When Sharon Maskin found this property near downtown Birmingham, it had the right footprint and a yard big enough to accommodate a swimming pool, and it was a close walk into town. She wanted a smaller home than the one she and her husband lived in — something more manageable and with less maintenance, among other needs.
As for the house, a 1940s bungalow that had been added onto, the idea was to knock it down and start anew. But just as the papers were signed and plans started to take shape, Maskin’s beloved husband, Richard, passed away.
There was no turning back with the property, but Maskin thought remodeling the house would be faster than tearing it down.
“I needed to downsize, so I decided to just remodel,” Maskin says. She turned to Farmington Hills builder Terry Nosan, of Nosan Signature Homes, and Birmingham designer Ian Hartwell, of Oliver Max Inc., to get things moving.
The project was intense. “There was lots of demo on the first floor,” builder Nosan recalls. Luckily, the old house’s materials had no remediation issues. To achieve the design intent, however, that level had to be modified to support the upper floor, plumbing, HVAC improvements, and removing walls in order to open up the layout.
Nosan turned a portion of the living room into part of the primary bedroom and added another 300 square feet to create an ensuite bath, walk-in closet, and covered porch in the back. He opened up the whole kitchen; removed the gabled dormers along the second story and reconfigured a single dormer; added new windows, a new front door and sidelights, a portico, and heavy-duty extruded metal siding; and painted the bricks for a more modern exterior. The final touch was a sturdy metal roof. In the process, the home grew from 3,223 square feet to 4,400 square feet.
The second level features another primary suite, plus another bath and two smaller bedrooms that connect via a carpeted tunnel. Maskin says her grandsons use the tunnel as a big, long fort, and to move between rooms. For her married children and their families, the second floor is a mellow place where they can relax when they visit.
In the rear of the house, there’s a covered terrace with a two-way fireplace, a swimming pool, pool storage, and a half bath — all screened and landscaped for privacy. An open terrace with a fireplace is conveniently located outside the primary bedroom.
“All the demo on an existing home is hard,” Nosan says. “You’ve got to have skilled carpenters who know what they’re doing.” Fortunately, he has them.
Nosan recalls some of the hairier moments of the deconstruction: “Once we took it all apart, there were portions of the house that were very old compared to today’s standards,” he says. One spot on the main level, for example, had old floorboards and his team had to figure out how to make the floor level from one end of the house to the other.
“When moving walls, you just don’t know how it will work,” the builder continues. “First you strip the drywall or plaster, then it’s kind of reverse engineering, and sometimes you can’t do it.”
Hartwell, who directed both the interior and exterior design, recalls some of his goals and challenges, which occurred in the thick of the pandemic. He says he and Maskin had to look at samples via Zoom, and upholstery orders were 30 to 40 weeks out.
“Sharon wanted color,” Hartwell says. “She likes art and wanted to showcase hers and invest in more. She wanted a modern aesthetic — a new feel, a new start.” Thus, he curated the brilliant palette of electric blues and primary colors, and the wide-open feel of this remodel, which he calls “modern mountain.”
Inside, the home is filled with interesting artwork and murals, and although it’s luxurious, it’s also kid-friendly. Outside, the house is clad in a warm cedar-look siding that’s maintenance-free. The kitchen and bath décor are elegant and neutral. The library/office features WeldWork custom-handcrafted steel doors with a divided light glass, so Maskin can see what’s happening in the house, and a floor-to-ceiling wall of custom cabinets that hide the grandkids’ toys. The 15-by-40-foot pool, with its large charcoal glass tile surround and spa, is painted in soft hues that Hartwell compares to “a big glass of water.”
Maskin loves her four-bedroom/three-full- and two-half-bath house — particularly the site lines of her sleek kitchen, where she enjoys cooking and entertaining, and everything can be contained behind closed doors. She says Nosan Signature Homes went out of their way to customize moldings, casings, and all cabinetry to provide the clean lines she wanted.
It was about 17 months before Maskin could move in, and many projects were still in the works. Given the enormity of the remodel, she laughs: “I should have just knocked it down.” But, all considered, she says, “there wasn’t one horror story, and I’d do it all again with Terry Nosan. He went above and beyond for me in many instances.”
BUYER’S GUIDE
BUILDER
Terry Nosan, Nosan Signature Homes, Farmington Hills, nosansignaturehomes.com
BATHROOM, PRIMARY
Bathtub – Nokori, Bain Ultra, Advance Plumbing and Heating Supply Co., Walled Lake
Cabinetry – Bernier Cabinetry, Executive Kitchens, Royal Oak
Countertops – Artemis Polished, Geoluxe, Ciot, Troy
Door, Shower – 3/8-inch Shower Guard Tempered Glass; Hinges, Square Style Polished Chrome; Pull, Hamburg, Kartners
Faucets – California Faucets, Advance Plumbing and Heating Supply Co., Walled Lake
Fixtures, Shower – Jaclo, Hansgrohe, Mountain Plumbing, Advance Plumbing and Heating Supply Co., Walled Lake
Fixtures, Vanity – Diamonds LED Collection, George Kovacs, Pine Tree Furniture & Lighting, Lake Orion
Flooring – Renoir, Ciot, Troy
Mirror – Lux Collection LED, Elegant Lighting, Pine Tree Furniture & Lighting, Lake Orion
Sink – Toto, Advance Plumbing and Heating Supply Co., Walled Lake
Tile, Shower – Renoir, Ciot, Troy
Wall Paint – Benjamin Moore, Super White
Window Treatments – SoundCheck, Southfield
DINING ROOM
Chairs – No. 725 Chair, A. Rudin
Chandelier – Heracleum III Pendant, Bertjan Pot, Moooi, Lightology
Door, Sliding – Siteline, Jeld-Wen, Antcliff Windows & Doors, Burton
Flooring – Live Pure, Plank Castle, Boen, Everlast Floors, Troy
Table – Aqua Dining Table, Fabrice Berrux, Roche Bobois, Novi
Wall Art (Jacks) – Kaiser Suidan, Next Step Studio & Gallery, Ferndale
Wall Covering – Custom Sized Mural, Élitis
Wall Paint – Benjamin Moore, Super White
FOYER
Bench – Custom, Lambskin Wool, Made Goods
Door – Signature Flush White Oak, Mans Lumber, Canton
Flooring – Live Pure, Plank Castle, Boen, Everlast Floors, Troy
Lighting – Palisades Ave Pendant, Avenue Lighting, Pine Tree Lighting, Lake Orion
Railing – Viewrail
Rug and Stair Treads – Missoni Tivoli, Lapis, Stark Carpet, Troy
Wall Art – Original Piece, Danielle Peleg Gallery, Keego Harbor
Wall Paint – Benjamin Moore, Super White
KITCHEN
Cabinetry – Bernier Cabinetry, Executive Kitchens, Royal Oak
Cooktop – 36-inch Black Induction Cooktop, Wolf, Specialties Showroom, Berkley
Counter Stools – Eames Wire Stools, Herman Miller, MarxModa, Detroit
Countertops – Crystal Black, Ciot, Troy
Faucet – Single-Lever Mixer, Chrome, Dornbracht, Advance Plumbing and Heating Supply Co., Walled Lake
Sink – Crosstown Stainless Steel, Elkay, Advance Plumbing and Heating Supply Co., Walled Lake
Vent Hood – Diamante, Faber, Specialties Showroom, Berkley
Wall Material – Statuario Manhattan, Ciot, Troy
Wall Paint – Benjamin Moore, Super White
LOFT SPACE
Chairs – Giselle Chair, Bernhardt; Fabric, Pierre Fray, Holly Hunt
Doors – Madison, Jeld-Wen, Mans Lumber, Canton
Fireplace, Color – Benjamin Moore, Delphinium
Flooring – Bellisimo, SSD Carpets
Ottoman – Andie Bumper Ottoman, Bernhardt
TV – SoundCheck, Southfield
Wall Art – Balancing Act, Bobby Berk, Left Bank Art
Wall Paint – Benjamin Moore, Super White
OFFICE
Desk – Honour Desk, Arteriors
Flooring – Castle Pink, Boen, Everlast Floors, Troy
Rug – Hyde/Metallic Rug, Mastour
Sofa – Custom, Oliver Max Inc., Royal Oak
Table, Tiered – Serafina Tables, Arteriors
Wall Art – Melody Kratz, Studio of Art, Oak Park
Wall Paint – Benjamin Moore, Blueberry Hill
Windows – Siteline, Jeld-Wen, Antcliff Windows & Doors, Burton
Window Treatment – SoundCheck, Southfield
PATIO
Chair, Patio – Santa Cruz Chair, Bernhardt
Chairs, Patio (Poolside) – Antilles Rope Arm Chair, Bernhardt
Concrete – Exposed Aggregate, Natural
Fan – Wet Custom, Zonix, Pine Tree Furniture & Lighting, Lake Orion
Fireplace – Barcelona Lights, Astria, American Fireplace and BBQ Distributors, Ferndale; Stone, Split Face Panels, Ritz Gray, Ciot, Troy
Paneling, Ceiling – V-Groove Lumber
Pool – Heated Saltwater Pool, PebbleTec, Limestone Coping, Gillette Brothers Pool & Spa, Troy
Roof – Standing Seam Metal
Siding – FastPlank, Dark Walnut, Bolyard Lumber, Birmingham
Sofa, Patio – Capri Sofa, Bernhardt
Table, Patio – Martini Table, Stone Yard Inc., Carlsbad Manufacturing Corp.
Table, Patio (Poolside) – Del Mar Round Dining Table, Bernhardt
Umbrella – Allstate Home Leisure by Watson’s, Watson’s of Livonia, Livonia
EXTERIOR (FRONT)
Brick – Existing; Paint Color, Amazing Gray, Sherwin-Williams
Columns – FastPlank, Dark Walnut, Bolyard Lumber, Birmingham
Front Door – Signature Flush White Oak, Mans Lumber, Canton
Garage Door – Horizon, Amarr Garage Doors, M&M Garage Doors, New Haven
Landscaping – Great Oaks Landscape, Novi
Lighting, Front Door – Dawn, Modern Forms, Black, Pine Tree Furniture & Lighting, Lake Orion
Roof – Standing Seam Metal
Siding (Wood) – FastPlank, Dark Walnut, Bolyard Lumber, Birmingham
Windows – Siteline, Jeld-Wen, Antcliff Windows & Doors, Burton
ADDITIONAL PROJECT CONTRIBUTORS
Architect – David Lubin Architects, Bloomfield Hills
Interior Designer – Ian Hartwell, Oliver Max Inc., Birmingham
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