Some homes carry history in their bones, but the Battles Road home of Steve Schimoler and Rande Mellen carried its history across town. Built in 1853, the original farmhouse sat for 100 years at the corner of SOM Center and Mayfield Roads, where prominent early figure Lyman Russell once lived. In 1953, the structure was moved piece by piece to a well-chosen plot on Battles Road in Gates Mills.

Plotted precisely east to west, the house was positioned so the family could watch the sunset track across the landscape throughout the changing seasons. According to historical records, the structure lived past lives as an early tavern and later added a 1920s general store before making its journey to the Village. When a previous owner planned an addition decades ago, they even adjusted the blueprint to stop short of an old historic tree rather than taking it down.

For Steve and Rande, that early history of gathering people together makes the home a natural fit.

"If the walls could talk," Steve said, pointing back to the building's tavern roots. "It really has seen a lot of history. With our background in hospitality, getting to carry on that tradition here feels fortuitous."

Over the decades, extensions and garages were added, but the original 1853 farmhouse core remains intact, complete with its original hardwood floors and fireplace. Steve has a test kitchen and culinary lab on the property for his work. Out back, an expansive deck features a 14-foot farm table that seats up to 14 people for outdoor dining. The table itself is a one-of-a-kind antique work table with hooks underneath, salvaged from an artist loft warehouse in Lakewood.

Looking out over the yard, a custom treehouse sits nestled in the woods, built between three pine trees spaced exactly 16 feet apart. Inspired by traditional Adirondack camps, it is sturdy enough to have weathered the tornadic winds from a few years ago and comes equipped with an antique work table and a basket-and-pulley system used to send up champagne and hors d'oeuvres during gatherings. Further down in the field, they even set up a tee box with four target flags, giving family and guests a 180-yard chip-and-putt challenge across the lawn.

Steve and Rande bring a mix of talents to Battles Road. Originally from Long Island, New York, Steve spent years as a well-known Cleveland chef and restaurateur, best known for Crop Restaurant Group, which included Crop Bistro in Ohio City. While he stepped away from the daily restaurant business ten years ago, food remains central to his life. As Vice President of Innovation and Development for Aramark Corporation, he manages culinary innovation for hospitals and university campuses nationwide.

Rande, who grew up in Gloucester, Massachusetts, is an accomplished horse trainer, artist, and gardener. She owns Fox Den Farm and teaches young riders out of Legacy Horse Farm on Sherman Road. Her original paintings and coastal-inspired artwork hang throughout the home. The couple originally connected through Steve's sister, who had known Rande in the equestrian world for two decades.

Their blended family includes seven adult children and ten grandchildren, with creative talent running deep through the generations. Steve's children are Kirsten, a top food scientist who spent a decade developing flavors for Ben & Jerry's, and Stevie, who owns a landscaping business in Sarasota, Florida. Rande's five children are Erik, a master builder in Chagrin Falls who has appeared on This Old House, Kelby, an award-winning rider who helps run Fox Den Farm, along with Megan, Hayley, and Kipp.

Hospitality is a daily way of life at 544 Battles Road. Whether hosting old friends, former media colleagues, or their large family, Steve and Rande regularly gather up to 20 people around the table for multi-course meals.

"To me and my whole career being in the food business, it was the reward of everyone sharing the table," Steve said. "That is what brings everyone in."

One of their favorite family memories on the property was hosting the entire family for the April 2024 total solar eclipse. With the path of totality passing directly overhead, the grandkids spent the afternoon painting outside with Rande before the temperature dropped and the Village went pitch dark.

The property is also home to three dogs: Truman, an Australian Shepherd, and German Shepherd brothers Bruce and MAS. The name MAS is a backwards tribute to SAM, Steve's childhood barn dog who was half wolf and half Belgian Shepherd.

When they are not entertaining at home, Steve and Rande enjoy simple Village routines, from grabbing coffee and scones at Addie's Cup to picking up fresh produce at Eddy's Farm Stand or supporting the Gates Mills Historical Society.