Ed and Lesle Pietraniec love their Lombard Avenue home as much today as when they moved in back in 1990.
The charming Tudor bungalow dates to1927, which shows in its spacious, Craftsman-style porch, where the Pietraniecs relax on a swing or chairs on a crisp autumn day.
“Now that we are retired, we use it a lot more than we were working,” says Lesle, who was a medical technologist for Deaconess Health System. Ed was a product development director at Berry Global.
The porch’s look is distinct for its stone and angular patterned brick above the entrance. “It’s just a nice decorative feature,” Lesle says. “The diamond-shaped pattern on all of the brick is a very interesting architectural feature that you rarely see on other homes from that era.”
The Pietraniecs raised their three sons in this house, which stands a bit detached from the East Side’s other clutches of Tudors.
The property’s curbside look hasn’t changed much over the family’s nearly 35 years there — except when a severe storm about five years ago toppled a pair of 70-foot oak trees out front. The Pietraniecs seized the opportunity to repave the sidewalk and driveway.
Ed and Lesle enjoy their sunroom, noticeable because of its arched windows. The second floor’s dormer windows and timbered trim add to the distinct look.
Red tile caps along each ridge of the roof are original, Lesle says, “and we decided to have them reinstalled when the roof was replaced. They add a majestic look to the home, and we wanted to keep that appearance.”
Not every decorative element is on the house. A hexagonal aluminum gas lamppost stands sentry at the sidewalk, poking out from a clutch of panicled hydrangeas, Russian sage, and coral garden roses.
The Pietraniecs’ favorite exterior features? “The arches in the windows and on the porch,” Lesle says, “and the style — the end pillars of the house.”
Ed loves “the classic architectural design and great neighborhood,” he adds.
