Dru and Jeannie Simmons are both Columbus transplants. Dru fell in love with Italian Village (he has lived within the same three blocks for nine years!) and Jeannie was living in Clintonville. When they met and fell in love, Jeannie was ready to move to a different neighborhood. The couple only really looked in the area around the Short North and Downtown. They liked Italian Village because it felt like an urban neighborhood you could find in Chicago, but it was much more affordable in Columbus. The house they ended up buying was one they had found online and was the first one they looked at. They looked at more, but the style of the first home and the wonderful backyard really sold them on it. Now they have been living there about four and a half years.The outside of the house is a pretty bright color. Dru and Jeannie use color as accents through their cool, modern-lived in decorating style. Bright reds and lime greens punch up the muted gray walls. Most of the furnishings are also a neutral and they add color to the space with accessories and art they have collected from local artists and also from their travels.
The house is about 972 square feet, has two bedrooms, one bath and upstairs laundry. Dru uses the second bedroom as his home office. The office has a Mexican art theme, many of the masks are ones he has collected from his trips to Mexico.
Some of their favorite places to find furniture are Crate & Barrel and Design Within Reach. Lately, they have also been acquiring classic, salvaged finds and have also had a couple of pieces custom made. Their bed is a George Nelson case study bed and they had the night stands custom built to fit the bed.
Their area of Italian Village is a close-knit community. Many of the homes have been redone by neighbors and there are many neighborhood events. Jeannie has gotten involved with the Ladies of the neighborhood and they have yahtzee nights. They love the social aspect of where they live. It is also really easy to get around; they walk nearly everywhere and sometimes take their scooter. The neighborhood has also put together a community garden that Dru and Jeannie have a plot in. You can read more about it here.