All in the Family: Bloomfield Hills

A full house can be livable & sophisticated

photographs by beth singer

Floral styling: Flowers by Gabrielle, Grosse Pointe Park

Having children changes your perception of real estate. Parents envision lawns with room to run, kitchens suited to after-school snacks, and basements with space for boisterous play and visiting friends.

That said, they also want sophistication. Such was the dream six years ago when a couple with two children purchased a 5,500-square-foot Bloomfield Hills home on nearly three acres. Family-friendly assets helped them look beyond the mid-’90s design and vibrant French country interior.

Color palette was an important factor in making the home their own. They wanted pale blues, soft gray, and muted light green for a calming mood. They also wanted a home that let them “live in every room,” that exuded “peace and tranquility and simple elegance.”

Birmingham-based interior designer Lucy Earl of Jones-Keena & Co. helped them create a new look. “This house is a lot about subtlety of color and repeating colors,” Earl says. “I think people have a natural color palette they’re drawn to.”

Furnishings were selected with an eye toward the “long haul,” Earl says, adding, “I want you to buy art [next] instead of replacing and reupholstering.”

To create a home that lives well, Earl urges clients to “make rooms a journey of living and to plan how they’ll use the space in every room.”

The result in this family home was a living room that shifts easily from piano lessons and plays performed in front of the fire to cocktail parties and reading. “It’s a very peaceful room,” the mother says. “There’s no TV in here.”

Resources:

Jones-Keena & Co.; 248-644-7515, jones-keena.com.

Braam’s Custom Cabinets; (248) 646-3395, braams.ca.

Woodward Framing, Bloomfield Hills; 248-335-9940.

PMP Marble & Granite, Troy; 248-740-1400.

Venetian Plaster Co., Oakland Township; 313-378-2823.

At Michigan Design Center, Troy:

Kravet/Lee Jofa/Brunschwig & Fils; 248-649-3020.

Pindler & Pindler Inc.; 248-649-6030.

Sarreid Ltd., through RJ Thomas Ltd.; 248-822-1300.

Arteriors, Amy Howard, and Hickory Chair, through Robert Allen-Beacon Hill Showroom; 248-643-0707.

Fabricut, through Marie-Howard Showroom; 248-649-3222.

Cowtan & Tout, through Rozmallin; 248-643-8828.

Visual Comfort, at Henredon Interior Design Showroom; 248-643-6264.

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	The quietly sophisticated dining room comes alive with conversation when both leaves are placed in the Alfanso Marina table and 16 chairs are pulled up to dinner. At its normal dimensions, seating by Hickory Chair (pictured) offers sitting comfort. The rug is by French Market Collection. Paint is Benjamin Moore (ceiling: “Full Moon” 2119-70, wall: “Silver Lining” 2119-60).	In the living room — which accommodates reading, parties, and family time — the armless sofas and fabric are by Hickory Chair with Kravet tape trim. The accent pillows are Aidan Grey. The occasional chair is Julian Chichester with fabric by Nancy Corzine. The pair of chests flanking the fireplace are by Hickory Chair with mirrors from Sarreid Ltd. The small, round branch tables are from Arteriors; the rug is French Market Collection. Paint is Benjamin Moore (ceiling: “Full Moon” 2119-70, wall: “Hot Spring Stones” AC-31).	Pale wallcovering from Lee Jofa highlights the luminous foyer (opposite). Seating by Hickory Chair is upholstered in fabric by Fabricut. The table is by John Richard. Vibrant art by one of the children was framed by Woodward Framing.
The roomy kitchen includes fireside seating. The clients’ existing chairs were reupholstered in Latimer Alexander fabric. The small square table is by Hickory Chair.		The home, which sits on nearly three acres, was built in 1995.	The recently redone master suite includes a sitting area beside a fireplace and concealed television. The sofa and chairs are by Hickory Chair with upholstery fabric from Pindler & Pindler. The oval cocktail table, also from Hickory Chair, has a marble top from PMP Marble & Granite. The bed by Alfanso Marina is upholstered in fabric by Dolly Fabrics Inc. Bed sheet from Legacy Linens, euro sham fabric by Cowtan & Tout, mirrored nightstand chests by Worlds Away, sheer-panel and stationery-panel window treatments by Kravet. The ceiling light fixture is from Fine Art Lamps. The walls are Venetian plaster by Venetian Plaster Co., and the rug from Peel & Co. Detail shows custom cabinetry that was built on-site.
		The faucets and tub filler are from Rohl. Robert Allen fabric was used for the whimsical dotted curtains beside the tub.	In the master bath, Braam’s Custom Cabinets did the cabinetry. The vanity stool is by Amy Howard with fabric by Valtekz. Sconces affixed to the mirror are by Visual Comfort.
Children’s art framed by Woodward Framing adds personality to the back staircase. Wall paint is Sherwin Williams “Meditative” SW6227.