Photograph courtesy Coldwell Banker
Address: 4003 Decoursey Ave., Latonia
Price: $639,900
You wouldn’t know it from the street view, but this Northern Kentucky theater is a single-family residence with decades of local history in tow. In the late-19th and early 20th century, our region was dotted with neighborhood theaters. This one was called the Delbee Theater; although after a devastating fire, it was later rebuilt as the Derby Theatre, and it was a hub of entertainment for this Latonia street until the 1940s.
Photograph courtesy Coldwell Banker
Later, it became the home of Kentucky Billiards, a pool table manufacturer. Eventually, owner Roy Niemes—a plumber by trade—transformed the property into a nearly 5,000-square-foot home.
Photograph courtesy Coldwell Banker
It’s a unique listing for a unique buyer: The first floor is mostly work or hobby space, and includes a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment and a large garage space with its own full bathroom. Residents access the living space through a staircase to the second floor—or they can take the early-1900s elevator, which is still in working order. Upstairs you’ll find a huge lofted main room, two bedrooms, and three full bathrooms.
Photograph courtesy Coldwell Banker
The home’s interior is a blend of original and repurposed decor items, from the 1902 bathroom suite (sink, bathtub, toilet, and fixtures) and salvaged shop signage to a set of kitchen cabinets rescued from the Cincinnati Art Museum and an island made from an old school laboratory desk. Niemes himself designed the stone fireplace.
Photograph courtesy Coldwell Banker
Though the home is built for a working owner, it doesn’t skimp on comfort: There are heated floors throughout, and the master suite features two walk-in closets (with hidden access to the first floor via a secret staircase), plus a private deck. The ensuite bathroom has charming 1920s fixtures that offset the industrial setting. And even the old projector room was put to good use: It houses more living space, another bedroom, and a combo bathroom-laundry room.
Photograph courtesy Coldwell Banker
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