hospitality of the midwest .
“ We were gravitating more towards the salt of the Earth ,” Spillmann said . “ Though I ’ m an architect , I ’ m more of a craftsman . I like being hands-on . I like refinishing furniture . I like to repair pottery . So I really respect the craftsman , the farmer , the construction worker .”
The couple sold their Orlando home in August 2021 and drove around the country searching for the perfect renovation project . After looking at houses in southwest New York and western Pennsylvania , they thought they had settled on a house in the latter area . However , the sellers were having a hard time departing from their family home .
“ The house needed a lot of work , but the people didn ’ t really want to sell it ,” Spillmann said .
They felt the home could be salvaged , but they also knew it would be a lot of work .
“ It was going to collapse . We wanted to save it , because it was beautiful . But it was a sign . It got us here ,” Shiroma said .
All signs point to Centerville
As Spillmann and Shiroma were traveling the country , they were buying antique pieces along the way – even though their belongings were in storage .
“ We were buying all of this furniture and antique pieces without knowing where they were going to go ,” Spillmann said .
The couple bought an antique cabinet that has features identical to the arches of the master staircase in the Bradley home ; a pebble glass screen that hugs the fireplace in the parlor ; a painting that effortlessly sits above the fireplace mantel ; and a Victrola that fits perfectly in the corner of the living room .
“ It ’ s like the house was shopping through us ,” Shiroma said .
The name Drake Hall suddenly came to Shiroma ’ s mind when looking at houses in Pennsylvania . The Bradley home is located on Drake Avenue .
“ This name , Drake Hall , I really don ’ t know why , but it came to me . As we were looking at old houses , I couldn ’ t get it out of my mind .”
A drake is also a baby dragon , a creature prominent in Japanese culture thought to bring wealth and good fortune . The Bradley home was heavily influenced by Japanese architecture .
6 Southern Iowa Living