Homes

Published June 1, 2016

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.

Published March 16, 2016

Woodward Talk

Slow winter expected to lead to busy spring for local housing market

METRO DETROIT — After years of the housing market favoring either the buyer or the seller, real estate agents in metro Detroit saw the winter season bring a more level playing field, a trend that should continue into the spring.

While May through August may be the most popular months for buying and selling homes, real estate agent Alex Nugent with Real Estate One said the colder months usually bring a slower market, something that shows the market is closer to being back to normal.

Published March 9, 2016

Warren Weekly

Heirloom tomatoes burst in rainbow of colors, flavors

METRO DETROIT — For some, it’s all about heritage and what their family has grown for generations. For others, it’s about taste and an abundant natural variety.

Published March 2, 2016

C&G Newspapers

Detroit Mayor Duggan introduces new mortgage program

A new program introduced by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan looks to help qualified homebuyers receive loans to purchase renovated homes in the city.

Duggan introduced the Detroit Home Mortgage program at a press conference on Thursday, Feb. 18, and detailed how banks will give a second mortgage needed to purchase renovated homes or make repairs to homes in Detroit.

Published February 17, 2016

C&G Newspapers

Could lead be lurking in your walls and soil?

METRO DETROIT — As the water crisis unfolds in Flint, homeowners living in older houses may want to consider that they risk lead contamination as well.

Lead is a toxic metal that can be found throughout the environment — in the air, soil or water — or even inside the home. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that at least 4 million U.S. households have children living in them who are exposed to elevated lead levels.

Published February 10, 2016

Woodward Talk

Rebates help lessen upfront costs in trying to lower electric, gas bills

METRO DETROIT — With the cold weather has come higher electric and gas bills, but both Consumers Energy and DTE Energy have a variety of tips and rebate programs to entice homeowners to purchase energy-saving appliances and upgrades.

At DTE Energy, Manager of Residential Energy Efficiency Programs Luis Salas said that in total, the company offers 11 programs for rebates and energy savings.

Published February 3, 2016

Farmington Press

Experts provide tips to save time, space when redoing your home

METRO DETROIT — Whether you want to get an early start on spring cleaning or completely change your home décor, local experts have your back on making things more organized in your abode.

Rochester Hills residents Matthew and Megan Eash, both 28, are renovating their kitchen themselves, a project that they hope to finish in the next several months.

Published January 27, 2016

Roseville - Eastpointe Eastsider

Experts explain how to pick LED bulbs

METRO DETROIT — At one time, getting a lightbulb involved little more than seeing what wattage was needed, going to the store and purchasing an incandescent a few times a year.

Published January 20, 2016

Shelby - Utica News

Pantone names Rose Quartz, Serenity 2016 Color of the Year

METRO DETROIT — You read that headline right.

For the first time since the inception of its Color of the Year 16 years ago, Pantone chose the blending of two shades as the 2016 Color of the Year.

Pantone chose the combination of a warm rose tone and a cool, tranquil blue to promote balance, connection, order and peace.

With modern-day stress and an incessant stream of upsetting news, both global and domestic, Pantone sought to offer consumers reassurance and security through color.

Published January 13, 2016

Rochester Post

County officials urge homeowners to test for radon

METRO DETROIT — A simple test, available at a discount from local county health divisions this month, can assure residents that their homes are free of a potentially harmful gas.

Radon, a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless gas that is usually harmless outdoors, can be a health hazard when trapped in a building or home, according to health officials.