BUYING A HOUSE is already a stressful experience. Now, imagine making that enormous decision based solely on video tours while living more than a thousand miles away. Such was the case for Jeff and Eliza Widelski. The Colorado residents of eight years decided last winter that the time had come for them to stop renting. They wanted to purchase a home, but they felt the Centennial State wasn’t a good fit. “Colorado real estate had skyrocketed,” Jeff says. “That led our circle of friends to leave, and we were left there alone. We found that familiarity and people we knew were very important to us.”

Landing on Indy as their new home wasn’t totally random. Jeff was born in Northern Indiana, and he had lived downtown in the late ’90s. With Eliza’s family north of Chicago, Indy made sense. The comparatively low Hoosier home prices and cost of living were also appealing. Conducting the home search from so far away, they put a lot of trust in their Realtor, Natalie Clayton of Maywright Property Co., who went above and beyond by capturing detailed videos of prospective homes and sending them to the Widelskis back in Colorado.

And then they saw it—a 1910 Holy Cross beauty with tasteful updates, a great front porch, and classic curb appeal. The couple share an affinity for older homes, so “it popped off the page to us,” Jeff says. They spent hours “touring” the neighborhood on Google Maps and falling in love via Street View. The stress was worth it, according to Eliza. “It all came together perfectly,” she says. “Holy Cross feels much more suburban and closeknit, and it has good walkability.” And compared to Colorado? “People are a lot more friendly here,” Eliza says.

FAVORITE FEATURE
The front porch

PURCHASE DATE
February 2024

NEIGHBORHOOD
Holy Cross

SQUARE FOOTAGE
2,526

The post A Long-Distance Relationship appeared first on Indianapolis Monthly.

IF YOU KNOW where to look, you’ll find them sprinkled throughout Indy: hidden-gem neighborhoods filled with well-maintained homes, nearby amenities, and vibrant communities. For Madeline and Collin Noll, East Avalon Hills was the perfect—albeit unexpected—place that checked every box on their wish list. And it was right under their noses all along.

Both were born and raised on the north side. Their families still live in the area, so it made sense to settle there after selling their home in Louisville. They wanted a house with room to grow into, a big yard for their big pup (a cutie named Miller), an office for Madeline, and ample storage.

After a months-long search, Realtor Robbin Edwards sent them a 1970 colonial revival. “There were only two previous owners, and the house was in pristine condition,” Madeline says. Plus, the half-acre lot felt too good to be true. They submitted an offer immediately.

In no time at all, the couple has fallen in love with the neighborhood. “It’s a very warm, friendly, family-oriented neighborhood. Many homeowners have been here 20-plus years, and everyone greets each other,” Madeline says. “Plus, we love being so close to the interstate and the amazing amenities the north side has to offer.”

FAVORITE FEATURE
The huge backyard

PURCHASE DATE
February 2024

NEIGHBORHOOD
East Avalon Hills

SQUARE FOOTAGE
2,700

The post Hidden Treasure appeared first on Indianapolis Monthly.

IT’S A STORY that seems straight out of Hollywood—lifelong friends purchasing a duplex together and living side by side. But this story didn’t play out on the big screen; it happened in Indy’s Willard Park, where Elizabeth Anderson and Vicky Morrow are living out their dream.

Friends since they were 18, the Tennessee transplants were roommates many times over the years. They liked living together and understood one another’s quirks. When Elizabeth returned to the Circle City from Korea, she moved in with Vicky and her husband, Sam, while she house hunted. The arrangement was supposed to be temporary, but a wild real estate market sent that plan asunder. The friends had long joked about buying some land and living together, but when Elizabeth suggested a duplex in all seriousness, the Morrows agreed without hesitation.

Their wish list was straightforward: It had to be move-in ready and have HVAC, and the laundry room could not be in the basement. Their friend and Realtor, Lee Bailey, helped them navigate the drastically low inventory. After touring a “terrible” duplex, Elizabeth asked Lee to show them a lovely remodel they’d been monitoring, which was made even more enticing by a recent price cut. “We all liked it right away,” Vicky says. “It was nicer and bigger than any other duplex we’d looked at.” They’ve already implemented new traditions, like their “Monday Rot,” where they order takeout, watch a show, and relax. Future plans include adding a patio for hangouts and building a secret bookshelf door to connect the two spaces.

FAVORITE FEATURE
The remodeled bathrooms

PURCHASE DATE
March 2024

NEIGHBORHOOD
Willard Park

SQUARE FOOTAGE
1,800 on each side

The post Friendly Neighbors appeared first on Indianapolis Monthly.

INDIANA LANDMARKS has a soft spot for homes of a certain age. The private historic preservation organization’s website and bimonthly magazine, Indiana Preservation, showcase exceptional old structures around the state—from a former automotive building with concrete floors and roll-up garage doors for days to a modernist stunner by Lake Michigan—that make DIY homebuyers dream big. Mark Dollase, Indiana Landmarks’ vice president of preservation services, explains that they have “an ongoing relationship” with the properties they acquire (following a lengthy vetting process) that goes beyond the sale of the house. “We attach what are called ‘protective covenants’ to the deed of the property to make sure that it’s maintained over a long period of time and doesn’t become a demolition threat again in five years,” he says. “We will be looking out for that property for decades.” Ready for a fixer-upper that’s not a quick flip? These diamonds in the rough from Indiana Landmarks are for sale as of press time and still standing strong, proof that they just don’t build them like that anymore.

HORNER HOUSE, BEVERLY SHORES Designed by renowned Swiss architect Otto Kolb in 1949, this idyllic wonder with views of Lake Michigan consists of three buildings: the three-bedroom main house with its living room cantilevered over a ravine, a guesthouse, and a one-car garage. $924,900 

504 E. O&M AVE., NORTH VERNON Spanning a whopping 5,550 square feet over three floors, the home of downtown North Vernon’s original J.R. Greathouse & Son’s Hardware store has plenty of mixed-use potential—residential on top and retail on bottom. The interior is an exposed brick wonderland, and the property comes with an adjacent vacant lot for parking or expansion. $124,900

458–462 N. CASS ST., WABASH These two historic homes are being sold as a bonded pair. The more-spacious one (on the right, at 2,177 square feet) is move-in ready, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It could serve as a handy home base for the more involved renovation of its next-door neighbor, a four-bedroom stucco beauty with salvageable original woodwork and interior doors and a well-preserved stairway. $135,900

The post Old Bones appeared first on Indianapolis Monthly.

IN THE PAST two years, Hope Fowler has moved from Plainfield, to Brownsburg, to Whitestown in search of a safe, happy home for her girls. Her real estate odyssey began when the Department of Child Services called to see if she would consider foster parenting 5-month-old twins, Jasmine and Jaiyel, who were born with cerebral palsy and developmental delays.

Though she has been a foster parent for years, Fowler initially felt inexperienced. But she took in the girls and quickly fell in love. Last summer, DCS asked if she would adopt the sisters. “That was a very big responsibility,” says Fowler, a full-time church administrator at Agape Apostolic Faith Assembly. “I prayed, ‘Lord, do you want me to do this?’ God made a way. I told them, ‘Yes.’” The trio moved to a bigger house in Brownsburg, but when Fowler learned that Jasmine would eventually need a wheelchair, she knew their new two-story house wouldn’t do. “I didn’t want her to be confined to one area of the house because she’s in a wheelchair. That’s not fair to her.”

Fowler put the house back up for sale, where it sat for four or five months. “The market back then was horrible. Not that it’s any better now, but it was worse back then.” More prayers followed. “Next thing I know, I got two full-price off ers the same day,” Fowler says. But then she needed a house—and fast! She was saved by her Realtor, Amy Robinson from Prime Real Estate Group, who found a move-in ready, open plan, ranch house in Whitestown with a front yard and backyard (in which Fowler plans to build a playset where the now 2-year-old girls, big fans of Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, and Ms. Rachel, can enjoy one of their other favorite things—swinging).

Even better, the school district has an excellent developmental preschool for the girls. “This was the perfect fit for us,” she says. “I want them to have the best possible life.”

FAVORITE FEATURE
The open layout

PURCHASE DATE
February 2024

NEIGHBORHOOD
Whitestown

SQUARE FOOTAGE
2,253

The post A New Family Home appeared first on Indianapolis Monthly.

AMY AND KYLE Anderson enjoyed the many carefree perks of their downtown-adjacent townhouse. After they became empty nesters four years ago, their home’s easy maintenance, proximity to community, and sense of security fit perfectly into their lifestyle. As time passed, however, they longed for two things: more space to entertain and a screened-in porch—a feature they adored from their old home. “As many people do, I perused Zillow and walked the neighborhood,” Amy recalls. They knew they wanted to stay downtown, but with the market moving so quickly and prices on such a steep incline, finding the right home through their real estate agent proved to be a challenge.

They considered all their options, even the possibility of investing in a duplex at one point. Eventually, “we decided to up our budget to get what we really wanted,” Amy says. Expanding their search radius helped, too. “We looked at a broader range of neighborhoods, from Fountain Square, to Cottage Home, to the Old Northside and Herron-Morton. We knew we wanted a small backyard and screened-in porch, plus walkability to Mass Ave and downtown.”

After spotting a bright, modern, newer-construction home in Herron-Morton, they knew they’d need to act fast. Their agent sent them the listing on a Thursday. They toured it on Saturday and submitted an offer the next day. It met “90 percent” of their needs, but that wasn’t even the best part. They had lived in Herron-Morton from 1997 to 2003 and loved the full-circle moment of returning to a dear, familiar place. “We loved everything about it then,” Amy says. “Now we love it even more.”

FAVORITE FEATURE
The screened-in porch

PURCHASE DATE
March 2024

NEIGHBORHOOD
Herron-Morton

The post A Bright Future appeared first on Indianapolis Monthly.

REALTOR Summer Hudson was always waiting for the perfect midcentury modern home to hit the market and lure her away from her beloved Irvington. On Hudson’s popular TikTok channel, Find a Lot to Love, she cooed over original 1960s woodwork and intact bathrooms for the 207,000 followers who enjoyed watching her walk through houses for sale in Central Indiana. But the eXp Realty agent’s own family needed a yard for their 5-year-old daughter more than she needed a pristine Avriel Shull A-frame, so she gave her husband, Ryan Sloan, one criterion: Find a house with the exact same layout as their 3,000-square-foot Irvington ranch, plus a yard, and she’d move.

Lo and behold, he did, in Crows Nest. The three-bed, two-bath house has a circular layout with semi–open concept living, dining, and kitchen spaces and, as a bonus, a pool on the half-acre lot. “I always said I’d never turn down a pool,” Hudson says. The home had been sitting on the market for a while because, in Hudson’s opinion, the listing for 1,800 square feet was misleading; the homeowners couldn’t include the 1,200-square-foot finished attic because the ceiling was too low. Additionally, the photos didn’t do the home justice. “From the outside, it looks tiny and bungalow-ish, but you don’t realize how deep it goes,” she says, adding that the images didn’t showcase the layout’s attractive flow, either. The couple got it under list price for $410,000, and Hudson, who uses the attic as her office, has no regrets—her dream midcentury home can wait. Downsizing forced the couple to purge, and they discovered the joys of a simplified lifestyle. “I’m actually spending more time with my kid out- side. That has been the most amazing part of all of this,” Hudson says.

FAVORITE FEATURE
The nature-filled backyard

PURCHASE DATE
March 2024

NEIGHBORHOOD
Crows Nest

SQUARE FOOTAGE
1,800

The post A Yard Of One’s Own appeared first on Indianapolis Monthly.

SUSAN AND EDWARD Fordyce began their house-hunting journey last year. They lived near Muncie and had never considered living in Anderson. All that changed when Susan’s sister sent her a listing one Monday, which led to a video tour on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the Fordyces’ full-asking-price offer was accepted.

“This is a beautiful, grand home,” Susan says. “For me, it was the quality of the day that was still there. The fireplaces are Italian marble, and the woodwork is spectacular.” Situated on a bluff above White River, the home has a Georgian Revival exterior that bears a striking resemblance to the White House, while the 19,700-square-foot interior is filled with presidential quality features.

Arguably the most notable is one of the couple’s favorites: the basement organ room. “It takes my breath away every time I walk down there,” Susan says. The pipes still play beautifully, and it’s wired so the music can be heard throughout the mansion. It’s a testament to 1930s craftsmanship and design.

Other examples of the previous owners’ penchant for quality and opulence include the basement bowling alley, an attic ballroom, and handpainted silk wallpaper in the formal dining room that came from a castle in France. The nine bathrooms boast original, colorful tile and console sinks.

The pair loves how comfortable and welcoming the home feels despite its size—more than 19,000 square feet on nearly 5 acres. “It felt good from the get-go,” Susan says. Plus, no major repairs were needed, at least not immediately, so the duo is free to move at their own pace with projects, landscaping, and furnishings. Whatever they choose to tackle first, the estate is in good hands. “This house needs people who are going to really love it, and that’s exactly what it’s found.”

The post Realty Check: Presidential Presence appeared first on Indianapolis Monthly.

Depending on who you ask, Central Indiana residents might define a perfect summer morning in a variety of ways. Some homeowners, for example, enjoy a cup of coffee and then a quick walk off their back decks to the links to start the day. They have no need for golf carts or caddies. They’re happy with the simple tranquility of swinging a golf club and the satisfying thwack of the ball leaving the tee and soaring through the air. With a golf green right in the backyard, there’s no worrying about the ball disappearing into a forest or
nearby pond.

Russ Greene, owner of Greene Exterior Design, has watched the artificial turf trend for home landscaping projects explode over the last few years, reaching a peak during the pandemic. “It catapulted interest in golf into the stratosphere,” Greene says. “People quickly realized they could play golf and social distance easily.” That popularity created demand in the marketplace—clients not only wanted to play the game, but they wanted a worry-free space to practice.

Greene recently installed an artificial turf golf green for a Carmel attorney with the goal of bringing a little slice of Crooked Stick Golf Club to the family’s yard.

The client wanted a place to practice the game he loves, hitting a huge variety of short game shots, with the green mimicking real course conditions. “My short game stinks,” the client laughs. “As they say, desperate times call for desperate measures.”

Greene created a setup for the family to work through pitching longer wedge shots from 75-90 yards, closer wedge shots from 35-50 yards from a variety of different angles, short and long greenside bunker shots, pitches and runs, flop shots, and everything in between from both short and deep rough areas.

An avid golfer himself, Greene spent the last several years honing his craft to help him better collaborate with customers to create truly unique backyard setups. The client did some research and contacted Greene, who took the client on a field trip to three completed in-home golf green installations and let him tee off. “That firsthand experience from these projects gave us a sense of what we liked most about his prior work,” the client says. “When Russ started asking us questions about the design or where holes should be cut, how deep the rough should be, how severe a break should be, we just kept repeating, ‘Build it like you would for yourself, Russ!’” Artificial turf installation requests these days aren’t limited just to the links. Greene describes a recent project that included bocce ball and pickleball courts and a whiffle ball tee, in addition to a golf green. He says the family wanted to get their kids outside and away from screens.

Greene also points to turf as a great option for man’s best friend. “I’ve installed dog and pet runs,” he says. “These projects minimize the amount of mud your dog will track into the house because artificial turf drains naturally and quickly. That’s a win for everyone, really.”

Greene says clients are opting for artificial turf even for basic home landscaping. He points to his own yard as an example. “I realized I was spending hours of my weekends just on basic maintenance,” he says. “Artificial turf always looks good and cuts yard work time significantly. I now have more time with my family.”

Whether the new backyard golf green in Carmel has improved the client’s golf game remains to be seen. But anything that brings family together to enjoy the outdoors is a definite hole-in-one.

The post Par For The Course appeared first on Indianapolis Monthly.

Wellness is not a design trend; it’s a way of life that has become integral to design. Creating comfortable, calm, and relaxing living spaces is becoming more and more desirable to homeowners, and the degree to which wellness elements are applied varies by room.

“Whether it is a reading room, a workout space, or a home office, we demand more of our home today than ever,” says Sallie Lord, chief designer at GreyHunt Interiors. “The feel of a room depends upon what happens in it. Each room needs to do positive things for our mental health.”

The term “biophilic” might be unfamiliar, but its concept of immersive wellness is not. Simply stated, biophilic design represents connectivity to nature. Though the term was coined recently, biophilic design has been used in architecture for millennia, with evidence of courtyards and pleasure gardens strewn across the ruins of the ancient world.

Green Rooms

At the annual Kitchen & Bath Industry Show held earlier this year in Las Vegas, the color green dominated in a vast range of shades including eucalyptus, army, Kelly, sea, emerald, light, forest, pine, olive, tea, lime, grass, Paris, imperial, and Veronese. And no, we’re not talking about the avocado green of the ’70s. To some, green represents the heart chakra and symbolizes opening up, receiving, and abundance.

At KBIS, green was seen on every appliance imaginable, on walls, and on the outsides of tubs and sinks, countertops, and cabinetry. Plants also contributed to the verdant palette.

Nature Versus Nurture

Plants are the most obvious way to bring nature indoors. Living, breathing flora is responsible for oxygen exchange and can bring an immediate sense of calm to any room.

Demetrius Robinson, principal interior designer with At Home With Savvy, utilizes houseplants wherever possible in his clients’ homes. “Plants are important to me as a designer and a human. Finding ways to bring the outdoors in—whether branches, small objects from nature, or a natural element—adds to overall wellness,” he says.

Robinson sets his clients up for success with houseplants by thoughtfully considering and selecting species that align with their lifestyles. Fussy, high maintenance varieties may be ideal for some homeowners, but others may prefer low-maintenance plants that thrive on less attention (enter: succulents). Naturspire in Carmel goes further by creating living walls that look like art installations in homes or offices. A living wall provides energy to a stagnant space.

The primary challenge for many homeowners is capitalizing on natural light. This is not only a factor for plants but also for humans.

Let There be Light Therapy

Our natural biological processes, or circadian rhythms, align with the colors of the sun throughout the day. At dawn, we experience the golden hour. Throughout the day, light becomes more blue, which energizes us. The amber light in the evening facilitates a natural release of melatonin, which signals an approaching bedtime.

To emulate these effects indoors, lighting systems and lightbulbs that match the sun’s natural color temperatures now exist. Through carefully chosen fixtures or apps connected to smart lights, we can replicate changes throughout the day, keeping our bodies in sync with natural light rhythms.

Architectural designer Adam Gibson of Adam Gibson Design leverages natural light as much as possible in his design projects. Gibson recommends installing south-facing windows, and if a room requires additional light, he often brings in tubular skylights, which filter UV radiation and are cheaper, easier to install, more energy efficient, and more weatherproof than conventional skylights.

Trigger the Glimmers

Glimmers are moments in a day when we feel joy, happiness, peace, or gratitude. Surrounding yourself with items that trigger glimmers is a fun way to bring joy into a space. This isn’t far from the “love it or leave it” concept professional organizer Marie Kondo applies to her KonMari method of tidying and decluttering homes. The use of objects that make us feel good is something to pay attention to when decorating.

Healthy Design

Another way to incorporate wellness in design is to use natural products and materials that do not off-gas, or release harmful chemicals into the air. “Many people are unaware that their flooring, cabinets, and furniture contain volatile organic compounds. I strongly recommend installing healthy products that contain no carcinogens, which most homeowners don’t realize they may already be living with,” advocates Gibson, who is a healthy home expert and a master kitchen and bath designer. “Wellness that is unseen includes constant fresh air exchanges throughout the home, including adequate cooking ventilation and make-up air.”

Inspiration Via Immersion

During a presentation at the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, certified kitchen and bath designer Elle H-Millard spoke of the benefits of biophilic design, describing how immersive experiences—being surrounded by natural elements that engage us through sight, touch, and sound—release endorphins.

“There’s mystery and wonder associated with nature,” says H-Millard, who created biophilic performance art while earning her MFA. “This connectivity to beauty in nature can be incorporated into design to give us all the feels. It is not a coincidence that many people have their best ideas while in the shower—as creative thoughts are inspired by elements from nature.”

H-Millard points to bathroom fixtures such as waterfall faucets, rain-simulating showerheads, and steam showers as features that evoke a feeling of calm. She suggests seeking inspiration in the Japandi approach, which is a minimalist mix of Japanese and Scandinavian design utilizing greenery, natural materials, and neutral colors.

“Emulating an environment within the home that induces the sympathetic nervous system to trip into a state of relaxation [creates] a haven away from work and the stresses of life,” says H-Millard. “Surrounding ourselves with objects that are joy-producing and that minimize distractions from our busy lives is a huge victory for anyone.”

Hot or Cold?

While the phrase “to bathe yourself in luxury” is merely a saying, no one can deny how lavish the simple joy of a long, hot bath or a dip in the pool can feel.

Cold water immersion therapy has been trending for a while, and fortunately, there is a lot of equipment on the market for a range of incomes. Benefits from cold immersion include expediting muscle recovery, reducing muscle soreness, improving circulation, and increasing overall mental well-being.

Immersing oneself in hot water for therapeutic purposes dates back thousands of years, with evidence of hot bath rituals existing in ancient China, Egypt, India, Japan, Greece, and elsewhere. The Romans also partook, coining the phrase “sanus per aquam,” which translates to “health through water.” Hot baths are proven to relieve stress and muscle tension, improve circulation, and promote relaxation. Submerging yourself in a hot bath in the evening may also improve sleep.

The Ultimate Decorating Tip

The bottom line is that whatever makes you feel healthy and happy in your home is paramount.

The post The Nature of Design appeared first on Indianapolis Monthly.