Drive down Hilliard Boulevard, Bradley Road or Schwartz Road in Westlake and you’ll notice it, too. House after house is pretty mediocre, and then — all of a sudden — you’ll see a clearing of land and a house so stunning, so big and so out of place.
Unlike some parts of the East Side where there are five-acre minimum lots, smaller parcels dominate the West Side. So, if you want five acres, you have to get creative and look around. “Land is coveted,” says Realty One agent Adam Kaufman. “There isn’t much. For people who live on the West Side and want a lot of land, there are not many choices.”
The Reincarnation
Jan Lynch was pregnant with her second child when she realized she’d had enough of her aging house on North Park Boulevard in Cleveland Heights. Sure, it had plaster walls and heavy trim, but it wasn’t air conditioned. Plus, her family lived in Westlake.
Her husband, Kevin, agreed to move to the West Side on one condition — they must build a beautiful new house that replicated the charm of older homes found in the Heights. Naturally, she took that deal.
The result is a 10,000-square-foot beauty on Bradley Road designed by David Maddux, a protégé of noted architect Anthony Paskevich.
Arriving: Two giant arched solid mahogany doors weighing 500 pounds open to reveal a Y-shaped staircase and tumbled limestone floors. You can pass on either side of the stairs to enter the dining room, which has two sets of French doors overlooking the pool.
Cozy up: There are seven fireplaces in the house, all of which are custom-built and oversized. The one in the main living area is made of limestone and carved with Celtic crosses (both Jan and Kevin are part Irish).
Jan’s other half: She’s also part Italian, which she says explains her passion for cooking. Her favorite dish? Cacciatore. Her favorite thing about her kitchen? That it’s great for entertaining, thanks to the huge island, two dishwashers and the two fireplaces that are visible from it.
Adding years on: Jan hired an artist to shade the wooden tresses in her living area to make them look older. The artist also faux finished the knotty pine in the study to make it look as if men had been smoking cigars in the room for decades.
Distressing: Jan helped her builder, Bob Cachat, whip a wooden beam with chains. It now serves as a mantel over the fireplace in the gathering room.
Outside: Trees encompass the entire yard. The covered, rounded terrace has a fireplace and overlooks the pool. The pool house, which could double as a guesthouse, has a minikitchen, changing room and living area with a pullout sofa.
Insiders who live here:
Builders and their relatives. The owners of a masonry company, as well as two of the bigger names in the home-building industry — Valore and Puzzitiello — have homes here. Also, just across the border in Avon on Schwartz road, Dr. Rustom Khouri (the developer of Red Tail in Avon), built a huge brick Georgian.
Builders and their relatives. The owners of a masonry company, as well as two of the bigger names in the home-building industry — Valore and Puzzitiello — have homes here. Also, just across the border in Avon on Schwartz road, Dr. Rustom Khouri (the developer of Red Tail in Avon), built a huge brick Georgian.
| Appraised Value | Street | Square Feet | # of Bedrooms | # of Baths | Year Built |
| $1.93 million | Bradley Road | 8,669 | 6 | 7 | 2002 |
| $1.46 million | SchwartzRoad | 8,977 | 5 | 4 | 2001 |
| $1.24 million | Hilliard Boulevard | 6,946 | 3 | 5 | 2003 |
| $1.12 million | Hilliard Boulevard | 10,064 | 3 | 7 | 1950 |
| $1.1 million | Hilliard Bolevard | 7,455 | 5 | 5 | 1988 |
| $959,400 | Hilliard Boulevard | 5,159 | 5 | 4 | 2002 |
| $712,800 | SchwartzRoad | 13,670 | 6 | 6 | 1988 |
| $656,000 | Bradley Road | 2,437 | 2 | 3 | 2001 |
| $650,000 | Hilliard Boulevard | 3,722 | 3 | 4 | 1995 |
| $643,400 | Hilliard Boulevard | 4,710 | 4 | 5 | 1994 |
