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This amazing Palmer Woods Tudor—perhaps a benchmark for similar homes, especially those in need of restoration—was built in 1931 by architect Richard H. Marr, whose work previously had included the Architects Building and the recently-sold Alfred Fisher Mansion. The home was a challenge, requiring the architect to design a 'sideways house' on two adjoining lots. The design requirement makes the 6-bedroom, 5.2 bath house one of few in Palmer Woods to sit perpendicular to the street.
The house's exterior walls are brick accented by gold-colored cut stone. Materials used in the home's construction included three different types of hardwood, from fine-grain white oak in the custom front door, to English oak and American walnut for paneling. Five of the home's six bedrooms have private full baths. The living room has a hidden bar, making entertaining all the more fun, and the wood-paneled library has a vaulted ceiling with an intricate, honeycomb-like pattern worked into the plaster.
The house has five fireplaces, including one in the dining room, one in the basement rec room and one in the master bedroom, making it perfect for snowy Detroit evenings. The kitchen underwent a spectacular remodel very recently and includes light grey granite countertops, a porcelain backsplash and bamboo flooring. The design incorporated elements of an old butler's pantry, so there's storage in tall, glass-fronted cabinets. If all this doesn't sell you, there's also a stunning in-ground pool and an honest-to-goodness attached 3-car garage. We've seen our share of opulent detached garages but how great is it not to have to endure snow and icy walkways when you've got groceries (or whatever people who have $700K for a house bring inside in winter)?
Other great features include a Pewabic tile solarium and a beautifully landscaped yard. Our only quibbles were over the flowered wallpaper in the dining room, and that the listing pictures show a lot of wicker furniture crowded into the solarium, making it hard to see all the stunning Pewabic tile. These are very easy cosmetic fixes. For once, we're excited about a Palmer Woods listing, and not at all surprised at the price point (provided to Curbed by the home's current owner, local estate attorney Michael Einheuser). This isn't some flipper business, either—the home last sold nearly 20 years ago for $625K.
·Palmer Woods House [Palmer Woods House]
·Historic Fisher Mansion Sells to GM President Daniel Ammann for $1.55 Million [Curbed Detroit]
·19425 Gloucester [Zillow]
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