“Moving to all the different houses, it took me probably a good year or so to get the house the way that I wanted, where I felt like it was comfortable and set up, and then we would be there a couple of years and move again,” Colleen Wellbaum said. “This house, I like that we’re going to be here for a very long time, so we can make more changes.”
The couple purchased the four-bedroom, four-bath home in 2018.
Colleen Wellbaum was drawn to the house immediately.
“I liked that it wasn’t cookie cutter; and it had character with built-in shelves and a fireplace,” she said. “The kitchen was definitely my style and classic. I liked that the rooms were sectioned off and individual rooms.”
Wellbaum, who works as a Medicaid case worker for Greene County Job and Family Services, said current projects include the basement, where she and her husband would like to set up an exercise area.
She describes her style as leaning toward vintage-looking items, but not antiques, which can be fragile.
“I want it to feel like you can sit and put your feet up, and not worry that you’re going to ruin something,” she said. “I have a lot of furniture — that I have repainted or refinished in some way — that I picked up at the thrift store or Facebook Marketplace.”
More from Wellbaum:
Name: Colleen Wellbaum
Age: 45
Hometown: Beavercreek
Year your home was built: 1979
Square footage: 2,300
Architectural design: Traditional
Spouse name and number of years married/number of children: Married to Chris for 23 years. The couple has three adult daughters.
How long have you been in your house: 6 years this July
What changed your house into a home: I love to decorate my house and find unique items that I can display and hang on the walls. I like to make the house seem cozy for people to want to stay a while.
What is your favorite part of your home and why: My favorite part is the dining room. We recently got a larger dining table and with our daughters out of the house — I like to have them come back with their boyfriends. We can all sit together and eat and talk. I love that our (mine and Chris’s) parents and siblings can come and comfortably sit and eat. I love that everyone can come over. We use that room often and memories are being made.
Most difficult house project: Our most difficult house project was making an office for Chris; we built the wall to divide the room ourselves. (It) definitely took longer than expected but it turned out really good.
What was your inspiration for the project: Chris needed a larger space to work in now that he works from home.
Future house projects: Future projects would be the master bathroom remodel and a new shed for the backyard.
Advice to anyone looking to refresh or remodel their home: Only DIY projects you really think you can do yourself without messing things up. Find good help and hire out jobs that you think will be challenging. Getting something completed by professionals in one day is worth the money when it may take yourself a couple of weeks or longer to complete.
Contact this writer at writeawayk@gmail.com.
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