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In 2018, Curbed Detroit featured houses that ranged from outrageous listings to thoughtful, detail-oriented renovations and everything in between. Which homes did readers look at the most? Of course, everyone was curious about Aretha’s former Golf Club home, which will undergo an extensive renovation. Also, a former disaster is miraculously saved. As always, midcentury homes get a lot of attention, whether they need all the work or the owners have taken the time to restore them. Here are 10 homes that we couldn’t stop talking about this year.
Few houses garnered as much international attention as the Lion Gate Estate in Grixdale Farms. This eclectic house has some Liberace-type styles, along with carpet on certain ceilings and a full 1950s diner in the basement. It’s still for sale, along with everything in it.
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The world lost a legend this year when Aretha Franklin died in August. The Queen of Soul called Detroit home, and this fall, we caught a glimpse of one of her former Detroit homes. This Detroit Golf Club house is about to undergo a big renovation, and we toured the rose-themed abode before the work starts.
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Talk about a comeback. This Indian Village home was vacant for 25 years; Curbed deemed it the “disaster mansion” in 2014. It’s gone through an incredible renovation over the past few years and is now back to its original (yet updated) glory.
This Indian Village home didn’t quite make it to the market, but it sold earlier this year for a cool $1 million. The new owners knew it was the one the minute they walked in, and plan on raising their family in the elegant home.
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The restoration of this University District Tudor was documented extensively by the owners, and Curbed toured the finished home in August. The owners kept and appreciated the historic character of the home, while creating a modern design for the next generations to appreciate.
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The appeal of a fixer-upper is hard to beat, especially when it has midcentury modern features and an enviable price. This home in Old Redford got a lot of attention when it went up for sale—its location and condition were somewhat of a tough sell, though. It listed in May and sold in August for $57,600.
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A thoughtful renovation is hard to beat as well. This midcentury reno of an Alcoa aluminum house got a lot of attention when it went up for rent this summer. It’s a rare house and it found the right owners to restore it, much to the appreciation of MCM fans everywhere.
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The famed Charles T. Fisher mansion sold last year to actor Hill Harper, and this year, Harper opened the home as the Designers Show House. While the interior decor won’t stay, the house is undergoing a three-year renovation and transformation.
Oftentimes, readers just want to look at a great Detroit home. This Sherwood Forest house went up for sale in February for the first time in 50 years. Sure, it needed some work, but many of the original details were intact. They don’t make them like this anymore.
What gets attention just outside of Detroit? This Bloomfield Hills megamansion is one of the most expensive homes on the market in southeast Michigan right now. It spans over 17,000 square feet and has a gorgeous outdoor pool and entertaining space, along with so many different styles, patterns, and spiral staircases inside.