I spent my childhood in Clifton, Ohio, near the University of Cincinnati where my dad worked at the time. (You can see the photo of my first love house on the About page.) The area is well known for ginormous old mansions like the one shown here (note: we did not live in one of them!).
Unfortunately, the neighborhood has changed since they were built, and now a lot of the old beauties have been turned into frat houses or apartment buildings. In this case, they have apartment buildings as neighbors, as you can see in the background.
I frequently check the MLS listings for Clifton to scope out the fabulous older homes on the market. Today I ran across this new listing for the “Telford Mansion.” As I was scrolling through the photos, I suddenly hit one room that stopped me in my tracks. Whoa. Where did that come from? It didn’t look like it belonged in the same house.
There’s a game they play on “Sesame Street,” where they show four photos to a child and then sing:
“One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn’t belong! Can you tell which thing is not like the others by the time I finish my song?”
Just for fun, why don’t you take a look for yourself and see if you can tell which of these rooms is not like the other. Which of these rooms just doesn’t belong….
According to the MLS listing, there are 5 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and the home is selling for $449,900. Here’s the entry–hard to believe they painted over all that original woodwork!
Here’s a close-up of that fireplace beside the stairs:
And the view going up the stairs:
Master bedroom in the turret has round walls:
Playroom in the finished lower level:
At the third-floor landing:
Kitchen:
Back door:
Back porch:
“Did you guess which thing was not like the others?
Did you guess which thing just doesn’t belong?
If you guessed this one is not like the others,
Then you’re absolutely…right!”
The oddly contemporary, IKEA-like kitchen aside, what do you think of this house? Do you like the white-painted woodwork because it lightens everything up and makes it look more modern, or does it make you cringe to see the original wood painted over?
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Good grief, where did that kitchen come from?? lol
Is there another fireplace somewhere? Seems an awkward location for a firplace; other than those two things, its a great old house. LOVE the stained glass and inset wood floors……but someday, someone’s going to be bitching about those blue countertops…lol
I agree. Where did the kitchen come from? It kind of
looks like it came from a small apartment or one room
flat. But other than the odd kitchen, I love the house.
Someone sure wanted to “modernize” that kitchen. I think they have those same lights at “Red Roof Inn”. Sorry, that was mean
Janet
What a lovely old house, but that kitchen stands out like a sore thumb. I love the room in the turret; always wanted one of those. My Rapunzel complex, I guess.
Could it be that kitchen?? Woah. My favorite “rooms” were the third floor landing and the back door. hee hee This is a beautiful old house!
Hmmm odd kitchen! Aside from that what a beautiful house. lol “Red Roof Inn”
I don’t think that kitchen belongs in ANY house!
I am going to take a wild guess and say the kitchen. i love the fireplace at the bottom of the stairs! The woodwork in this house is to die for.
It’s got to be the kitchen. That surely “is not like the others”. The wood floors in the entry are georgeous!
A place I know!! We are in Dayton, or very near it. Gorgeous floors…the kitchen? Hm…
I came over via Janet at Housepeepers and LOVE it here!!
I will be back!
Hugs,
Sue
My first house in Clifton is still my favorite place of all time. It was old and drafty with a gravity furnace big enough to fill two basementsd but oh man, it had so much character.
Clifton is a great place of old and new, character and glitz. Like most of American cities.
Are you really sure that kitchen actually comes from that home? Of course when I worked for the UC President his house was decorated in some bizarro ways by a trophy wife half his age and no taste.
Wow, they actually had the nerve to paint the woodwork. I LOVE painted wood, but I have to admit, there is something sacred about stained wood in old houses. I guess it is the testosterone coming out in me.
How nice to warm my hands by the fire before I head upstairs.
I’m all about mixing modern and traditional, but that kitchen needs a shot of traditional and the rest of the house needs a bolt of modern to make it work. Looks like someone got transfixed at IKEA one day!
How much is this house listed for???
okay, duh, I just saw that you listed the price.
I about DIED when I found this picture! I have a book with a VERY OLD picture of a now demolished house in Orange, NJ that I just absolutely ADORE!!
This house is an EXACT COPY of that house!!! The elevation, the facade, the floor plan, EVERYTHING!
I CRY over that woodwork. In the very first interior photo you can see the glorious attention to detail in the wood on the floors – I’m sure the original woodwork was comparable. It hurts to look.
My guess is that by the time they got around to renovating the kitchen they wanted to move into a more modern house….that can happen you know-LOL!
I’m so glad to find someone else that cringes when you see beautiful woodwork painted over. Who actually goes out, buys paint, brushes, and supplies, goes home, and PAINTS THAT WOODWORK? I mean, you would have to be certifiably crazy.
I’m also from Cincinnati, and know that very house.