The Carriage House: Luxury Rental in OTR

The Carriage House was the first property to be owned and operated by GW. We purchased the building in June of 2018 and spent several months transforming it into a luxury rental property in the heart of Over-The-Rhine. Initially intended to be a side project, we accomplished the renovation over many flights back and forth between Los Angeles and Cincinnati with the help of an amazing local team.

Once the carriage house to an adjacent building, the property had most recently been used as a very small office building prior to sitting vacant for over five years. We viewed the interior as a blank slate with historic charm, and set out to design a luxury rental that would provide a private hospitality experience to guests and breath life back into a building that had been underutilized for so long.

The first floor was converted into an open-plan living area with spacious kitchen. Custom blue cabinets with vintage hardware and playful wallpaper add color to an otherwise crisp white palette. Upstairs, what was formerly two offices became a large master bedroom and bath with Moroccan tile and a clawfoot tub. New Italian herringbone floors throughout connected the spaces and helped blend modern and historic details.

The Carriage House opened in March 2019 and has since hosted many wonderful guests, been the setting of beautiful private events, and received over 50 five-star reviews. In October it was featured in Cincinnati Refined, which referred to it as “Pendleton’s Prettiest Airbnb”.

Our First Property in Cincinnati

The decision to buy a building was a big one, but not difficult. We wanted to own something, we wanted an inspiring project to work on in a place where it would matter, and we knew that with our combined experience and skill sets we could take a building and make into something great. But which building? We didn’t expect finding the perfect place to be easy.

When we fell in love with 306 Grear Alley its address did not yet exist. Listed as 1210 B Sycamore, it was a historic two-story brick building from 1875 that had always been considered part of the larger complex with which it shares a wall. Its location, at the intersection of two cobblestone alleys, was a big part of the draw for us.

It’s hidden yet accessible. Off the beaten path, yet right in the heart of bustling Over-The-Rhine. Mostly, it reminded us of travels to Italy where every street corner overflows with European charm, history, and perfect espresso. Was it really a hard decision to settle on 306 Grear Alley as the home of our first project? Nope, not really.

Later, on one of our first visits to the property after closing, we would find out that neighbors have long referred to it as “The Carriage House”, which explains the unique location as well as the amazing oversized doors. The 1400 square foot interior had original exposed brick walls, an abundance of windows, and skylights to let the sunshine in. To us, it was already a gem long before it became The Carriage House as we know it now.