A stone’s throw away from Mariemont’s charming town square, just behind a towering four-story-and-growing oak tree, sits no ordinary condo.
It’s an extraordinary condominium owned by a man who pays attention to the minutiae.
“This is a dedicated homeowner who is committed to detail,” says Rick Greiwe, president of Greiwe Development, one of the business partners behind the condominium community, which has now grown to four buildings. “He went above and beyond to get craftsmen involved and obtain authentic material to give the unit a historic look.”
When interior designer Judy Holland, of Greiwe Interiors, and the homeowner began planning for the kitchen, there were two primary goals. First, the homeowner is 6’4” tall so the cabinetry is a bit taller than typical—especially the bar area.
Second, since it was going to be open to the hearth room and the rest of the home, “We didn’t want the kitchen to feel too kitcheny,” she says. Much effort was made by all involved to make each cabinet, leg or trim piece to be of fine-furniture quality.
When it came to outfitting the closets and pantry, the homeowner knew where to turn—German manufacturer, Studio Becker. “I had a good experience with them earlier working on a home in Michigan and another in Florida,” he says. So there was no hesitating when it came time to order the closet shelving and cabinetry for this place. But the collaboration came with an unexpected bonus.
“Basically, I made a mistake,” the homeowner says. “I ordered too many cabinets based on an early version of the floor plan—it was a very expensive mistake. I was really down and didn’t know what I was going to do with the extra cabinets. Judy suggested using them in the pantry. With a few modifications they worked perfectly. Now the pantry is a focal point rather than a closet full of can goods.”
“Judy deserves a lot of credit,” says the homeowner. “I had a good idea. She had a good idea. Sometimes it went my way, sometimes hers. But we ended up with things neither of us would have thought up on our own in the first place.”
Another person who was heavily involved in many of the creative decisions including the design of the hearth room’s herringbone floor, the powder room’s limestone and wood parquet floor, and the placement of most of the artwork, was someone the homeowner began dating during the planning and construction phase of the home.
This creative collaboration of the minds—between developer, architect, craftsmen, designer, homeowner, and now, his fiancée all came together beautifully resulting in a well-built, well-designed, one-of-a kind home that has the bonus of being just around the corner from the Mariemont Theatre and Graeter’s.