An Auburn Township Home Renovation Boasts Rustic Elegance

While there aren’t many cornfields in Northeast Ohio, there is a point where you become engulfed by endless trees and wooded areas. Campgrounds and hunting areas are bountiful as you flirt with the southern border of Geauga County, near sites like Punderson State Park. Trek a few miles past the picturesque Punderson Lake and you’ll find LaDue Reservoir, an even smaller and secluded body of water near a residential area. 11945 LaDue Trail lies just a few treelines away from the reservoir’s border, yet it feels like anything but a beachy, waterfront getaway.

A total renovation of the five-bedroom, seven-bathroom home reimagines it as a mountainside retreat, punctuated by neutral finishings, textured wallpapers and enormous windows that act as a screen for the show of the changing seasons.

“It brings in all the elements,” says Howard Hanna realtor Alyson Krasniewski. “You've got stone, metal, marble, wood, and you're surrounded by windows and trees.”

“(The former homeowners) planned the view of every single room of this house,” adds Howard Hanna realtor Jenifer Black.

Since it was built in 2008, the home has changed hands and experienced a few different facelifts, but a 2024 redesign saw much of the space gutted, reimagining the primary spaces, the lower level and beyond. It sits pretty on the real estate market with a new value of $3,285,000.

It’s hard to marvel at the full beauty of the backyard pool and patio during the fall and winter, but the trees speak for themselves and afford a stunning vantage point to those cozying up in the house. A spacious living area makes furniture feel minuscule, as original stone walls, a built-in marbled fireplace and ceiling trusses give a glamorous cabin vibe.

“The stone was already there,” Black says, “so that set the tone for the whole (renovation). I think (the homeowners) tried to take something cold, maybe a little too traditional, and make it more modern. And they warmed it up with wood floors.”

The open-concept room creates continuity and streamlined living, moving directly into a kitchen and dining area that’s accessorized with a wall of windows, a walk-in pantry and a prep kitchen. Opposite the entertainment spaces is a walled-in office with its own balcony, which leads into a primary suite that includes a loft space for a bird’s eye view of the main level, plus a bathroom abound with natural light. Two walk-in closets bookend both a wall-length vanity and a shower.

READ MORE: Jen Picciano’s Gates Mills Kitchen Remodel Was Inspired by Cleveland Restaurants

Upstairs, each of the three bedrooms gets its own bathroom. Downstairs, three game rooms, sizable enough to double as in-law suites or extra storage rooms, share a bathroom featuring an infrared sauna. A gold-accented wet bar, a home gym and a moody wine cellar and tasting room round out the girth of the space.

“Whoever buys this house will be someone who likes to entertain,” Krasniewski concedes. “They’ll like to be the life of the party, because there’s the space to do it.”

Directly off the staircase, which leads up and out to the backyard, a pool bathroom employs special flooring and two shower stalls that can double as changing rooms.

And if a reservoir and pool aren’t enough, the front yard features a personalized waterfall and small woodland decor scattered through the grass areas like Easter eggs.

“This house is 12,000 square feet, but it doesn't feel ostentatious,” Krasniewski says. “It still feels like a home.”

“It's livable,” Black says. “The flow is great. You can picture living in it, and you can picture entertaining in it.”

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