Step Inside a Charming Historic Queen Anne Home
For the past six years, Lindsey Badenhop and her husband have been lovingly curating and restoring their beautiful historic home on the street Lindsey had dreamt of living on since she was a little girl. Chock full of character and charm, this stunning 1889 Queen Anne abode is a testament to honoring the past while staying true to the present. Every detail in this inviting Ohio dwelling has been thoughtfully chosen to create a timeless masterpiece that will endure for generations to come.
Below, we chat with Lindsey about the Schoolhouse pieces she chose for her space, her favorite DIY project to date, and what home truly means to her and her family.
Tell us about your home. How long have you lived here?
Our home is an 1889 Queen Anne, with nods to the Elizabethan era, nestled in a small town in Ohio. It joins other beauties on our city’s historic avenue along the river, one that I have loved driving down and dreamt about living on since I was a little girl. It has also been placed on the National Register of Historic Homes.
We moved into our home on a snowy, wintery New Year’s Day in 2018 and have been slowly renovating and making it our own ever since.
How did you know this home was the one for your family? Were there any design details that stood out to you?
I absolutely love the story of how our house became our home. We were actually looking at the house two doors down when I had mentioned that it was just missing the historic character (the home had been updated after a house fire) that I longed for, when our realtor mentioned our current house. It wasn’t on the market, but he gave the owner a call and he agreed to let us walk through. Right then and there that made me feel like it was meant to be!
When we walked through the house for the first time, I fell completely in love with its historic charm; the leaded glass windows, double staircases and radiators to mention a few. It also, in my opinion, had the best of both worlds as the house sits on an acre lot in town. We have the ease of living in the city, but we can also escape to our beautiful, big backyard that meets the river, giving it a “country living” feeling as well. It felt like the perfect space to raise our family and I knew immediately after stepping inside that I wanted to call it home.
Could you tell us a little bit about your background?
My educational background is in apparel merchandising and product development. I have been drawn to aesthetics for as long as I can remember; from my personal style to the immense amount of times I would completely redecorate and rearrange my childhood room. My husband and I began dating in high school and shortly after college we were married. In another few short years we welcomed our first child and our hearts shifted. Together we decided that I would put my career to the side and stay home to raise our children- a literal dream come true!
In the fall of 2020, after many years of chasing my first dream, I launched my small business, @milkandhoneyclothier; an organic children’s clothier. It has been a full circle moment that I feel lucky and blessed to have. I now spend my days doing the three things that make me the happiest; soaking up every moment at home with my husband and our five children, homemaking, and building a business.
To you, what makes a house a home?
To me, it's more of a feeling you get and the people that live in the house; the sounds, the smells, the familiarity. Our house feels like home when we are all together, safe in our space that we created.
How would you describe your home in three words?
How about five? Cozy, character, historic. Lived in and LOUD.
What are some of your favorite DIY projects that you’ve completed in your space?
We have completed many, many DIY projects while making this house our home, but my favorite has to be designing and building our kitchen. Sometime in the late 50s, the wrap-around porch was enclosed and made into a galley style kitchen. We always dreamed about one day moving the location of the kitchen to offer more room for our growing family. I strongly believe the heart of the home is the kitchen, and so this project was very important to me. The renovation took a little over a year to complete (three years to dream up) and my husband did all of the hard work by himself, with a tiny bit of help from me. But mostly, he constructs and I design and decorate. As of now, we have completed the first phase of our kitchen remodel, with hopes to have the final phase completed by the end of winter.
Do you have any design tips to share?
My design tip would be to try and remember that making and designing a home takes time. Lots of time! Many times I catch myself becoming upset that a project is not being completed in a timely manner and oftentimes that feeling stems from social media. It is okay that your project is taking time! Some of my favorite projects have been the ones where it has taken us a little longer than I had hoped to complete, which in turn led to a longer amount of time to truly have a design that I adore. One that represents us best.
Last but not least, could you share a few of your Schoolhouse favorites and why you selected them for the space?
I have been a big fan of Schoolhouse for quite some time now! I of course fell in love with the lighting first and slowly began to discover more and more. My favorites, that we also have sprinkled throughout the house, are the Abrams and Satellite Sconces and the Newbury Surface Mount.
We also love a good quilt, and so the Diamond Ticking Quilt quickly became a family favorite and is at the top of our list.
