“With floor-to-ceiling windows facing the river, the home had me at hello,” says Courtnay Cousino. She grew up near Ohio’s Maumee river as a kid and had dreamed of giving her 5-year-old daughter, London precisely the exact same experience. Her 1950s riverfront home delivers on this, while sleek white marble floors and whitewashed walls allow brilliant midcentury furnishings and also the outside greenery really pop.

in a Glance
Who lives here: Courtnay Cousino, daughter London and their Labrador, Jimmy
Location: Northwest Ohio
Size: 2,954 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 21/2 baths
Year built: 1955

Jeff Jones Snap It Photography

Cousino calls the most important living area — there are two other people — the Marble Room, due to the white marble floors. A wall of windows pulls in greenery and river views. “I love natural lighting and don’t think in curtains covering windows up unless I must,” she says. A curved shadow and console along with the arc of the floor lamp add soft lines to the space.

Cousino loves an ever-changing appearance; her strategy when rearranging is to shop her own house first. The Womb Chair, as an example, was previously used in London’s nursery. She gained lots of her decorating skill while working in Design International Furniture stores.

Sectional couch, bookcases: Menlo Park, American Leather; java table: Elite Modern; chair with ottoman: Saarinen Womb Chair, Y Living; carpet tiles: Flor; media unit: Eames, Design Within Reach; lamp: Arco Floor Lamp by Flos, Hive Modern

Jeff Jones Snap It Photography

Jeff Jones Snap It Photography

An original stone wall adds texture and retains one of three bedrooms in the house. The living room leads to the dining area, which also overlooks the Maumee River. The ottoman–Pilates ball is made of upcycled neckties.

Tripod Floor Lamp: CB2 (no longer available); ottoman: Dreamweavers, Form2Function

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With this dinette space, Cousino repurposed a rolling tool cabinet as a minibar that can be transported between chambers during parties. A local Ohio artist made the graffiti bit, which London’s father gave to her. It depicts all the codes in the airports she is flown from.

Table: Saarinen Dining Table, Knoll; instrument chest: Viper, Sears

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This living area connects to the entry foyer and dinette area. The white buffet was previously used as London’s changing table it now functions as a storage unit. “When I buy furniture, I make sure it’s a thing that could be moved around from room to room, because I love new appearances,” says Cousino. “So in a few months, my home may be an entirely new appearance by moving everything around.”

Orange lamp: Jonathan Adler; mirror: Mondrian, Design Within Reach; coffee table: Thomas O’Brien

Jeff Jones Snap It Photography

A Dan Domber stained glass bit — an interpretation of sunlight, sky and earth — hangs over a fireplace with a marble surround.

Jeff Jones Snap It Photography

Metal shelves display Cousino’s collection of books, artwork and family photographs. The vases and costume decorations are in the Chicago Museum of Modern Art.

Sofa, chairs: American Leather; buffet, wall unit: Design Within Reach; Ghost Lamps: Kartell; carpet tiles: Flor

Jeff Jones Snap It Photography

For the high heeled dining space, Cousino chose easy-to-clean chairs and interchangeable carpet tiles.

Ghost armchairs: Kartell; dining table: Caligarus; carpet tiles: Flor

Jeff Jones Snap It Photography

London’s bedroom features several knit dolls out of BlaBla Kids.

Bed: Wyatt, Room & Board; nightstand: Lightbox, Gus Modern; blue seat: Parker Child Chair, Jennifer Delonge; stool: American Leather

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The center art is a precious piece from Cousino’s childhood home.

Shelving components: Cubitec, Design Within Reach; lamp: Kartell

Jeff Jones Snap It Photography

An oversize doll by Blabla Kids adds a jolt of pleasure to London’s marble-lined toilet.

Jeff Jones Snap It Photography

London’s playroom, on the lower level, features kid-size furniture along with a stocked mini grocery shop.

Shelving: Cubitec, Design Within Reach; supermarket: Melissa & Doug; play table : Plan Toys; green stools (atop shelving unit): Mammut, Ikea

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London and her friends like to sit at the beanbags and miniature chairs while watching boats go by on the river. Her Pez collection adorns the window.

Children’ seat: Lömsk, Ikea; beanbags: Fatboy

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Also on the lower level is a guest bedroom with its own bathroom. The headboard is a large floor mirror, one of four to this degree.

Mirror: Mongstad, Ikea; Straightforward Low Bed Frame: West Elm

Jeff Jones Snap It Photography

A home office with space for entertaining and film nights can also be on the lower level. This is only one of the few areas that have blinds on the windows.

Sectional couch: Lennon, American leather tie carpet: Dreamweaver; floor lamps, coffee table: Arhaus Furniture; mirror: Mongstad, Ikea

Jeff Jones Snap It Photography

Table: Saarinen, Knoll; cream leather accent chair: Modani; pendant lamp: Saucer, George Nelson, Y Living; mirror: Mongstad, Ikea

Jeff Jones Snap It Photography

The home sits on a high mountain. The back faces the river. “I love the way the house seems at one with nature,” says Cousino.

Jeff Jones Snap It Photography

Cousino, London and also their Laboratory, Jimmy, unwind in the living area.

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