Homes

Published August 3, 2016

Backsplashes take a turn toward the tame

METRO DETROIT — When a customer comes to Borchert Kitchen & Bath in Washington Township, there are lots of things to choose from that could give their kitchen’s style a boost.

But really, there are two factors that make the most impact: the countertop and backsplash.

Published July 27, 2016

Rochester Post

Get a glimpse of new downtown housing developments

METRO DETROIT — The best views in the city will be center stage during the first Downtown Living Tour, which will showcase six new housing and apartment developments.

“It is a great time to show the growth of downtown Detroit,” said Lauren Mohon, marketing and events director for tour organizer Hour Media.

Published July 20, 2016

Shelby - Utica News

Experts discuss good water stewardship, money-saving tips

Water bills can add up quickly, especially with residents trying to keep their lawns verdant in the midst of drought-like weather conditions.

A local department of public works director and the chief operating officer of the Great Lakes Water Authority weighed in on what residents can do to save water costs and be good stewards of a finite natural resource.

Published July 13, 2016

Farmington Press

Keep your bedroom cool with these tips

METRO DETROIT — From sleeping solo to dunking your feet in frigid water before hitting the hay, keeping your bedroom — and yourself — cool during the summer calls for unique solutions from the internet and beyond.

If you ask the locals like Corie Conroy, a professional home stager and interior decorator in Bloomfield Hills, she would tell you that you don’t always have to crank up the air to stay cool, because the answer lies where you lie.

Published July 6, 2016

Warren Weekly

Fencing, natural products combine to keep critters away from garden plants

METRO DETROIT — This year’s dry, early summer is having an unwanted side effect for gardeners: an influx of thirsty mammals.

“Squirrels are a big problem this year. They’re looking for moisture,” said Cindy Roback, whose family owns and operates Young’s Garden Mart & Christmas Fantasy on Ryan Road, north of 11 Mile Road, in Warren. “People are watering their gardens, so the plants have moisture.”

Published June 29, 2016

Warren Weekly

Proudly remembered, never forgotten

METRO DETROIT — During World War II, John Rossio crammed into a ball turret on a B-17 as his squadron from the 388th Bomb Group flew harrowing missions over Europe that turned targets to dust and left the crew members shaken.

Published June 22, 2016

Shelby - Utica News

Housing market remains tilted in favor of sellers

METRO DETROIT — With historically low interest rates, local real estate agents are encouraging those on the fence to list their homes, especially since a shortage of homes for sale is tipping the scale in the sellers’ direction.

Published June 15, 2016

Grosse Pointe Times

Home renovation ideas put safety first while aging in place

METRO DETROIT — Renovating your home to make it more accessible for an older loved one or yourself might sound daunting, but experts say there are more products and services than ever to make this doable.

Published June 8, 2016

Shelby - Utica News

Create the perfect patio for Michigan’s summer season

METRO DETROIT — With the weather warming up, now is an ideal time to focus on the outdoor extension of your home.

Whether you’re on a budget or have some cash to spare, local experts weighed in on the hottest trends and ways to spruce up patios.

Published June 1, 2016

Warren Weekly

For music lovers, decorating is instrumental

METRO DETROIT — If the walls inside Dana Forrester’s home could talk, well, they probably wouldn’t.

Instead, they would break out into a guitar solo, entertain a melody or display some rockin’ riffs.

Forrester, who resides in Whitmore Lake with husband James Trunko, has set aside a number of her guitars — including a red Fender Telecaster — to use as decorative pieces throughout the house.

Published May 25, 2016

Rochester Post

Don’t trim oak trees to avoid deadly fungus

METRO DETROIT — Once the oak wilt fungus enters an oak tree’s system, an infected tree can be dead within a month.

“Even the biggest trees,” said David Roberts, senior academic specialist at Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Roberts has been studying the oak wilt fungus for the past 30 years.

Published May 18, 2016

Shelby - Utica News

Residential construction, especially apartments, on the rise

METRO DETROIT — Six out of seven counties in southeast Michigan reported residential construction growth in 2015 compared to 2014, according to a recently released report by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.

Janet Mocadlo, a SEMCOG planner and data analyst, said the report revealed a trend of rising apartment construction, especially in Ann Arbor and Detroit.

Published May 11, 2016

Farmington Press

Renovating rentals

METRO DETROIT — When it comes to renovating a rental, what options are available to tenants who want to make changes without losing their security deposit?

Local professionals in the world of rentals — such as Michael Jordan, founder and CEO of Livonia-based Strategy Property Management, and Warren-based Total Construction and Renovation LLC owner Jason Szymborski — discussed in interviews what is best left to them, and what you may do when it comes to renovations.

Published May 4, 2016

Grosse Pointe Times

Designers add modern touches to significant historical house

METRO DETROIT — The biennial Junior League of Detroit Designers’ Show House has featured some beautiful homes before, but this time, they’re partially responsible for saving one.

Published April 27, 2016

Southfield Sun

Proposed law would offer tax credit for making homes more accessible

METRO DETROIT — If you install a wheelchair ramp, grab bars or even a bathroom on your main floor, you could be on your way to as much as a $5,000 tax credit, depending on whether a bill passed in the state Senate becomes law.

Published April 20, 2016

West Bloomfield Beacon

When spring cleaning, ponder before you purge

METRO DETROIT — Cluttered closets causing chaos? Are you dancing the spring cleaning shuffle?

Before you begin purging unwanted items, local experts suggest asking yourself if you can repurpose, reuse or recycle.

West Bloomfield Parks and Recreation naturalist Lauren Azoury said that landfills often are taken for granted.

Published April 13, 2016

Birmingham - Bloomfield Eagle

Metro Detroit moves to craft cocktails at home

METRO DETROIT — The days of fishing a slippery can of beer out of an icy cooler are so over.

Well, maybe not totally over. There’s still a place for easy libations during backyard barbecues, according to Royal Oak drink blogger Nick Britsky. But these days, he said more hosts are opting to ramp up their outdoor entertaining with exciting — and sometimes complex — cocktail options.

Published April 6, 2016

Rochester Post

Awards celebrate metro Detroit’s best designs and professionals

METRO DETROIT — The glorious combination of modern and classic décor in the Max M. Fisher Music Center served as a glamorous setting for the 12th annual Detroit Home Design Awards.

“It is appropriate we are here in a music venue,” Megan Swoyer, Detroit Home editor and award host, said March 23 to a crowd of home industry professionals. “I believe all the winners here are virtuosos.”

Published March 30, 2016

Shelby - Utica News

Know when to get into the groove with lawns and landscaping

METRO DETROIT — Spring is technically here, according to the calendar, but experts caution that it is possible to begin tidying up lawns and landscaping too early.

Two local experts agreed that homeowners should wait until overnight temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees, lawns dry out and grass begins to grow before doing anything that will compact the soil and grass roots.

Published March 23, 2016

Birmingham - Bloomfield Eagle

When you want some backyard shade – but not too much – a pergola could be just right

METRO DETROIT — Nick Britsky is something of a connoisseur of cocktails. The bar blogger has been following trends in Detroit drinking for years, and has been sharing advice on how readers can create their own libations at home.