We moved into our current home in 1983. Since then, we have renovated just about every inch of the house — and some areas more than once — to transform our home and garden into the milieu it is today. Among the major projects — we replaced the garage, upgraded the kitchen and back entrance hall, finished the walk-up attic, constructed a new two-story addition, finished the basement, opened up the kitchen and dining room, and updated all the bathrooms (more than once). We also reinforced the basement walls, upgraded the mechanical and electrical systems, and replaced the slate roof. The garden has also evolved over the years as the many Norway Spruce trees on our site have matured.

Some History

Our house was built in 1927 by Clarence S. Yoakum, Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. It is located in a residential area with stately homes bordering the southeast side of the campus and within walking distance to downtown Ann Arbor. The neighborhood also borders the University of Michigan Nichols Arboretum with its 123 acres along the Huron River and 3.5 miles of walking trails.

Many of the houses built in Michigan in the 1920s were a mash up of styles. Our house could be considered a Tudor Revival with it prominent arch-top hardwood front door, stucco exterior, and slate roof. However, the symmetry of its facade and wrought iron railing over the front door are features of the Spanish Colonial style — which continues into the front entrance hall with rough stucco walls, archways, and more wrought iron on the stairway handrail.

However, in the 1970s, many of these historic homes were converted to student housing as new subdivisions were built on the periphery of the City and automobiles became the preferred mode of transportation. Our house had been converted to a duplex at this time. We completed its transformation back to a single-family home which was begun by the previous owners.

Things are Different Today

Today, the neighborhood is one of the most desirable in the City with its tree-lined streets and sidewalks and proximity to the university. The location continues to be popular with university faculty, particularly with physicians and medical staff who prefer to walk to the University of Michigan Medical Center and research facilities. Now, with most everything in the house updated — it is actually like a new house.

Early Renovation Projects

Shortly after moving in, we removed the wall between two bedrooms and reconfigured the closet to create a larger principal bedroom. We also began several cosmetic enhancements to the kitchen, downstairs lavatory, side porch, and upstairs bathroom. In the kitchen, we added a new vinyl floor and painted the cabinets black to contrast with new white cabinet pulls. In the side porch, we installed a new slate floor, slate window sills, and a wood roller shade.

First Major Construction Project

The next year, we constructed a new two-car garage with an attached workshop and donated the existing one-car garage to a family who actually removed and reconstructed it on their property about a mile away (early recycling).

Early Exterior Enhancements

We made some exterior enhancements over the next few years including landscaping the backyard, replacing the fence, creating new brick walkways in the front and back of the house, and constructing a terraced rock wall by our driveway. We also replaced the water line to the street.

Tackling Some Serious Renovation

By 1993, we were ready to renovate the kitchen, adjacent lavatory, and back entrance porch. We completely gutted the kitchen down to the studs and replaced the existing window. We then reconfigured the cabinets to accommodate a built-in refrigerator and a built-in down-draft gas stove.

At the same time, we enclosed the existing back porch and added a new entrance door and sidelight; we raised the floor of the back hall to be level with the kitchen and lavatory floors so that we could install new tile throughout the entire area. We found an Italian father and son from Detroit to lay the complicated tile pattern. We also created a doorway to the lavatory off the the new back entrance hall (replacing the former door off the kitchen) and built a new brick porch and stairs at the back entrance.

We also expanded the upstairs bathroom and constructed book shelves on the other side of the wall in the principal bedroom. The following year, we replaced the slate roof. Apparently due to a shortage of copper, galvanized nails were used on our original slate roof which rusted over time. This project was memorable because Ann Arbor experienced an annular solar eclipse on May 10, 1994 while the roof was being replaced. One of the roofers took a photo of the eerie shadow pattens from the roof as shown below.

In 1995, we remodelled the walk-up attic to create an office and adjacent storage room. We inherited Homasote paneling and a small sink. We gutted the entire space down to the studs and installed new insulation and drywall. We replaced the two small double-hung windows on the east side with a larger window unit and also replaced the sink. We refinished the original heart pine floor and constructed a bookcase by the stairway. Also, we enclosed the west half of the floor and lined it with cedar panels for use as a storage room.

In the same year, we replaced the stockade fence in the backyard and built an arbor on our property line by our driveway that year.

Constructing a Two-story Addition

Our biggest project occurred in 1997. I designed a two-story addition on the west side of the house to replace an existing screened side porch off the living room. Because we wanted to expand our footprint to within three feet of the property line (instead of the required five feet), we had to petition for a variance from the Ann Arbor Zoning Board of Appeals. Since Peter and I had been active in our neighborhood association for many years, and often held meetings at our house, the process went smoothly.

We planned on moving our grand piano from the living room to the first floor of the addition — we called it our music room — and created a new en suite bathroom and large closet on the second floor adjacent to the existing principal bedroom. We eliminated the existing screened porch door from the living room and created an entrance to the new music room at the back of the living room.

Because we were on a tight budget, we installed three French doors side by side to create the new window walls on the north and south ends of the addition in lieu of more expensive custom window units.

The view of the large trunks of the two massive Norway Spruce trees to the south was impressive — even through the smaller panes of the French doors. After the addition was completed, we finished the landscaping and laid a brick patio on the north side of our house.

Beginning a New Century

At the start of the 21st century, we replaced the sashes on our downstairs casement windows, reinforced the basement wall along the driveway, and performed other minor enhancements. Outside, we repaired the chimney, rerouted the garage electrical cable, and reconfigured the exterior fencing.

Finishing the Basement

Over the years, we had performed several cosmetic improvements to our basement. In early 2010, we decided to finish the basement by installing drywall and cabinets and modernizing the laundry area. This required reconfiguring the ductwork in the ceiling and replacing the basement stairway. We built a wine rack on the east wall, installed cabinetry on the west wall, and created a gallery wall at the bottom of the basement stairs. A tile floor was later installed.

Renovation with a Big Impact

With the basement renovation complete, we were ready to start renovation on the east side of our first floor. In the fall of 2010, we opened up the wall between the kitchen and dining room, and reconfigured several kitchen cabinets to replace the major appliances. We also built additional cabinets on the north wall of the kitchen, as well as in the back hallway, and replaced the countertops and backsplash. New fixtures were also installed in the lavatory.

As part of this project, we completely gutted the dining room. This involved replacing the original rough stucco with drywall, enlarging the east casement window, and reusing or recreating the casework. It was particularly challenging to replicate the casing on the archway leading into the front hall to match the original woodwork between the hall and the living room.

In the next year, we replaced the upstairs double-hung windows and modified the closet and bookshelves in the principal bedroom. Subsequently, we had the house exterior restuccoed and replaced the shutters.

Interior Space Planning

In 2017, I broke my ankle requiring surgery. Restricted from bearing weight on my ankle for four weeks, I spent a lot of time on the couch in our music room staring at our grand piano. I realized that the view to the outside looking under our 100-foot tall Norway Spruce trees was magnificent and devised a plan to relocate the grand piano to the front of the living room to embrace the views in our music room. I determined that we could basically swap the furniture and rugs between the two rooms and improve our utilization of both spaces. Once I was ambulatory, I arranged for the piano to be moved into the living room and Peter and I started rearranging all the furnishings between the two rooms. What a change!

More Exterior Improvements

Most of the other improvements occurred outside — replacing the driveway, installing new gutters and improving the drainage, removing some deciduous trees, and reconfiguring the fencing. In 2017, we replaced the furnace and air conditioner, and installed a tankless water heater. We had the garage exterior coated with stucco in the same year with new larger gutters. Surprisingly, the original Masonite panels that we used as a low-cost siding option on the garage — designed to look like stucco — lasted over 30 years.

Pandemic Did Not Stop Us

We were fortunate to have already lined up a tile contractor to remodel both of our upstairs bathrooms before the start of the pandemic in early 2020. Our plan was to remodel the older front bathroom before we started renovation of the principal bathroom. In the front bathroom, we replaced the tub and surrounding tile — one of the last items that we inherited — with a walk-in shower, retiled the floor, and updated the sink and toilet. Everything went smoothly and was completed before the stay-at-home order with the exception of the glass shower door.

By fall, contractors were back in business and we were able to start the remodel of the principal bathroom in October. Fortunately, the weather was warm allowing us to open windows and maximize the ventilation while everyone was working. Everything was torn out and replaced including the cabinets, original built-in whirlpool tub and tile surround, shower stall and door, and toilet. Again, everything went smoothly and the work was completed in less than four weeks. I had the countertop and shower door subcontractors ready to measure as soon as the cabinets and tiling were completed so we had very little down time.

Windows are Important When at Home a Lot

By 2021, after spending a lot of time at home, we decided to replace the window walls in our music room (1997 addition). We had originally installed a series of three French doors at each end of the room to reduce costs but the small glass panes were becoming cloudy (and out of warranty). We replaced these with a large expanse of glass, keeping a door to the backyard on the north side. This was a dramatic change since we spend a lot of time in this room (kind of our snug). This led to a decision to replace the rest of the windows on the first floor with modern insulated windows — eliminating the removable storms/screens. In the living room, I decided to bring the windows down close to the floor to expand our view as well as to minimize the length of the room. Aside from new windows, we installed two Tesla Powerwalls in 2023 to provide backup power during electrical outages.

100 Years Old But Like a New House

The only remaining original parts of the house are the front door, front entrance hall, and fireplace which we have preserved as an homage to the original 1927 design. The original Manor-style wood paneled front door was preserved along with the wrought iron railing overhead. In the entry hall, we kept the original rough stucco on the walls and the ornate stair railing. The original Tudor-style stone fireplace was also preserved although we replaced the hearth with new tile.

Focusing on the Garden

I have always been an avid gardener but had limited time with a busy work schedule. Periodic renovation projects also occupied a lot of time. Now, with most everything in the house updated, I spend a lot of time in our garden. Starting in 2020, with so much time at home, I reconfigured many of the garden beds and developed new planting schemes.

Our front yard aligns a major street. Because of this, I have landscaped with privacy in mind. I have planted many evergreen shrubs between the sidewalk and our front yard and created a very private space. As our Norway Spruce trees have matured, allowing us to walk beneath them on the west side of our property, another landscaping opportunity has arisen.

In the backyard, we installed an eight-foot fence to create a private courtyard-like garden. We have a brick patio on the north side of the house adjacent to a perennial border and small amount of lawn. The back part of the yard is terraced up to the fence. Because of the difficulty of growing plants under the Norway Spruces, I am growing a variety of small trees, shrubs, and other plants in pots and large planters.