Huntington Woods House Tour Puts Out Welcome Mats June 3

Updated: May 29, 5:43 p.m., to include new information

When Tiffany Elie was dating her husband-to-be, the two lived in Oak Park and Royal Oak. Going back and forth from each other’s homes during their courtship took them along the charming streets of Huntington Woods.

“We would see the nice homes, the friendly neighborhoods, parents with strollers, kids playing in the yards … and I thought, this is where we should live some day,” Elie said. 

That day is here and although the couple had to leave the area temporarily twice to live in Germany for the husband’s job, they and their two daughters now are happy residents of Huntington Woods.

Living in a 1940s home that has been completely renovated and overhauled, the family enjoys their days among an ultra-modern motif. The couple’s modern-classic appointments include everything from original Barcelona chairs by Knoll (designed by Mies Van Der Rohe) to an Eileen Gray adjustable table (Gray was an Irish furniture designer and pioneer in the modern art movement in architecture). Punches of color pop in various areas, from the cheery red den to kitchen accents in a rainbow of hues to the rich chocolate browns of a daughter’s space.

You can tour this home and four others at the Huntington Woods 20th Home Tour, 1-5 p.m. June 3.

“We’ll have everything from modern and traditional to Tudor and transitional styles of homes,” said Susan Brice, an 11-year Huntington Woods resident. Brice is chair of this year’s Home Tour and will be the president of the Women’s League this June.
 
The event, which typically draws up to about 400 patrons, used to be under the Friends of the Library umbrella, but now is part of the Women’s League program.

Modern family

The Elie home is an excellent example of homeowners committed to a specific style. In their case, it’s all about personal taste in modern, classic/contemporary design.

The Elies, who have lived in the home for the past 13 years, prefer clean lines, a minimalist approach to décor and splashes of bold hues.

“Growing up, I had two uncles who lived in the Farmington area who had unbelievable art and furnishings, and as a little girl, I’d always be fascinated by their collection,” recalled Elie, who works as a makeup artist independently and at salon in Ferndale.

Clever appointments in the home, which was built in 1948 and originally a Cape Cod style, include a huge clock in the dining room that covers much of one wall. “That came from an old department store in Saginaw,” Elie shared. She  discovered it at the in Royal Oak. 

Mudroom lockers and European-style bedroom wardrobes showcase intriguging storage options.

All of the Elies’ adornments fit perfectly in their cheerful, open home. “We had a vision and knew that we could do something great with the open floor plan and good bones,” said Elie, whose builder was Wyandotte-based She also called upon the talents of ’s Nita Partner, who understood her vision, and Jackie Stuart, a Huntington Woods-based designer who helped to transform two girls rooms into delightful, practical spaces that will easily take them from tweens through to graduation.

Change was certainly good for this family. “We even changed the exterior brick. Rather than painting it, we replaced the butterscotchy-colored brick with white brick.” 

While on the tour, visitors will want to check out everything from a teak table and chair set on the patio and a guitar signed by Kid Rock to Amalfi Coast and Tuscany pottery in the kitchen and Charles Ghost kitchen island stools (Kartell, designed by Philippe Starck).

About that kitchen: Do be sure to check out the pocket doors. “Those doors are very typical in a German kitchen,” Elie explained. “They use the kitchen as workspace and the family and dining rooms for entertaining, so the pocket doors can be closed and the mess stays behind in the kitchen until later.”       

The best spot in the home? For Elie, it’s got to be the living room. “It’s the furniture … I just love the two Barcelona chairs and the reproduction Le Corbusier three-seater sofa.”  

About the Huntington Woods Home Tour

• Advanced ticket sales: Tickets are available for $15 per person at the , 26325 Scotia.  
• Day of tour: Tickets will be sold rain or shine for $20 the day of the tour from noon-4 p.m. at the  26415 Scotia (just north of Interstate 696). 
• Home tour program/map: Visitors will need to pick up a home tour program and map on June 3 beginning at noon at the Huntington Woods library. 
• For more information: Visit www.hwwl.org or www.facebook.com/hwwl1. Proceeds from the event go toward a variety of charities and back into the community.

Upcoming home and garden tours

• The Sylvan Lake Home & Garden Tour has been postponed to June 22, 2013. Please join them on that date at Sylvan Lake City Hall for tickets and a map. Information will be available via phone at 248-615-6296 after April 1, 2013. 
  
• June 13 – The Franklin Branch of the Women’s National Farm & Garden Association’s 26th annual Garden Walk. Besides the garden tour, there will be a salad luncheon buffet ($10 per person) and artisan market. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Tickets: $10 presale/$12 day of tour, available at The Village Boutique in Franklin or pre-order tickets. Information: (248) 851-1066, www.franklingardenclub.org. 
• June 16 – Northville-Novi Garden Walk. Eight gardens, vendors, food and more. Tickets: $10 day of walk, tickets available at the Northville Art House and other locations. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Information: (248) 349-0376, www.gardenersnorthville-novi.org.  
• June 16 – Milford Garden Club Tour, six gardens plus vendors. Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tickets: $12 on day of walk, $10 in advance at Clothing Cove, The Pond Place, Milford Gardens, Acorn Shop, Village Florist or email g.hardick@comcast.net. Information: www.themilfordgardenclub.org.   
• June 21 – Jazz in the Garden at Meadowbrook Hall, Rochester Hills: Concert series featuring local jazz musicians also runs in July and August (dates TBD). Includes light hors d' oeuvres and a main floor tour of The Hall. Hours: 7-10 p.m. Tickets: $30, cash bar. Reservations required at (248) 364-6263. Information: www.meadowbrookhall.org.  
• June 23-24 – 21st Annual Grosse Pointe Garden Tour, six gardens in the Grosse Pointes, Trial Gardens, Veterans’ Garden at the War Memorial,  artists in the gardens. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tickets: $12 pre-tour and $15 tour days, available at local merchants and at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial, Grosse Pointe Farms. Information: (313) 881-7511, ext. 206.