More and more empty-nesters are choosing to remodel their homes rather than down-size, primarily because of the cost of moving, but secondarily to have room for visiting family. We are more family oriented now and to have a “home base’” for your children and their children is becoming a desirable ...
I’ve seen very simple, barebones houses in some rural settings. This makes sense when the emphasis is on the farming property. More time is spent outdoors than in. These are not entertaining places or built for lounging - everything is practical. In this type of setting, the front door is ...
It is natural when homeowners are feeling space-bound to want as much new space as possible, and contractors are more than willing to produce it. As they say “be careful of what you ask for, you might just get it.” Big spaces can dwarf existing ones, and break the whole ...
A 4,000-square-feet home built a couple of years ago in Webster Township is a model for green building in more ways than one. Despite its rambling size, it only costs about $1,200 a year to heat and cool and that cost is expected to be halved with the addition of ...
When hundreds of parishioners over its more than 100-year history entered the simple white-sided Ann Arbor church, they saw rows of pews, an altar and a place to worship. When Tamara Real and Carl Rinne entered the building nearly a decade ago, they saw a challenge, great potential and a ...
It’s amazing what we can adapt to in our personal habits when we feel that there is no choice. If a master bathroom is small, usually one partner uses the ‘second’ bath. If traffic is chaotic with lots of congestion, we seem to deal with it. It’s only when some ...
Scott Lankton takes 20-foot bars of cold, hard steel and adds heat, muscle and his artist’s touch to forge graceful gazelles, delicate ginkgo leaves, intricate bouquets of roses and much more.For 30 years, this Ann Arbor ironman has been making custom stair railings, fireplace fronts and screens, furniture, gates and ...
The 1956 Arbor Hills quad-level house was in one of the best neighborhoods in Ann Arbor, sitting on a hill, away from the street and the hubbub. But, like much mid-century modern architecture, it needed a little personality. Enter Debra C. Moore, president of Custom Design/Build of Ann Arbor.
I’m hiring a company to paint my kitchen, and my neighbor told me that there is a new law on lead paint. Could you provide some insight on this law and if it impacts me? -Cheryl T., Ypsilanti If your home was built before 1978, then your neighbor is 100 ...
Having grown up on a farm, I'm no stranger to tools or doing my own repair work around the house. I’ve replaced the heat element in my dryer, shingled the patio roof on my house two years ago, and recently replaced a ceiling fan. Even though I consider myself quite ...
Now that spring is here, do you have any suggestions to help keep my home in tip top shape? -Janice. S. - Ann Arbor Spring is in the air, and being outside can make the home maintenance projects a little easier to do. Not to mention, being proactive will help ...
We adopted a dog at the end of August. Two days prior to receiving him, I had no plans, ideas, or thoughts about having a dog - and yet, here he is. We adopted him from a family who could no longer keep him - if we hadn't brought him ...
There is such a strong connection between our kitchens and family rooms. That holds true on a day-to-day basis through all kinds of activities as well as during entertaining. Ideally, the kitchen is set up for multiple cooks and has a good view of the people in the family room, ...
At one time, the huge whirlpool tub was the rage. Builders put them in all homes as if it were a requirement. These were fit into master bathrooms almost like a shrine, on platforms, surrounded by windows, and sometimes mirrors. The common thought was that you couldn’t sell a house ...
If you have young children, and by “young,” I mean kids under the age of twelve, chances are you have little art things hanging around your house. Most of those “little art things” in my house are broken crayons, and thanks to the ingenuity of another mom on one of ...
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com AnnArbor.com's partner news site MLive.com is on a quest to find the best barbecue in ......
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