home >> at home
Evolution Of
le
A local designer
helps bring out
the comfortable
elegance of a
Bloomfield Hills
home.
Lynne Konstantin I Design Writer
Beth Singer I Photographer
Builder Ben Heller and designer Carrie Long
added windows above the mahogany door
to bring in more light and paneled walls for
muted interest in the Bloomfield Hills home's
foyer. Of her decision not to place a painting
or mirror above the console, Long explains:
"The house has great architecture. 1 like to
let the architecture breathe and not over-
decorate — editing is crucial." Wide-plank
walnut floors extend throughout the home.
he first time I saw this house, I
completely fell in love with the
floor plan," says its owner. "I
thought we would update the kitchen and
the bathroom, and that would be it."
Then she showed it to her husband.
"He's very detail oriented and said, 'If we
change this then we can't leave that, and it
went from there."
So the Jewish couple with two young
children gutted the house she loved. And
with the intuitive and nurturing guid-
ance of builder Ben Heller, president of
Morgan-Heller Associates in Pontiac, and
designer Carrie Long, owner of Carrie
Long Interiors in Birmingham, the original
1980s Bloomfield Hills house blossomed
into the true home of her dreams.
"I started out loving French Country,
and I still love a lot of those details," says
the homeowner. "But Carrie would show
me pictures and say, 'If you like this, how
about this?' Ben was so innovative with
using the space, not wasting an inch, and
they both helped me realize what I really
wanted. It's such a talent in a designer to
be able to pull out your taste and help it
evolve, and that's what Carrie did for me."
Not that the owner didn't stand firm
when necessary. With an infant and a
toddler, she was adamant that the home
be eco-friendly and formaldehyde-free,
and she and Long went to great lengths to
research and find materials that were non-
toxic while delivering the quality and style
they wanted.
Now "our home feels like a breath of
fresh air," says the owner. "It's comfort-
able and useful for the kids, and it feels
both airy and warm at the same time. It's
homey."
❑
Do you have a home you'd like to share with the community? Contact Lynne Konstantin at lkonstantin@thejewishnews.com .
20
November 8 2012