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This carefully crafted Art Center duplex comes with dozens of neat details

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The units are listed separately for $500,000 and $340,000

By Aaron Mondry
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Exterior of a being brick duplex. It has three stories with a gabled roof and two identical front entrances. There’s also two trees in the yard. Photos by Chris Gerard

We’ve seen plenty of solid renovations in Detroit. But when the owner goes above and beyond to add smart and quirky details, we take note. That’s exactly the case with this Art Center duplex on East Kirby Street.

The units are listed separately, with David Knapp of O’Connor Real Estate. The 2,690-square-foot upper unit is going for $500,000 and 1,345-square-foot bottom unit for $340,000.

The owner bought the duplex in 2000, did the renovations over the next year and a half, and has lived in the upper unit ever since. And the renovations were extensive—he says there were hardly any walls or floors when he bought it. He also changed the roof line from a four-sided hipped roof to a two-sided gable with three end windows.

That change made the attic space more livable. It’s beautifully finished and filled with yellow pine floors and molding. That wood also lines a little jacuzzi nook that’s one of the more unique features we’ve seen in a house of late.

Both kitchens have similar layouts and finishes. There’s tiled countertops, wood cabinets, exposed brick, and a passthrough that leads to the dining and living rooms. The owner also pointed out that he intentionally left a gap between the molding and the hallway ceiling, which he painted black, to give the impression that it was floating.

The duplex has three stacked porches in the rear of the house that look out onto the tree-filled backyard, giving them an almost treehouse feel.

There’s all kinds of neat features like that. Take a look at the photos to see for yourself.

Couches and chairs surround a glass coffee table. There’s a bay window in the exposed brick wall.
Living room in the upper unit.
There’s two tiled countertops and wood cabinets. One side has an exposed brick wall.
The kitchen has a passthrough to the combined living and dining rooms.
A long room with a drafting table and wall with tools and cabinets.
The upper unit has a flex room, currently used for drafting and crafting.
An attic with angled ceiling. There’s a large bed on hardwood floors underneath a skylight.
The spacious, finished attic.
Close-up of an angled space lined with wood containing a small jacuzzi. There’s a little window at the end and a couple of potted plants on benches.
The jacuzzi nook in the attic.
A blue-painted covered porch with a glass table, chairs, and a swinging bench. There’s hanging potted plants and trees covering the view.
Second story deck.
A large, well-maintained yard with some trees planted throughout. The back of the house looks boxy with stucco and half-timbering.
The spacious backyard.

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