In Perfect Harmony

A crafter and a musician relocate to a small town in Indiana and use their creative skills to orchestrate the makeover of a 1909 home to accommodate their artistic interests and collections.

A musician and a crafter transform a run-down Indiana residence into a welcoming haven that honors the home’s architectural heritage and reflects their varied artistic interests.

Although they had long lived in Indianapolis, Melanie and Steve Sutherlin decided to relocate to a small town about 30 minutes south of the city to be closer to their children and grandchildren. Their plan was to purchase an older home that was move-in ready. Instead, they found a 1909 charmer in Franklin, Indiana, that needed a lot of work.

Steve was instantly smitten with the home, but Melanie was initially less than enthusiastic. “He wanted it, but I didn’t,” she says. “It had a lot of good qualities, but everything needed fixed and redone.”

The residence’s favorable attributes—vintage light fixtures, original trim and French doors, and a roomy front porch—soon won Melanie over, and the couple embarked on a six-year DIY adventure to restore it. They gutted the bathrooms and kitchen, stripped “layers and layers and layers” of wallpaper, repaired plaster, replaced the furnace and electrical wiring, installed decorative ceiling features, painted, stenciled

Melanie and Steve Sutherlin updated their dining room with a distinctive coffered ceiling. Steve built it with guidance from YouTube videos. Lighting above the crown molding gives an even more dramatic effect. The unique light fixture above the antique oak dining table is a trash-picked piece that had a broken arm. A local resident told them it was originally from a Chicago hotel and dates to the 1920s. A bit of epoxy and some rewiring restored it to its former glory.