The beautiful cherry wood front door is one of the few things original to Debbie and Jeremy Gillman’s 100-year-old home in the Columbus suburb of Bexley. During a two-and-a half-year update project, the couple has redesigned, refurbished or repainted almost every room in their home.
After previously living in and remodeling two Bexley homes where they raised their now college-age son, the couple came across this house which is designated a Century Home by the combined program of Bexley Public Library and Bexley Historical Society. The couple knew the home had many desirable features but also needed some extensive remodeling and modernizing to fit their needs.
Workplace perks
As owner of Bexley’s Gillman Group Realtors, Jeremy says, “I enjoy looking at homes all over the city. It’s an occupational hazard to see incredible homes and then be able to envision just what needs to be done to update them or—in some cases—what I absolutely would never want to do.”
“When we saw this house, we knew we wanted to remodel but keep the original character of the house. A one-hundred-year-old house is going to tell you what to do if you listen and look carefully,” he says.
Careful crew
Both Debbie and Jeremy were involved with the design of the house. Jeremy, a proficient DIYer, did much of the work himself in close collaboration with their good friend and contractor Lee King of Plus One Remodeling.
The biggest redesign was in the kitchen where the Gillmans wanted a more modern look with plenty of storage space and functionality.
“We designed, measured, and remeasured before Casino Construction demoed the kitchen and removed one wall to make a storage area,” says Jeremy. They also created a walnut paneled pantry that wraps around the refrigerator.
“It’s fun now to have so much storage space in the kitchen and be able to fill it up,” says Debbie.
Lower-level living
“We originally saw the basement as a great place for our son to hang out with his friends,” says Debbie. “But now that he is in college, Jeremy uses it extensively and enjoys the fireplace, built-in wet bar and the TV which is recessed in a wall.”
One of the most useful rooms in the basement, Debbie says, is the “doggy spa” they created to bathe and shower their three dogs. “Our Boston terrier, Ava, is a basket of nerves,” Debbie says, “so it is so much better to be able to care for her here at home.”
Upstairs expansion
On the top floor, the attic was redesigned as a bedroom for their son and features a beautiful bathroom with a Moroccan tiled shower.
A fresh coat
Rooms that were not redesigned were painted with modernizing touches throughout so that virtually the whole house was dealt with in some way. Black was the chosen color for trim and the front hall stair banister.
“I like black,” says Jeremy. “It gives a more modern feel while not destroying the original character of the home.”
“It’s also more masculine,” adds Debbie. She says she worked to keep everything from being too black. “I had to keep a sharp eye on the mantel,” she says. While the tile surround is black, to Debbie’s delight, the mantel remained in natural wood with white accent strips on the wall above providing a bit of contrast.
Buried treasures
As with most century old homes, interesting things can be found in the walls and hidden places while remodeling. Jeremy found some old metal objects in the basement, but the most interesting items were lost Christmas cards found when they removed the mantel for refinishing.
“One was dated 1941,” says Debbie, “and contained a twenty-dollar bill, quite a sum 84 years ago, and we wonder who got blamed for losing Great Aunt Ethel’s generous Christmas gift?”
Living through it
The Gillmans agree it is much harder to live in a home while undergoing renovations, but they wanted to get a feel for the house before starting major work. They lived here for over two years before the remodel began.
Jeremy advises to keep one bedroom and one bath untouched during the remodel process. “It’s important to have a space where you can get away from all the construction,” he says. And when asked what to do when the kitchen is completely demolished, Debbie quickly responds, “Buy a door dash membership!”
Both agree it’s important to prepare to be inconvenienced, but that the effort is worthwhile in the end.
The big reveal
The Gillman home was a featured site on the 2024 Bexley House & Garden Tour.
“One of the main reasons we decided to be on the tour was so that it would give Jeremy a goal and a date of completion to shoot for,” says Debbie. “The tour committee came in September and then again in late February before the tour in June. In February the committee was still met with dry wall, carpenters, construction everywhere. I know they were thinking all this could never be completed before the June tour date, but we did manage, and we had more than 1,100 people come through the house.”
The Gillmans feel a great sense of accomplishment in the remodel and are enjoying the new look and feel of their Century Home. Although virtually every part of the home saw either an axe or a paintbrush, two bathrooms that have abutting walls have not been touched.
Jeremy says, “I already have the designs for those two baths in my head…”
RESOURCES General contractor Plus One Remodeling Demo and cabinetry Casino Co. Renovations Primary suite wallpaper Zen Mural by Sandberg, applied by The Wallpaper Geek
Editor’s note: The 2025 Bexley House & Garden Tour will take place on Saturday, June 1. For information, visit: https://www.bexleywomen.org/house-garden-tour
Article by Ann Russell | Photos by Alex Cruz, New Horizons Media
Article originally appeared in May 2025