Tour Stop 2: 1225 Highland Avenue
Owners: Mike and Ingrid Navarro

In 2014, Mike and Ingrid Navarro purchased a rare vacant lot in Victorian Village. The original 1870s home to the lot was destroyed by a fire in 2012 and subsequently demolished. Four years later, the couple constructed a new single family home on the wide lot. The 3,900 square foot main house has 4 bedrooms an 3 bathrooms. Also, the basement is under construction to add a finished two bedroom, one bathroom apartment, and there are future plans to add a 3-car carriage house.

The design of the home aimed to create a comfortable space for family and friend gatherings. The first floor serves as the main hub with its massive kitchen, breakfast nook, and adjacent living room. The home’s fixtures and finishes have a little bit of everything, ranging from a marble shower with mosaic stone floor to huge tiled, shower walls. This is not your typical new construction. The couple worked with Bradley Blumensheid of DKB Architects to design the home and ensure that a modern day home could successfully be incorporated into the historic Victorian Village neighborhood.

Mike and Ingrid stumbled into the renovating business by accident over 10 years ago. When Ingrid dropped a bottle of shampoo and broke the faucuet knob in their 1950s bathroom, Mike quickly came to the rescue and repaired it to the original look and feel. His secret was out and Ingrid continued to put his renovation knowledge to work. The couple continued renovating after moving into their first home in the Short North in 2009. Diving into their passion and creative outlet, they established a home renovation business, Rowe House LLC, which constructed this home and many others in the Short North.

Mike and Ingrid, who are short-term rental hosts as well as Short North residents, plan to list the home as a short-term rental for a couple years.