W

hen Charles Rothstein first saw the
old Victorian farmhouse on 12 Mile
Road in Farmington Hills, the manag-
ing director of GMA Capital thought the struc-
ture looked like bland student housing.
"The house was covered with aluminum sid-
ing and there was no gingerbread visible," says
Rothstein. "It was ordinary and unappealing."
But Rothstein was looking for new offices for
his private equity and investment banking firm,
and he wanted a space that would reflect the
personality of the young, energetic company. His
associates encouraged him to take another look
at the historic home.
Enter architect Ken Neumann of Neumann
Smith & Associates in Southfield. "I thought
Ken would hate the house," says Rothstein.
Instead, Neumann's reaction was, "I think it
could be the coolest."
With Neumann's vision, the circa 1886
Samuel Davis House was restored to its tradi-
tional elegance on the outside, and on the
inside, the office space is "daring and adventur-
ous," just the image Rothstein was looking for.
The renovation was painstaking, but
Rothstein "didn't want less than perfect. We
were carefully obsessive," he says.
Once builder Todd Sachse poked through the
siding and saw the original decorative wood
details, he preserved what he could and made
molds of the ornate carvings in order to replicate
those that couldn't be saved. Cedar replaced all
of the rotting wood beneath the aluminum sid-
ing. Neumann insisted on the yellow/gold
paint for the exterior, and we "never said no
to him," laughs Rothstein. The result is
an eye-catching, fanciful Italianate
farmhouse, restored to perfection.
But wait until you cross the
threshold. Juxtaposed against
the 19th-century facade is an
interior so fresh and unex-

A N V iliv rit it t

petted, it causes heads to turn. Soaring ceilings,
wide-open spaces, maple and cherry woods and
contemporary furnishings define the lightheart-
ed interior. A bright red chair, and black and
white leather sofa greet guests in the lobby,
along with a colorful framed Bugatti poster.
Associates work in glass-paneled offices,
behind doors distinguished by their funky, round
portholes. Cork flooring provides sound insula-
tion and an element of retro design. Even the
third-floor conference rooms are deceptively
simple and spare, but are outfitted with the
most up-to-date office technologies.
Rothstein, a marathon runner and
father of four, couldn't be more
pleased with the outcome. "Our
office space projects our identi-
ty," he says. "It's traditional,
but energetic, imaginative
and fun."
— Linda Bachrack