Ogling the beautiful historic homes in German Village is part of the visiting experience, but for the district’s residents, it’s an enviable part of their daily routine.
Carolyn and William Settina’s German Village home stands proudly on the corner of East Beck and South Lazelle streets, and will be featured on this year’s German Village Haus und Garten Tour on June 28. Carolyn is nurse manager for OhioHealth, and William is a criminal defense attorney.
If the house looks familiar, check your soap – in 2024, the Settinas’ home was featured on the front of Bath & Body Works’ Mahogany Apple soap bottle.
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The Settinas have lived in the home since 2014. Though listed for sale, they first rented it from well-known German Village realtor Virginia Welch and purchased it the next year. That year gave them time to decide what renovation projects would be their top priority.
Those renovations included painting and reorienting the first-floor layout, though Carolyn Settina – who has a love for maintaining historic homes – noted that they didn’t touch the footprint of the home, save for opening one doorway into an archway.
The 1,600-square-foot, two-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom house – which Settina described as the “classic German village footprint” – was built in the mid-19th century. Though the exact year is unclear, deeds can be found as far back as 1846.
The main floor was originally a saloon, and the owners lived upstairs. It was later condemned, until the 1960s when a couple – noted as Mr. And Mrs. Robert L. Schmitz in a 1965 article clipping Settina has – saw the house on their road trip from Florida to Michigan and decided to restore it.
The exterior entry sports brick walls, neat black trim and shutters, a large lamp from Scotland that used to burn whale oil and original window boxes planted with flowers that Settina described as her “labor of love.”
She added that one of their dogs, Ranger, a 14-year-old golden retriever, is often seen lying by the front door and watching passersby. They also have Gunner, a 2-year-old Belgian malinois.
The living room – as with the rest of the house – is equal parts cozy and elegant; the warm color scheme punctuated by pops of color. The multi-colored painted bunny on a side table is a nod to “all the Village bunnies” and ties in the minty-hued area rug.
Dotted throughout the home are pieces of art that pay homage to the neighborhood, including a painting of St. Mary Catholic Church by local artist Ryan Orewiler.
Above the original fireplace are photos of the Settinas with their sons: Asher, 27, who’s in the Air Force, and Alex, 23, who’s in the Marines and currently enrolled in the Columbus Fire Academy. The Settina family members are horse enthusiasts, and photos of their horses, as well as horse paintings and decorations, can be seen throughout the home.
An archway behind the living room leads into a small room that used to house the saloon’s bar area. A bar cart and upright piano allude to the home’s history, and built-in shelves display the Settinas’ personal library.
Through the living room is the kitchen, which is part of the major renovations the homeowners tackled, though only in the past few years.
Settina noted that the brick walls were already whitewashed when they moved in, and starting to look worse for wear, so they refreshed them with new paint. They replaced the black-and-white flooring with Brazilian cherry wood, which can be seen in the rest of the home.
The quartz countertops and kitchen cabinets were sourced from L&E Stone and Cabinet Inc. in Columbus, and the eye-catching chandelier above the island is from Restoration Hardware. The bright, clean white palette is made lively with bold art, including artwork of horse heads made by local painter Juris Kakis.
Fresh bouquets are also a staple of Carolyn Settina’s décor, many of which she gets from Sunny Meadows Flower Farm.
The half-bathroom is accessible through the kitchen. Settina added a stained-glass window handcrafted by Franklin Art Glass Studios Inc., based in German Village.
Through the kitchen is the current baking room/dining room, which was the kitchen when the Settinas moved in. While the smaller room is well-suited for its current use, “when you opened the dishwasher, it hit the other side,” Settina said. “That was the kitchen I lived with for 11 years with two boys.”
The marble bistro table mirrors one outside, and if it looks familiar, odds are you’ve dined at the nearby Lindey’s – Settina sourced replica tables from the esteemed German Village restaurant, as well a replica of one of its paintings.
The back patio is a private oasis in the bustling neighborhood, with lush plants, a fountain, tall brick walls and patio seating. There are also duck statues, which Settina said are “a nod to Schiller Park ducks.”
The history of the home is appreciated by the Settinas, but so too is the present. When asked about what memories in the home stick out to her, Settina cited her neighbors, and one anecdote in particular.
“My husband and the boys always threw the football outside in the street while the dog would run back and forth,” she recalled.
A couple that lives a few houses away passed by one day and asked how their sons were, mentioning how they used to play outside.
“They were unaware, but it was right after my oldest was deployed, and of course I cried,” Settina said. “I thought it was so kind, and so German Village, that neighbors ask about others.”
This story appeared in the July 2026 issue of Columbus Monthly.
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This article originally appeared on Columbus Monthly: How a historic German Village home honors its legacy
Reporting by Lucy Clark, Columbus Monthly / Columbus Monthly
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Lucy Clark, Columbus Monthly | USA TODAY Network
