330 Homes Spring 2022

w e l c o m e

by COLIN BAKER

a s u p p l e m e n t t o A k r o n L i f e m a g a z i n e

SAVE YOUR ENERGY Home improvement can make your house more comfortable and cost-effective.

Pub l i she r COL I N BAKER cbaker@bakermediagroup.com Cr e a t i ve D i r e c t o r WI LL I AM L . TECKMYER I I I wteckmyer@bakermediagroup.com Mana g i ng Ed i t o r KELLY PETRYSZYN kpet ryszyn@bakermediagroup.com As s i s t an t Ed i t o r ALEXANDRA SOBCZAK asobczak@bakermediagroup.com Gr aph i c De s i gne r TYLAR CALHOUN tsut ton@bakermediagroup.com

W hen I was a teenager, we lived in a farmhouse in Suffield, Ohio. The original part of the farmhouse was built in 1820, with several always freezing in the win ter and sweltering in the summer. We used multiple heat sources, from coal to wood. And we used heating oil, but only rarely because it was very expensive to heat our drafty 13-room house in the 1980s. I used a sledgehammer to break large chunks of coal so we could fit them in the stove. It really didn’t help much. The house was still cold. My room was so cold in the winter, ice formed on the inside of the window, and if I had snow on my boots, it would still be there the next morning. (This may be more myth than reality, but I continue to tell the story to make my point). My dad wasn’t very handy when it came to home improve ment. And owning a large old farmhouse only empha sized this fact. On the bright side, I almost never got sick. The cold air gave me a bulletproof immune system. In retro spect, I loved living there, and I have many fond memories from that time. But I do think I could have additions thereafter. Inside the house was

enjoyed the same experi ences with the house about 10 to 20 degrees warmer. My wife always asks me why I crank the heat in my car or why I like it hot in the house. I say, I’m still thawing out from the ’80s. If today’s energy audit was performed on the old farm house, it would probably show that the leaks were equivalent to every door in the house being left wide open. We are used to the idea that we need to insulate our homes to keep the heat in. But it is also important to seal off any areas where heat can escape. In this issue of 330 Homes , find tips on how to improve your home, whether that’s adding plants and macrame art to your rooms or figuring out what textures fit best in your kitchen. Also get inspired by unique spaces like a color ful laundry room, a striking great room, an elevated foyer and more. There are plenty of great resources out there for your next project, including how to save on both heating and cooling. Don’t forget you lose just as much in the summertime with that drafty house. You can go to energy.

Con t r i bu t i ng Wr i t e r s BRENDAN BAKER MI CHAEL N I ED LYNNE THOMPSON

Sa l e s BUNNY LACEY STEVE TYSON BEN D I COLA sales@bakermediagroup.com

C i r cu l a t i on circulat ion@bakermediagroup.com 330-253-0056, ext . 104

Ed i t o r i a l I n t e r n LONDON GREEN

De s i gn I n t e r n B I NGJ I E CU I

spring 2022 | volume 4 | issue 1

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gov to learn more about savings and simple do-it yourself ideas.

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