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living
Photos courtesy of Griffey Remodeling
On the Waterfront
Westerville renovation fundamentally changes house’s function and views
From August 2021 to this past March, Anthony Guglielmi, owner of Back to Basics Movement and Training in Westerville, and his family have been living through a massive remodeling project by Griffey Remodeling.
Built by Guglielmi’s grandparents in the 1970s, the home had stayed largely the same for nearly 50 years. However, Guglielmi felt that the current floor plan had been restricting the family’s enjoyment of the home and surrounding area.
“It was choppy on the main floor and, being on the water, we wanted to maximize our view,” Guglielmi says.
Before the renovation, the main floor had been separated into three distinct areas: the kitchen, dining room and living room. The layout made it much more difficult for people to interact face to face and enjoy one another’s company. To remedy this, the main floor was transformed from a series of disconnected rooms to one large room that merges everything together.
“We do a lot of cooking and food prep, so it allows us to all be in the same area together all the time,” Guglielmi says.
The remodel has also made it easier for the family to entertain friends. Guests can choose to be in the kitchen or take a seat on one of their new swivel armchairs, and have no issues interacting. Storage space in the new island allows for easy access to drinks.
The family also spends much more time listening to music from the built-in ceiling speaker system and enjoying the waterfront view through their window wall.
“I love the amount of natural light that comes in,” Guglielmi says. “We’re spending most of our time looking and checking out the wildlife.”
The family is also extremely happy with the addition of the mudroom, which has helped to decrease the clutter in the main room, he says. “It’s pretty much perfect,” Guglielmi says.
Though Guglielmi now wishes he had Griffey install a remote blind system for the windows to further improve the view, he and his family are, on the whole, very pleased with the results.
“Living through a major renovation like that was very difficult with kids and dogs,” Guglielmi says. “But Griffey Remodeling did a great job with communication and everything went smoothly.”
After the first renovation was completed, the family also decided to remodel their back patio. Once made of brick, the patio is now composed of wood and prominently features a garden in the surrounding area. Lighting built into the staircase adds to the modern atmosphere during the evening.
Connor Quinn is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
