A Buffalo Victorian Has a Sense of History—and More Than 400 Plants

Name: Johanna C. Dominguez
Location: Buffalo, NY
Size: 2,430 square feet
Type of home: East Lake Victorian
Years lived in: 3

Before Johanna C. Dominquez bought her gorgeously quirky Victorian in Buffalo, NY, she was living in a rental outside New York City. Between the high rent, utilities, and upkeep, she found herself wondering why she was investing so much in someone else’s property. She’d loved Buffalo when she lived there as an undergraduate; why not see what she could invest in there?

The answer, it turns out, was plenty. Johanna, who had been saving for a down payment, didn’t just find that her money went farther in Buffalo: She also found that she loved the artsy, interesting city it had become since her college years. Johanna wanted to live in a community with heart and character, and Buffalo had both. She envisioned a beautiful Victorian where she could sit on the porch, grow a huge garden, and meld her own colorful sensibility with those classic Victorian details.

Johanna met her match in Damian O’Meally, a real estate agent and a REALTOR®, a member of the National Association of REALTORS^®. As a REALTOR^®, Damian is bound by a strict Code of Ethics to act with integrity and to use his expertise in his clients’ best interests, finding them the right home and giving them peace of mind. Plus, Damian studied architecture in college (also in Buffalo) and shared Johanna’s commitment to the unique aesthetic and personality of the city.

“I like places that tell a story,” Damian says. “I really love to preserve old homes and their details. Johanna is unique in the market: She cares a lot about the community. She has friends with local stores. She cares about preserving the details, too.” In fact, she didn’t want a house newer than 1920!

Damian helped Johanna get reacquainted with a rapidly changing Buffalo, which has grown in recent years as people are drawn to a less-densely populated city life that’s still big on local businesses and culture. He listened to her criteria, which included a driveway, a yard, and walkability. But he also nudged her to consider neighborhoods that he thought might be better investments for her—including Allentown, where she eventually bought. Johanna wasn’t even sure she wanted to visit the house that would become hers, but Damian convinced her it was worth a look. When she arrived, it was love at first sight…and smell.

“I was sitting on the porch steps waiting for Damian and immediately felt right at home,” Johanna says. “As soon as I walked in, it had a similar smell to my grandparent’s historic house. Right when I got to the curve of the steps I turned to Damian and said, ‘This is it.'”

The previous owner had passed away several years prior. Although the house needed work—it hadn’t been updated since the 1970s—that owner’s three sons wanted to sell to someone who would honor all the special architectural accents he loved.

Damian and Johanna shared a commitment to keeping Buffalo’s history intact even as it changed. “Preserving old details—the pine floors, the oak stairways—keeps the richness of Buffalo,” Damian says. “Johanna wasn’t in it for the equity. For her, it’s where she practices what she wants to implement in her community.”

Johanna’s mind was made up: She was ready to buy her first home. Damian guided her through making an offer (which was accepted!); completing a solid inspection; and navigating closing costs. With the help of a REALTOR®, Johanna knew she got a great home at a great price. Then, she got to work.

Johanna gleefully tackled renovations, from redesigning the kitchen and redoing the floors to landscaping a gorgeous garden and painting everything in vibrant, cheerful colors that make the house feel fresh and modern while honoring the Victorian details. She also added some plants, an idea that quickly turned into an obsession—and a career! Johanna now has more than 400 plants, many housed in an old shed converted with straw bale walls and a green roof. She’s even opening a plant shop, Put a Plant On It!

Growing up, Johanna’s family was constantly moving. Now she’s thrilled to have a place to call her own, a home she can fill with color and character and plants (…and plants and more plants and…) The previous owners are thrilled too: “They’ve come by for tours,” Johanna says, “and they are so happy with how I’m living in the home.” And with Johanna happy in her home, Buffalo moves onward while preserving its history.

• My style: If I had to choose one word to describe Valinor’s style, it is bohemian. I love to incorporate all my passions into the space. Being a frequent traveler and having grown up in six different countries, I like to embrace all the countries that made me who I am and bring them into my home since all these countries are home to me.
• Favorite element: Everyone who walks into Valinor — whether friend, contractor, or guest — immediately comments on the good energy this home has. This home has always had a warm, welcoming, and almost embracing feeling to it. I love that people feel this and enjoy and love the house as much as I do. Especially being an old home, I can often feel how thankful the home is to be a place people enjoy and love.
• Biggest challenge: Most people would probably say age in a 150-year old home, but this is the reason why I love my house. But it is challenging to pay homage to the original architectural elements and keep the integrity of the home. But one thing that attracted me to Valinor is how solid she was despite that age.
• Best thing about being a homeowner: I love being able to have the freedom to express myself inside and out. Having lived in apartments for so many years where I knew each nail hole could affect my getting a security deposit back, it is nice to have the freedom to do whatever I want and create my space.
• Advice for someone buying their first home: Definitely look at as many homes as you can and definitely check out homes you think you won’t like at first. I originally looked over Valinor because of the brick building in the back, but I’m so glad I listened to my real estate agent to check her out anyway. Also do not be afraid of buying an older home. Materials used 150 years ago are far superior to materials used today: Wood was denser and older, and rock was not composited. There’s a reason these homes still look so good 150 years later. Homes built today are not built to last 150 years. I know this home will be here for 150 more years after I leave.
• What was one frustration in your home-buying process, and how did you overcome it? The most frustrating part was waiting for the previous owner and neighbor to negotiate the property line. It took several months to close because they kept going back and forth. All it took was patience. Now that neighbor and I are good friends.
• Favorite part of Allentown: I love living on a super tight-knit street. I love having to leave 40 minutes early to get anywhere if I am walking because there are so many people that say hello. I love that I can walk everywhere. I love the Buffalo Airport. Seriously. Having grown up in airports, I am stingy about airports. But it makes traveling so pleasurable and so easy. I can get to the airport in under 20 minutes and skip anywhere in the world.
• Why did you choose Buffalo? I chose it because it best fits me. I was really looking for a place that was historic and walkable. I lived in and around New York City previously and love the culture and pace of the city. I didn’t want to give that up, but I wanted to be able to own my own home and have more space. Buffalo certainly fits that bill. It is quickly catching up with so many great activities and businesses. I often describe the feel of Buffalo as Brooklyn without the chip on its shoulder. My neighborhood is a truly artsy and bohemian neighborhood that fits my aesthetics perfectly.

Thanks, Johanna!