“I grew up loving Tudors,” says Amy Konja, who, with her husband, Steve, had been searching for Tudors in hopes of finding one for their growing family. The couple decided to look at some of the Tudors in Birmingham’s Quarton Lake area. They still couldn’t find what they were looking for.
For one thing, they discovered that while traditional Tudors are often gracious and filled with exquisite features and craftsmanship, they can also be dark and divided up into many small rooms, which is totally impractical by modern standards. Like everyone else in the market today, the Konjas wanted a large living space. They also wanted a staircase off the front door, and a proper library, like those found in so many old Tudors.
The couple finally decided that to get exactly what they wanted, they had to build a new home — one with “1920s spirit; an open concept, but still cozy; and a place with moody moments,” Amy explains. She and Steve contacted Birmingham architect Brian Neeper.
“We asked (Neeper) to think ‘Palmer Park Tudor’ as the inspiration for this home,” Amy says. Neeper drew up the plans for what would become a three-level, four-bedroom, four-bath, two-powder-room home with 6,450 square feet of finished space, two working gas fireplaces, and one faux fireplace in the main office. There’s also a second-floor laundry and a lower level with an entertainment area with a bar, as well as a gym. Off the bedroom near the garage, a second office nook with a built-in desk and shelves serves as the study area for the Konjas’ two daughters.
The Konjas also got the stairway they wanted, right inside the front door, along with a foyer with wainscoting and an arched entryway to the library. And for the modern lives they lead, the entire back of the house — which includes the kitchen, dining room, and great room — is wide open and full of light.
“When we started the process, I wanted to do the design myself,” says Amy, who has been partial to global design influences, particularly Asian, ever since she traveled with her parents as a child. “I had been planning this house in my head for 44 years.”
But out of the blue, just as those plans were taking form, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had to find someone to carry out her dream-home plans as she went through intensive treatments (thankfully, she’s fine now). A trusted friend recommended Birmingham’s Ellwood Interiors and fate brought her the firm’s senior interior designer, Victoria Shelley. The two clicked, and they hit the ground running, selecting everything from the brick and stucco colors of the exterior to the playful wall coverings in the children’s office and the laundry room.
“I would create mini-powerpoint presentations for Victoria and say, ‘This is my inspiration for this room,’ ’’ Amy says, “and she would come back with samples. She nailed it time and time again. By the end of the process, she could read my mind.”
Steve Konja had plenty of input into the design, as well. “Steve was the ‘modern’ to my ‘Tudor,’ ” Amy says. “He balanced things. I’d show him something dark and he’d say ‘No, something light.’ ”
Designer Shelley used a light color palette with bold contrasts in wall coverings, accessories, and rugs. Wainscoting and other fine touches contribute to a sense of Tudor charm.
“While a typical wainscot, seen in the foyer, would be in a dark stain, this home was updated with bright white paint. A Tudor arch — a shallow arch that culminates at a distinctive center point — frames the proper library and is perfectly centered on the room’s carved silver limestone fireplace. Diamond-pane windows in a black finish speak to the caming (grooved metal bars) that’s traditionally used,” the designer shares.
Asian-inspired prints and textures, which Amy adores, were incorporated into the modern/Tudor design in the draperies in the library, the wallpaper in several rooms, and in the master bath’s ottoman. Shelley also maximized space, storage, and function for the young family, with fabrics that are chic yet comfy and durable.
This home has everything the Konjas hoped for: It’s warm, welcoming, and wonderful.
What’s more, says Amy, it’s cool. “All the kids want to hang out at our house,” she says.
BUYER’S GUIDE
INTERIOR DESIGNER
Victoria Shelley, Ellwood Interiors, Birmingham, ellwoodinteriors.com
BATHROOM, MASTER
Bathtub – Signature Hardware
Cabinetry – Hollywood Cabinets, Shelby Township
Chandelier – Visual Comfort
Drapery – Romo, Tennant & Associates, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Flooring – Timeless Silver Travertine, Cercan Tile, Inc., Michigan Design Center, Troy
Mirror – CVS Glass & Mirror, Clinton Township
Ottoman – Custom, Ellwood Interiors, Birmingham, Laird’s Upholstery, Livonia; Fabric, Kravet and Pindler, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Sconces – Visual Comfort
Shelving, Built-In – Probuilt Woodworking, Macomb; Design, Brian Neeper Architecture, Birmingham
Table, Occasional – Pottery Barn
Tile (Inlay) – Olympia Tile, Beaver Tile and Stone, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Wall Paint – Sherwin-Williams, Intellectual Gray
Wall Paneling – Probuilt Woodworking, Macomb; Ellwood Interiors, Birmingham
BEDROOM, MASTER
Bedding – RH
Ceiling Paint – Sherwin-Williams, Pure White
Chairs – Charles Stewart Co.
Drapery – Pindler, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Fabrication, Drapery and Pillow – Decoroom Workroom, Lake Orion
Light, Bedside – Arteriors
Pillow, Accent – Great Plains, Tennant & Associates, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Rug – STARK Carpet, Troy
Table, Bedside – RH
Wall Paint – Sherwin-Williams, Elephant Ear
Wallpaper – Phillip Jeffries, Tennant & Associates, Michigan Design Center, Troy
KITCHEN
Bar Stools – Ballard Designs
Cabinet Paint – Sherwin-Williams, Pure White
Cabinetry – Hollywood Cabinets, Shelby Township
Countertop – Mont Quartz, Diamond Granite, Shelby Township
Hardware – Newport Brass, Herald Wholesale, Troy
Hood – Hollywood Cabinets, Shelby Township
Stove – ILVE
Wall Paint – Sherwin-Williams, Anew Gray
LAUNDRY ROOM
Bins, Storage – Household Essentials
Cabinetry – Hollywood Cabinets, Shelby Township
Countertop – Diamond Granite, Shelby Township
Flooring – Monocibec, Virginia Tile, Troy
Shelves and Ceiling Rack – Etsy
Wall Paint – Sherwin-Williams, Worldly Gray
Wallpaper – Astek
Washer and Dryer – Maytag, Specialties Showroom, Berkley
LIBRARY
Armchairs – RH
Ceiling Treatment – Probuilt Woodworking, Macomb
Chandelier – Visual Comfort
Drapery – Fabrication, Decoroom Workroom, Lake Orion; Fabric, Schumacher, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Fireplace – Genesee Cut Stone & Marble Co., Flint
Lounger, Wingback – Theodore Alexander, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Pillows, Accent – Ryan Studio
Rug – STARK Carpet, Troy
Shelves, Built-In – Probuilt Woodworking, Macomb; Ellwood Interiors, Birmingham
Table, Occasional – West Elm
Wall Paint – Sherwin-Williams, Pure White, Naval, Elephant Ear
OFFICE
Chair – Artistic Frame, Tennant & Associates, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Chandelier – Pottery Barn
Desk and Shelving – Probuilt Woodworking, Macomb; Ellwood Interiors, Birmingham
Ottoman – Target
Sconces – Arteriors
Wall Inserts – Schumacher
Wall Paint – Sherwin-Williams, Felted Wool
Window Seat Cushion – Pindler, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Window Shade – Schumacher, Michigan Design Center, Troy
STUDY AREA, CHILDREN’S
Flooring – Ceramica, Virginia Tile, Troy
Shelf and Desk Paint – Sherwin-Williams, Urbane Bronze
Shelves and Desk – Hollywood Cabinets, Shelby Township
Wall Paint – Sherwin-Williams, Silverplate
Wallpaper – Lee Jofa, Kravet/Lee Jofa/ Brunschwig & Fils, Michigan Design Center, Troy
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