PORT CLINTON — Holly Miller of Columbus was married on the Gideon Owen Wine Company lawn last year, and her reception was held inside the 150-year-old winery. During the reception, guests were welcome to tour the vintage wine cellar with drinks in hand.

The wedding created a unique experience for the wedding party and guests, but when Holly stepped inside Gideon Owen’s newly renovated event space, The Loft, during an open house on Aug. 13, she could envision what the venue could have added to her wedding reception.

“My wedding was perfect. I have no regrets,” she said. “This just would have been icing on the cake.”

Holly attended the open house with her mother-in-law, Carrie Miller of Catawba. The ladies had been inside The Loft prior to the renovation, when red carpet and dropped ceilings created a dark atmosphere. They were struck, they said, by the transformation, saying the space was brighter and more open.

“I didn’t recognize it. It’s stunning,” Carrie said. “I love the rustic elegance.”

True to their ongoing commitment to meld historical preservation with modern progress, Gideon Owen owners Quintin and Donna Smith retained the room’s original limestone walls while adding modern elements to the space.

“It’s a combination of Old World and modern world, with the chandeliers and different kinds of furniture,” said Teresa Moe of Macedonia. “It blends together beautifully.”

Moe attended the open house with Ann Glass, who owns homes in Port Clinton and Medina.

“I was here before the renovations, and it is stunning,” Glass said. “It just looks so modern and so fresh and so beautiful now.”

The room’s prior dark ambiance, which remained from the former owners, was unappealing to customers, leaving it underutilized. The Smiths wanted to design an event space that was engaging and comfortable but also sophisticated enough for formal affairs. They raised the ceilings, removed the carpet, created upscale lounge spaces amongst the dining tables, and added the Smith elegance which people have come to expect and recognize.

“It didn’t fit the rest of Gideon Owen before,” Holly said. “Now it does.”

During renovations, two windows were discovered hidden behind plaster. The windows were uncovered and restored, and they now allow more natural light to flow into the hall. Rectangular holes run horizontally under the windows where native walnut beams were once secured into the wall. As the Smiths began to envision the possibilities the unique space offered, they hired architects to bring their ideas to fruition.

“We brought the architects in, and they got all excited and helped us transform it,” Quintin said.

Adding to the esthetic appeal of the space is the quiet atmosphere not typical in venues as large as The Loft. Creating an event space where conversation can flow easily and comfortably was a major goal of the renovation project.

Sound-dampening flooring was installed, and acoustic deadening material was added to the raised ceiling. Rock wall insulation was covered with felt, which was lined with walnut strips to absorb sound.

“Spaces like this can have reverberation noise and vibration noise, and we tackled both,” Quintin said.

The Loft can seat up to 125 people and is available for large and small events. For more information, visit gideonowenwine.com/events or call 419- 797-4445.

Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at sheritrusty4@gmail.com.