PLACES IN THE HEART

Discover how an Ohio homeowner and master gardener created a sanctuary that recalls the classic style of Colonial Williamsburg.

An Ohio couple with a love for the past enlist the help of an architectural designer to transform their vision into a home that pays homage to the classic style of Colonial Williamsburg abodes.

WWhen Terri and Ed Klinker bought land in Columbus, Ohio, in 1990, they were pioneers. The couple were among the first in the housing development to enlist an architectural designer to transform their vision into the home where they’d raise their son, Matthew. The design team expected the Klinkers to follow fashion and construct a contemporary Colonial home, but the Klinkers were dreaming of something authentic. They wanted their home to resemble the historic Brick House Tavern in Williamsburg, Virginia. “I love American history,” Terri says. “I especially love the era when our country was founded. Williamsburg is appealing because I like a village’s quaintness.”

The Klinkers’ attention to detail is inspiring. Their home appears as if it evolved over time, with multiple parts and mixed materials incorporated into the design. A pitched gable, patterned brickwork, dormers, box bay window, Chippendale porch railings, and louvered foundation grilles define the main area, which includes a living room, family room, kitchen and guest bedrooms. The master bedroom, office and garage occupy the second part of the house, which boasts white clapboards and a hooded entrance. “Even though the home is spacious, it looks small, and the neighbors call it the little house on the corner,” Terri muses.

Beyond the architecture, the Klinkers imagined a classical landscape that would promote happiness. To help create that natural appeal, Terri became a master gardener. She used those newfound skills as she set about orchestrating the property’s perennial gardens, ornamental trees, paths and fencing.

Colonial charm resonates throughout the interior, too. “I wanted the outside to look like the inside,” Terri notes. There are 9-foot ceilings, roughhewn beams, oiled pine floors, brick fireplaces, Colonial-style millwork and primitive-style lighting. Historic paint colors are catalysts for Terri’s curated decor. Each living space combines botanical themes, cherished heirlooms, and antiques gathered from barn sales and flea markets. “I consider shopping for antiques a hobby,” Terri shares. “Whenever I shop, I carry a bag filled with a notebook, paint chips, fabric swatches and measurements. This eliminates guesswork and helps me make final purchase decisions.”

Terri is also a talented seamstress and makes her own curtains and pillows. “Sewing, working with patterns and fabrics, influences design. Sewing allows you to choose fabrics and put your own personal creativity into a project. I’m able to have a vision in my mind and then create it,” she reveals. Sewing also sharpens Terri’s artistry. Her DIY projects include a kitchen island made from an antique buffet and granite countertop, stencil work in the dining area, and linen make-do chairs in the foyer and guest room.

Now that spring has arrived, you’ll find Terri tending her gardens from morning until evening. Maintaining the welcoming outdoor environment is an ongoing labor of love. There’s winter debris to remove, perennials to transplant and beauty to be made.

Mustard-yellow paint lends Colonial character to the mantelpiece and moldings in Terri and Ed Klinker’s living room. Terri appointed the inviting space with color, coordinating Robert Furber’s “Twelve Months of Fruit” prints, a camelback sofa, pottery and vintage furnishings. Their son, Matthew, posed for the folk-art portrait when he was a child.

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The red floor-to-ceiling chimney panels that distinguish the family room are a hallmark of Williamsburg style. The Klinkers designed the cabinets to house a television, electronics and board games. A camelback sofa, wing chair and blanket chest arranged around the hearth form an intimate setting. Country collectibles echo the millwork’s regal hue.

The bay window ushers sunlight into the comfortable space, where the Klinkers share meals at the barn-board table flanked by ladder-back chairs. Heirloom plates displayed above the window influence the colors in the curtains, pillows, chair pads and rug. Delicate stenciling above the chair rails carries the color in the curtains across the room. 95

Ed and Terri take in the beautiful view of their property from a primitive handcrafted bench set in the dining area’s box bay window. Olive, their terrier mix, loves to be close by the couple.