arts&life

at home

ABOVE: A three-season room was added to the home by Todd Kroll’s company, Kroll Construction. “This small
part of the house is where we spend most of our time,” Kroll says. “We push it until it’s just too darn cold
— we’ve got blankets, watch TV, eat dinner [at the dining table, not shown]. We do everything here.” Beams
across the shiplap ceiling were made to echo those in the kitchen. RIGHT: Kroll rescued a water-damaged and
buckled 1938 map of Detroit’s railway trolley route and had it mounted in Plexiglass. “A woman posted it for
sale on a Facebook group,” Kroll says. “It was her husband’s and she wanted to get rid of it. I wonder if he
ever noticed it’s gone.” Kroll and daughter Marlee each have their own art studio in the basement.
BOTTOM: A vintage school clock, which was hung outside the family room, was scooped up from eBay.
OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP: Because Kroll had trouble finding a dining table large enough for the enormous room,
she purchased two tables from Art Van and had a carpenter put them together. The black-on-black flocked
wallpaper displays framed menus from favorite restaurants, which the couple had signed by the chefs. Kroll
found the fabric for the drapery (not shown) at JoAnn and had them made. BOTTOM: Details like an apron-
front sink and whipstitch-edged leather barstools add warmth to the kitchen. A pantry with a double-hung
Dutch door has a shelf with outlets to house small appliances. Kroll wanted a line of wood around the inside of
the ceiling that resembled a barn, but had trouble explaining what she wanted. She headed to a lumber yard,
watched a few YouTube videos and set to work on the 15-foot wood slabs herself. “Once I started, I kind of
wished I hadn’t. But it was a labor of love.”

details

The Community House’s Birmingham House Tour, presented by Hall & Hunter Realtors, features
seven homes, from traditional to contemporary. 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14. $40/
advance; $45/day of the tour; proceeds benefit the Community House children’s and adults’
programs and services. (248) 644-5832; communityhouse.com.

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September 7 • 2017

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