Project History
2006 may not have been a good year for the Michigan economy, but we still saw a lot of remodeling and renovation work occurring.
- During this year we finished two bathrooms. One was very large with lots of hand-cut, custom tile work.
- We remodeled one basement, popped-up a roof and built a dormer and subsequently remodeled an attic space.
- We accomplished several full exterior paint jobs.
- We replaced countless windows that had rotten frames or fogged glass.
- Working from plans drawn by Ann Arbor architect Lincoln Poley, we renovated a porch into a three-season sunroom with a heated tile floor.
- In the fall we began work on a large project, one of the first of its kind in Hamtramck. The plans, drawn by Brian V. Hurttienne , described a complicated renovation to a disabled veteran’s social hall into four unit condos with a penthouse. By December all of the framing and most of the siding was done. The condos are now available for purchase.
- By the end of the year we were hired as the general contractors for Pinwheel Bakery
So far in 2007:
- In January, we completely gutted and began rebuilding the long narrow space on 9 mile in Ferndale that would house the new Pinwheel Bakery. Previous to our work, this building had been used as a clothing store.
This meant everything needed to be rebuilt, rewired and appropriately vented. Working with architect Roland Day, we partitioned the space, applied a new ventilation system, added a bathroom, and walk-in cooler.
Perhaps the most exciting part of this job was seeing the transformation of the front facade. During demolition we discovered that the sealed area above the indented entrance had once housed a leaded glass window, although it had fallen out of its frame and was stained with soot, it was still for the most part intact.
Working with the DDA and the business owner, Hughes and Lynn were instrumental in helping the bakery receive funding from the city of Ferndale to restore the leaded window and create a more open and inviting entry to the building. After several months and 15 different subcontractors the Pinwheel Bakery is in full swing, cooking up amazing brioche, scones, cupcakes and cookies. If you haven’t already checked it out, visit what Sylvia Rector, Detroit Free Press Restaurant Critic, is hailing as “Ferndale’s sweetest new spot.”
What else in 2007:
- By the time summer rolled around we had remodeled two bathrooms in the same house. Doing two bathrooms at the same is a good way to save money on subcontractor labor.
- In June we were hired by the Hamtramck Recreation Department to repair their worn playground equipment and the pavilions at Pulaski Park.
- Since then we’ve painted one house, installed some really fine Weathershield replacement windows and doors at the headquarters of the Hamtramck Star.
- We renovated a screen porch and a home office in Barton Hills, and installed a hardwood floor in South Lyon.
- This summer we were very pleased to be asked by Christ Church Detroit to renovate two chapels in their historic building that dates back to the 1860s. One of the chapels houses an amazing Tiffany stained glass window. We’re really looking forward to creating something new for these spaces, something that reflects history by reusing old material and new material, and looks forward by establishing a new use for both the chapels.