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This Bloomfield Township house just off Walnut Lake was built in 1976 and updated over nearly four years, ending in 2018.
After a years-long “labor of love” renovation project, a Bloomfield Township house just off Walnut Lake is for sale for $1.6 million.
Built in 1976, the house was constructed in a mid-century modern style that homeowners Rick and Melissa Kewley sought to update to a more modern aesthetic, while also fixing grading issues that they said led to a frequently slippery driveway during Michigan’s cold months.
Over a nearly four-year period ending in 2018, the homeowners undertook an interior and exterior renovation, working with Bloomfield Hills-based architecture firm AZD Associates Inc.
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The outdoor area of the large mid-century modern-style home includes a swimming pool.
The couple purchased the house in 2013 while living in China, where Rick Kewley was stationed as a General Motors Co. executive. Rick Kewley was back in Michigan touring homes for a return to the U.S. when his wife, still in China, came across the house online and quickly realized it was the right one for them.
“It was kind of a labor of love for a long time,” Melissa Kewley said of the renovation work. “Before we did, I loved the house, I loved the character of the house. It was definitely a fixer-upper.”
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The Bloomfield Township house includes a 3.5-car heated garage with built-in cabinets.
As an example, Melissa Kewley said that one part of the house was referred to as the “house of mirrors” because one whole wall was just mirrors.
Located a few hundred feet east of Walnut Lake in Bloomfield Township, the five-bedroom home measuring nearly 4,200 square feet offers lake views without some of the hassles of being right on the lake, according to the homeowners, who plan to relocate to the upstate New York area.
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The finished walkout basement includes a wine cellar.
“Every detail has been thoughtfully curated to offer a perfect blend of modern luxury and classic design,” reads the listing. “Inside, the home boasts beautiful wood floors, and an open-concept layout designed for both everyday living and entertaining.”
The renovation project also became something of a family affair. The Kewleys’ daughter, Maggie, had been working as an interior designer and assisted AZD architects in parts of the redesign, including working on updates to the kitchen and bathrooms.
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The Bloomfield Township house features an open-concept layout designed for everyday living and entertaining, including an updated kitchen.
Since then, she’s become more interested in architecture and was recently accepted into a graduate program at the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan.
Much of the goal with the renovation was to maintain the original mid-century style of the home’s floor plan, such as a sunken living room and other open spaces, while also bringing the home into the modern age. The Kewley family also felt a benefit of having an odd-shaped lot as opposed to just a flat square that allowed them to use the natural setting that includes lake views and a multitude of trees.
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This living area offers a fireplace, wood beams and lots of natural light.
Melissa Kewley said she particularly loves an outdoor porch they added that makes for a perfect autumn cocktail hour.
Given the modern updates and placement near a lake — which includes a neighbors-only private beach — the home should sell “pretty quickly,” said listing agent Terri O’Brien with the Northville office of Century 21 Curran & Oberski.
Marketing of the home started earlier this week and the house is expected to formally list “for sale” on Wednesday. Around eight showings have already been scheduled, O’Brien said.
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The primary suite includes a sitting area.
All told, the Kewleys estimate they’ve put $700,000-$800,000 into their renovation efforts, on top of the $509,000 they paid for it in 2013.
“We did it modestly,” Rick Kewley said of the renovation investment. “We did this from the bones that were there. We think we’ll be able to get that out of the sale of the home, for sure.”
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