On the Bright Side

Interior designer Angie Hranowsky wields shades of sunshine and sumptuous jewels to revive a landmark 1820s home in Ohio with joyful modern verve.

- WRITTEN BY STEPHANIE HUNT

Mary Lohman knew people were watching.

It was no small feat to take on renovating the Whedon Farwell House, arguably the most iconic home in Hudson, Ohio, a town whose historic district is included in the National Register of Historic Places and is chockablock with Greek Revival, Federal, and Victorian beauties anchored by a town green.

This circa-1826 Federal and Italianate gem sits off the road at a quirky angle, down the street from the clock tower—as prominent as it gets. “I always dreamed of living in a historic house,” says Mary, who with her husband, Larry, raised their three now-grown children in a nearby 1980s faux-Tudor cottage. The couple had long eyed this home in particular, owned by friends of theirs. “If you ever want to sell, you don’t have to look far,” she told them. When the Lohmans got a “Hey, are you interested?” call during the pandemic, they jumped.