house, many of the other rooms saw little change but Newcome says they wanted to update a few things.

“We wanted to kind of simplify it. It was a little fussy,” Newcome says.

With some fresh paint and the addition of their furniture, places like the living room, spare bedrooms and bathrooms were transformed into more inviting spaces that reflected all three members of the family.

The couple’s contemporary aesthetic sensibilities made each room more inviting and visually pleasing. Where the house once had wallpaper, curtains and bedspreads that matched, Enos and Newcome opted for solid-painted walls and a more balanced distribution of color. Patterned trim outlines certain rooms, but is never overbearing or too much to look at.

Natural light complements the gentle, yet dynamic tones that now adorn the walls. Each room of the house follows the same cohesive design philosophy, which reduced the visual impact of a given space and creates a charming environment.

Changes to come

Although many of their projects have been completed, Newcome says there are a few more adjustments they are hoping to make with J.S. Brown’s help.

Just off the basement sits a back patio space that they hope to enclose to make a beautiful spot for summer hangouts. Newcome says they hope to also install a hanging bed for lounging in warmer weather.

Around the corner from the new basement kitchenette sits a few unfinished rooms. Although Newcome and Enos have yet to decide what they want there, they are excited about the possibility of turning one into a movie theater.

Karas is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at rkaras@cityscenemediagroup.com.

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