VALERIO (57), CATHERINE (29) & STEPHANIE (27)

Home: 1936 Bauhaus

Layout: 3 Bedrooms, 3 Full Bathrooms

Square Footage: 6,000 SQFT Including Lower Level

Approximate Budget: $70K

RESTORATION NEEDS                   

1. Kitchen/Living Room Area

2. Lower Level Bathroom

3. Flooring

4. Basement

5. Guest Bathroom

Valerio bought this home to enjoy with his daughters because it’s incredibly rare and unique… just like him! As an Italian immigrant to the United States, Valerio and his two daughters moved around the United States before they eventually fell in love with Detroit. As advocates for the cities’ revitalization, the family is not only passionate about the city’s history but also about its future. The preservation of its iconic architecture was a major reason Valerio decided to buy a historic home. Valerio had always wanted a 1930 Bauhaus style house, and it just so happens to be one of the VERY few homes like it anywhere in the United States! 

Unfortunately, the home isn’t serving the families’ needs and has fallen into disrepair. Although the home is unique, the layout and the spaces makes no sense. There are two large living room areas, but the space that they use the most, the kitchen, is tiny and cramped! The paint around the windows is peeling, the carpets are old and need to be replaced, the baseboards need attention and the walls haven’t been addressed in who knows how long... Not only that, the way people live has changed since the 1930’s! Valerio and his daughters need a space that is functional for a modern lifestyle, not a lifestyle from nearly 100 years ago!

With the help of his daughters, Valerio has only been able to accomplish some small repairs to the home. He doesn’t feel that bringing the house to the next level is something that they can do on their own. They need a professional. Between a busy career in software and technology and with his two daughters having lives of their own, the three of them have very little time to dedicate to restoring the home. Valerio bought the home in 2012 and is still living like he did when he first moved in. Sparse furniture, no real updates, and improvements, here are there. It’s a long way from being a cozy, historic home. Valerio and his daughters want to update the house to contemporary living without its original character. Valerio and his daughters feel like they can’t do the work themselves, other contractors don’t have the know-how, and it’s taken way longer than anyone expected. They need help! 

The Kitchen: They started to transform the kitchen into a professional kitchen by adding restaurant style equipment as they all like to cook and bake. Currently the kitchen is very small, there is no counter space and the refrigerator is in an awkward place in the home. Originally the kitchen was designed for cooks and maids to prepare meals to be served in a formal dining room, incidentally that’s how Valerio was raised in Italy, but that isn’t how he and his daughters live today. Instead, they would love to tear down the wall separating the kitchen and the living room to create a larger, open layout. The hope would be that by taking down this wall the kitchen can expand into a space where Valerio can cook and chat with his daughters who are enjoying the living room space.

Lower Level Bathroom: The bathroom in the lower level is currently not usable. It hasn’t been used in years and Valerio would love to update it with a properly working plumbing and a clean, historically accurate aesthetic.

Sunroom: The sunroom was clearly an addition built after the fact and doesn’t match the Bauhaus aesthetic of the home. The pavement flooring is chipping away, the plastic ceiling is cracked and old trees are blocking the views of the golf course. This could be a beautiful space to enjoy the Spring and Summer, but now it’s a decrepit and neglected part of the house.

Additional Spaces: Additionally, Valerio would like to update the bathrooms on the second level. Both bathrooms need work, but one bathroom in particularly is extremely unique! It’s completely round, like walking into a circle and it has floor to ceiling purple tiles! It’s a strange and completely outdated space! Valerio would love to update this bathroom so it’s unique in a positive way, not a strange and outdated bathroom...

The downstairs basement area would also make for an incredible space to get together. There’s Bauhaus elements everywhere, it just needs some work before guests can be invited over. There’s a great bar area that needs re-storing that would be a perfect place to host friends and get togethers.

Family and home are everything to Valerio and his daughters. He doesn’t want to squander another minute or another dollar on his beautiful home. There’s such incredible potential, he just need Nicole’s help to return the home to its Bauhaus glory!