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Serenity

Now

The renovation of this

West Bloomfield home

began with the kitchen

and its design ele-

ments: soft arches and

curves that are echoed

throughout the rest of

the home. The entry-

way into the kitchen

was more than doubled

in size and arched for a

soft yet dramatic view

V

into the home from

the foyer. To the left of

V V V

the kitchen entry are

the refrigerator and

freezer, to the right is

a double pantry; to cre-

ate a uniform look, the

appliances are covered

by doors that extend

from floor-to-ceiling.

An espresso-stained

island is glazed with

sable to add defini-

tion to the exquisitely

detailed moldings and

carvings, such as acan-

thus-leaf motifs on the

legs. Touch-latch doors

conceal full storage

under the island, which

is topped by a full slab

of seamless granite.

A dramatic
renovation
transforms a
contemporary-
styled home into
a fresh, open and
functional oasis.

Lynne Konstantin I Design Writer
Jerry Zolynsky I Photographer

W

hen a young and expecting Jewish couple returned
home to Michigan in 2003 after living in Chicago,
their primary concern was finding a home with
plenty of room for their growing family-to-be. They also want-
ed to live in a tree-lined neighborhood with good schools and
other young, Jewish families.
The 1973 house they found in West Bloomfield — coinci-
dentally, by the same builder who designed the wife's child-
hood home in Troy and with the exact same floor plan — fit
the bill. But they weren't in love with the previous contempo-
rary-styled renovation.
Nine years, two daughters and one dog later, after interview-
ing many contractors who couldn't quite help them pinpoint
exactly what they wanted, the couple turned to Andy and
Lesly Sallan, the husband-and-wife owners of Millennium
Cabinetry, recently relocated to Farmington Hills and whose
staff includes licensed contractors and builders.

"We knew we wanted the look of an open floor plan with
high ceilings and spacious rooms in our 1970s home but had
no idea how to do it. Andy and Lesly were able to utilize it to
its fullest potential," says the homeowner. "And beyond that,
Lesly held my hand — patiently — every step of the way. She
was extraordinarily helpful in choosing everything from doors
to moldings and trim to plumbing."
Which is apparent in the transformation of the home. Walls
came down, bathrooms were moved and columns and arches
were added to create a spectacularly striking before-and-after
that thrills the family.
"We were recently Up North, and when we came home and
I walked into the house, I just smiled',' says the homeowner.
"I love how open and calming it is. I come downstairs in the
morning, and I love how it all flows together. After nine years,
it finally feels like our home." 7

Do you have a home you'd like to share with the community? Contact Lynne Konstantin at lkonstantin@thejewishnews.com .

86

June

2012