one of the panels in the home opens to reveal a hidden space.) The
6,000-square-foot English-style manor was the first home in the Indian
Mound area of Bloomfield Township.
And although the home is large, Annie worked with late Birmingham
interior designer Brian Killian to create an oasis of family-friendly com-
fort. On any given summer day at the Cohen home, Annie might wel-
come her grown daughters and two grandchildren over for a day splash-
ing in the pool. "The kids love the pool," she says of the little feet often
heard scampering from pool and patio to the home's enclosed porch.
"The room originally was an outdoor space with an awning, but a previ-
ous homeowner enclosed it," Annie explains. "I love the room, so we
added heat and air conditioning so that we can enjoy it year-round and
look out to the trees and gardens."
The room is also where many of Annie's treasures can be found on
display. Among them is her collection of Tramp Art — a turn-of-the-
century folk art form in which usually untrained artisans carve and layer
small pieces of wood (often culled from cigar boxes) into boxes, picture
frames, even furniture. "I like things that are rustic," she says.>
For another view of their gardens, the Cohens can relax in a sunny
breakfast room just off the kitchen. "We planned some of the gardens

0

he elements of nature capture Annie Cohen's heart. So it's no
surprise that the Bloomfield Township home she shares with
her husband, Rob, is surrounded by serene, fish-friendly gar-
dens filled with whimsical art, a boulder-encircled swimming
pool and lush, towering trees.
But just like the grounds surrounding her home, Annie's indoor
spaces also embrace the organic. Her colorful pottery, miniature-box
groupings, twig art collections, Native American art, large wood sculp-
tures and so much more are each a treasure.
In the living room, a collection of enamel boxes are embellished with
floral imagery; in the foyer, a vast array of Roseville pottery charms with
designs of cherubs and trees; and, in her year-round porch, furnishings
and a chandelier crafted from twigs and sticks complement a huge stone
fireplace. "I just love branches,
rocks and stones," explains
Annie.
Nestled neatly atop a hill,
the Cohens' home was named
Red Oaks by its original
owners for the oak trees and
orchards that once surrounded
it. Built as a summer estate in
1908 by a Detroit family, it is
characterized by details such
as original leaded-glass win-
dows, woodwork shipped from
England, third-floor servants'
quarters, a breakfast room
and secret panels. ("One day,"
Annie recalls, "a gentleman
came to our home and told
us he used to live here and
that he knew about a secret
compartment." True enough,
he showed the Cohens how

Opposite page: Much of Annie Cohen's metal garden art, like this brilliant blue

orb, came to her through her brother-in-law Rick Cohen, a garden-art sales
representative for Ann Arbor-based RSR Industries. This page, clockwise from
top left: Rob and Annie Cohen. A festively painted-metal fish and a metal dog
keep watch over the koi pond beside the pool. Prettily shaped French Limoges
boxes are embellished with pastoral landscapes and flowers.

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platinnin • APRIL 2007 •

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