0326 PON DLY B04
B4 WEDNESDAY, March 26, 2014
■ pontiacdailyleader.com
REMODELING IN THE WORKS
Father-daughter duo brings history back to life By Cynthia Grau Staff Reporter
Being able to tour a half-finished, large-scale renovation project seems to be rare, because many contractors and building owners would prefer to show a finished piece to the public. The Daily Leader had the chance to observe a project, which includes two apartments, in a historic downtown Pontiac building, to see just what it looks like to take an old building, wipe away layers and layers of history and bring the space back to life. Gary Boldt of Boldt Home Improvement has been working on the apartments above the former Pontiac Sports building on Main Street since the beginning of November. He says the project is about halfway finished at this point, and he and his daughter, Cyndi, still have plenty of work ahead of them. Boldt said when the pair first started work inside the building, there was a lot of “junk,” like things previous inhabitants had left behind, as well as aluminum items from the former trophy room in the front of the building. “We pulled the dump truck up to the back door and started throwing things out. We filled it up twice,” he said. “We recycled the aluminum items.” From there, the two of them got to work scraping the seven layers of wallpaper that covered all the walls of both apartments. He said that process was finished before Nussbaum Heating, Cooling and Electrical came in and started working with the electrical, heating and plumbing in the apartments. “The heat is above the ceilings now. This is easiest because we knew we were doing suspended ceilings, so it’s a good way to hide the hardware,” Boldt said. “The air conditioning units will be on top of the roof.” Four months into the project, Boldt said
that their biggest challenge has probably been the part of scraping off all the layers of wallpaper. He wasn’t even able to talk any of his other helpers, which are his other four daughters and grandchildren who chip in with big projects from time to time, into scraping walls with he and Cyndi. He said he didn’t think it was their “cup of tea.” “It’s hard to say how long it took, because we are in and out, but we were at it a good solid month. It was just Cyndi and me,” Boldt remembered. During the early days of the project, there was no electricity to the apartments, so they ran electrical cords to the upstairs and had a light in each room, which was another obstacle. A bigger obstacle? The brutally cold winter the area experienced and having to work with little heating in that part of the building. “There was no heat here either when we started in October, so we had heaters blowing warm air around to help keep it warm while we worked up here,” Boldt said. “The dreaded winter we had, it got a little chilly up here. Once you actually warm it up and get the fans working to distribute the heat, it was OK.” Currently, the pair, along with Nussbaums, is working on ceiling tiles, from placement to cutting the edges, to fitting heating vents. He said his daughter is working on cleaning up the baseboards because the majority of them are going to stay natural wood, and some have to be replaced where they were missing. When working in old buildings, many surprises seem to pop up. Boldt said his biggest surprise was found underneath the linoleum. “You always seem to find newspapers. They used to find newspapers underneath linoleum. Before they laid that down, they always used to put newspapers down for insulation, for some reason. So the ones I found date back to 1935 (Chicago Daisee ‘FAMILY’ page B5
Gary and Cyndi Boldt, above, pair up to do home improvement work that runs the spectrum in the Livingston County area. The Bolts laid the gridwork for the new ceilings, below, and Nussbaum Heating, Cooling and Electrical installed the electrical and ductwork. PHOTOS PROVIDED/CYNTHIA GRAU/DAILY LEADER
B8 pontiacdailyleader.com WEDNESDAY, March 26, 2014
Change style with new, exciting decorating trends Looking for ways to switch up your style? From the right patterns and colors to impressive accents, the latest home design trends will keep your space looking fresh and fabulous. “Now more than ever, homeowners are willing to experiment with design,” said Taniya Nayak, interior designer and DIY television personality. Here are a few home decor trends Nayak predicts will make a big impact this spring: A hot trend in 2014 is to bring flea-market furniture back to life with painted patterns and details. “Refurbishing old furniture pieces is a popular and easy look to achieve,” said Nayak. “All you need is a little bit of paint and a lot of creativity.” New pre-cut, patterned painter’s tape makes this simple project much easier. Before painting, simply apply the tape in the desired pattern on a hand-me-down or thrift store find to create a custom piece for your home. You can create a home filled with vintage details, regardless of the age of your house. Try using muted color palettes, like gray, taupe or certain shades of green One of the unique features throughout the loft is the exposed ductwork that lines the ceiling. The master or rose, and industrial accents to transform its apbedroom is also unique in that it features angled walls and sill offers more than enough space for a large bed. pearance. “Incorporating pieces of distressed wood will LUKE SMUCKER/DAILY LEADER also add to the overall vintage effect,” adds Nayak. “Merging styles to make the entire family happy is have to design around what you’ve got,” Russell said. “You not always easy,” said Nayak. Instead of looking too have to remember nothing is square, nothing is level — rugged or too girly, a key trend is to blend both from Page B7 nothing is simple.” masculine and feminine components into your home After the general layout of the loft was set, Courtney’s after the completion of the stairway for work to begin input was included when making decisions about the de- design. Try painting a design on a wood floor. This techupstairs. Today, it somewhat resembles Lydia’s Loft — sign and look of the kitchen, floors and things like that. nique allows the raw, masculine features of the wood a sought-after loft-style lodging in downtown Pontiac She said it felt good to know her opinion was valued. to show through, while introducing a feminine overlay of patterns or colors. Popular patterns include qua— in the sense that it celebrates the exposed brick walls “The fact that I got to have some input really makes trefoil, herringbone and modern floral designs. and has a modern vibe accompanied by a picturesque the loft feel like home,” Courtney Lucas said. view of the Old Historic Courthouse. That, however, is Since moving in, Courtney says work is moving toward where the resemblance ends. A major difference between completion. Although there are a few odds and ends yet the two is the entrance to the master bedroom. In the to be completed, those who have been given the opFor the latest news, sports and photos, loft, bedrooms are accessible through the long hallway, portunity to tour the apartment are pleased with the devisit the Daily Leader online. but in the Lucas’ loft, the master bedroom can only be sign. www.pontiacdailyleader.com accessed from the open kitchen and dining room area. “People come up here and they love it,” Tiffany Lucas “We considered turning the space into two apartments said. “I’ve been working up here since about June and or possibly a bed and breakfast,” Tiffany Lucas said. whenever I finish up for the day, I step back and truly “Knowing what Lydia’s looked like was a help in com- feel pleased with what we’ve accomplished.” ing up with our ultimate vision for the space. We are very pleased with our decision and how things have turned out.”
One thing the family kept in mind while designing the space was that each bedroom had to have a window due to safety codes. With that in mind, it was decided none of bedrooms could be attached to the solid brick wall side. Russell said different codes dictated a lot of the loft’s over all layout. Another factor would be the design for the heating and cooling. The family wanted to make the loft as efficient as possible and that meant figuring out the # " optimal place to run the utilities. The loft has gas-forced heating and central air throughout. ²sss !ªÓá ²ÜĄĄ
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LOFT
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pontiacdailyleader.com WEDNESDAY, March 26, 2014
B7
LUXURY REDESIGNED
A big city life in Pontiac By Luke Smucker Staff Reporter
Areas including features such as ponds or statues are encouraged for those who may not have the yardage for extensive landscaping. PHOTO PROVIDED
LAWNS from Page B5
Establish areas where you want more dramatic features, like a pond, an accent tree or shrub, or statue. In a small yard, you don't have a lot of space for these design elements, but you do have some, so take advantage of it. At the same time, make sure it all ties into the larger garden design and to the home. When you have a small yard, it's harder to pull off areas with radically different design aesthetics, because they can feel jarring. Play down the small size with small, simple furniture that will feel large thanks to the surrounding space and light, airy
HOME from Page B6
“I think the wood is an art within itself,” Dee said. “From there, my husband took it a step further and made our headboard and art frames out of reclaimed wood too. It makes everything flow from the bedroom into the bathroom.” As is the case with almost any project, the bathroom addition had its own set of hurdles to overcome. First, there was no basement underneath, which meant digging out a crawl-
plants. Use creepers and climbers to your advantage to make the garden into an outdoor room filled with light and color, and enhance the illusion of space by adding multiple levels to your garden. Use stepped terraces, pathways, and decking to draw the eye along the vertical axis of the yard, which will make it seem bigger, and install mirrors in clever locations to add to the size. You don't want to make visitors think you feel like your yard is inadequate, but you can turn it into a space that feels much bigger on the inside. There are lots of creative ways to use a small yard, and you might just find yourself falling in love with your tiny space. After all, unlike your friends with huge gardens, your landscaping maintenance will be a cinch.
space and there was no way to get a backhoe into the backyard because of the pool, so the workers had to dig the crawlspace without the use of heavy machinery. “That was as bit of a challenge, but John didn’t blink,” Mike said. “He got some people together and they finished it in a day without tearing up the yard. He was here May 1, but he was done in midAugust. The bathroom took two months at most.” If adding a crawl space wasn’t enough, Tibbs also used the wood siding and
the trim around the windows and doors as an example for the outside of the addition. He even made exposed rafter tails, which Mike said nobody does anymore and put them all around. “It looks like it’s always been here,” Mike said. “The outside completely matches the original house. Some of the trim had to be manually made, but that’s the craftsman in him and we absolutely love it. We can’t believe we lived here for so long without it. He took our idea and nailed it — literally.”
Courtney Lucas, the owner of Charmed Boutique in downtown Pontiac, has always had a heart for life in the big city. Her business, a woman’s boutique specializing in fashion-forward dresses, tops, handbags, scarves and jewelry, models her passion. A little less than a year after opening the business, she approached her parents, Tiffany and Kley Lucas who own the building, with the idea of turning the loft above the storefront into a luxurious living space. The transformation is still in progress, but for the last two months Lucas has been living life on her terms in the heart of Pontiac. “I always planned to live in Chicago,” Courtney Lucas said. “The fact that I live here stems from having the store, but I also like the idea of living in the middle of downtown and I love what we’ve created.” From a practical standpoint, the family agreed it made sense to make the best use out of the loft above the store. “Even before we started, the upstairs had a lofty feel to it,” Courtney said. “We felt like the space already had potential with the exposed brick. Why waste it?” Tiffany Lucas says other business owners around the downtown have had similar ideas to reconstruct the space above their establishments. However many of them cited water damage as the reason they ultimately had to forgo the endeavor. “Luckily we didn’t have
Courtney Lucas, owner of Charmed Boutique, is in the process of bringing a city life feel to the loft above her storefront. LUKE SMUCKER/DAILY LEADER
any of that,” Tiffany Lucas said. “If we had to deal with water damage and put on a new roof we probably wouldn’t be making the improvements to our space either.” Most of the work began on the loft last March, but before any of that could commence, a stairway had to be completely constructed. Prior to its construction Bob Russell, Courtney’s grandfather and the Mayor of Pontiac, said the only way to access the loft was through a 15-inch by 24-inch hole. “You had to take a couple of step ladders just to get into the loft,” Russell recalls. “You had to take one step ladder up to a landing and use another ladder to get through the hole.” It would take Russell around two months just to find a way to make stairs work in a place that previously had no stairs. The set of stairs also had to meet guidelines and safety standards.
“I figured out where the stairway was going to go and I built an enclosure so that once we got started working on the loft, none of the debris would fall downstairs and spill out into the storefront,” Russell said. “I actually had to do that before I could even begin to work on the stairs.” To hear Tiffany, Russell’s daughter, describe the initial loft space, the windows were boarded up and the space was completely open and empty. Many sketches were drawn in an effort to make the best use of the space. “Kley and I went back and forth to discern what would look good, but we always had a sense that the loft had something special going for it — like a diamond in the rough.” Russell said. Everyone knew this project would take a lot of work. The loft encompasses 1925 square feet and it took around six months
see ‘LOFT’ page B8
B6
WEDNESDAY, March 26, 2014 pontiacdailyleader.com
HARDWARE from Page B5
The bathroom attached to the Ingles’ bedroom was one of the major assets added in their recent renovation project. LUKE SMUCKER/DAILY LEADER
HOME from Page B5
home instead of losing a bedroom. “We wanted our own unique bathroom attached to the master bedroom,” Mike Ingles recalls. “Houses of this era just didn’t do that. We also wanted to give this bathroom access to the pool so we could go in and out without tracking water through the house.” Tibbs assured the couple their addition would look natural while also meeting their specific needs. After the couple gave him a list of their ideas, he incorporated those ideas into a couple of different plans for the couple to choose from. These plans were looked over and tweaked again by the couple and Tibbs came back once more with a plan incorporating those changes. “He really listens to his clients,” Dee Ingles remarked. “The guy is multi-talented — he’s a designer, a craftsman and a carpenter.” Dee Ingles loves natural tones. The tile and every color in the house is a natural mix and she wanted the color scheme of the bathroom to fit. She also wanted to add light fixtures because the addition meant eliminating three windows in the bedroom. Tibbs not only added the light fixtures but also opened up the bathroom to natural light with windows and a door with wood steps leading to the in-ground pool in the backyard. For the couple, a favorite part of the addition is the pair of medicine cabinets set in a larger opening. The light spills over the top of a pair of medicine cabinets. “The light glows into the bedroom,” Dee beamed. “The craftsman part of John came out in the vanity, the double sinks and the drawers that I wanted off the floor — kind of a Caribbean-style with rolled towels. He put spindles for the towels and went completely above and beyond our expectations.” The back of the cabinets was covered with reclaimed wood. Dee said they are both partial to different woods and the backing adds an organic feel to the room. see ‘HOME’ page B7
best to improve properties this time of year, as well. “Common questions would be, “How do I get my lawn ready?” With the rain and the mess and the wet, a lot of people have questions about basements, too,” said Hammer. “‘Can I clean out my basement? How do I prepare it for the next time we have water?’ We’ve been going through sump pumps and shop vacs – things like that.” She went on to say that the staff at Ace are some of the most knowledgeable in the area regarding home improvement projects. Georgia Howard has been with the company for two decades and Dave King has also put in his time, making the two well-known throughout the community in terms of being go-to faces for help. Outside of home improvement projects, Ace also offers a wide variety of what local residents may need to keep their lawns in top shape this spring. “As far as gardening, laws and all of that, it’s important to start from a good foundation,” she said. “If you have a lot of good dirt and soil, you can work and get a lot of things accomplished quickly.” According to Hammer, the store sells several types of fertilizer, including products from Scotts, Jonathan Green and Ace. Other crucial items for lawncare include hoses and grass seeds, as well. Hammer admitted that the store is smaller, but said that oftentimes, customers come in to pick up the oddsand-ends of projects before hitting the larger department stores like Home Depot or Lowes. “We don’t sell all of the big products that the home
Tina Hammer, Ace Hardware store manager, points out a sump pump – one of the store’s most popular items this time of year. LUKE SMUCKER/DAILY LEADER
stores sell,” she said. “We carry all of the smaller stuff needed to finish the project. So, it’s not a bad idea to come here and buy all the little things before heading off to the bigger home stores.” For those moving into new homes or business locations, Ace also offers the service of making keys or rekeying locks for doors. Ace Hardware in Pontiac is located at 203 E. Livingston St. The store can be reached by calling 815-8422966 for home improvement needs.
pontiacdailyleader.com WEDNESDAY, March 26, 2014
B5
STORE SHIFTS TO SPRING MODE
ADDITION TO LOCAL HOME
ACE Hardware readies for the spring season
Time for more rooms for grandkids By Luke Smucker Staff Reporter
By Jacob Misener Managing Editor
With warmer temperatures comes the desire to clean one’s home. The traditional spring cleaning, which includes major time and effort isn’t alway’s people’s favorite thing to do, but sprucing up their homes in other ways seems to grow in popularity as the mercury rises. According to Tina Hammer, who has worked at the Ace Hardware store in Pontiac for four years, paint always seems to be popular this time of year. “They are changing hardware on their doors, on their cabinets – everybody wants a refresh,” she said. “Especially with this harsh winter that we’ve had, people have spring fever.” Even people who aren’t typically the self-home improvers are looking for both materials and advice on how see ‘HARDWARE’ page B6
These pocket doors were unusable until the Boldts came in and started work on the apartment to the east. PHOTO PROVIDED
FAMILY from Page B4
ly Tribune and Pantagraph). I love to see all the advertisements in those papers, because you can see the price of things back then,” he said as he pointed out a sale for a 77-cent dress. He said the owners, who are a couple living in Pontiac, don’t seem to be in a big rush to have this project finished, so he doesn’t really have a deadline at this point. “It will happen when it happens. I’m expecting another solid month of work up here. Now, whether that takes two months to get that month’s worth of work done, so be it,” Boldt said. Next up in the apartments, which each have one bedroom, a living space, a bathroom and kitchen, will be to sand and do some repairs and restoration to the hardwood floors. “As you walk through here, you can see and visualize what can happen to it,” he said of his first tour. “It’s always nice to walk away from a project and see the end result.”
Mike and Dee Ingles, owners of the 1949 brick craftsman-style ranch on Henry Street in Pontiac decided last summer it was time to add on to their home to make room for the needs of their grandchildren. They wanted a master bathroom, which would be unique to their tastes, but also match the rest of the house. The Ingles said most local people know their home from the previous owner, Harold Schroder, was a physician from Pontiac. The couple says the Schroders built the house and raised three boys in it before moving in during 2004. It was designed by an architect from Bloomington with the last name of Hilfinger — part of a firm called Lundeen and Hilfinger. “From what we have been told, Hilfinger and Harold were friends,” Dee said. “The man was in his
Mike and Dee Ingles recently added onto their home in order to meet the demands of a growing family – namely grandchildren. LUKE SMUCKER/DAILY LEADER
20s and he loved the Frank Lloyd Wright arts and crafts look. It’s a very unusual house.” The home is usual compared to homes of its time because it was insulated and all of the windows are
thermal-pane windows. According to the Ingles’ research, Pella introduced the thermal pane windows in 1949. To add on to the house, the couple decided to seek out the expertise of John
Tibbs, owner of Tibbs Construction Co. They discussed multiple plans, one of which was to take a bedroom and turn it into a bathroom. The couple decided to add on to the
see ‘HOME’ page B6
GARDEN AND LAWN TIPS
Make the most of your penny-sized lawn By Katie Marks Gatehouse Media Service
Got a yard the size of a postage stamp? I used to live in a house where the deck space was bigger than the garden, which was barely big enough for a cat to turn around in (granted, I have a big cat). That didn't stop me from creating an amazing garden that got tons of compliments -- and looked way better than the neighbor's spacious garden. The trick to making the most of a small space indoors or outdoors is getting creative with your design and placement, and not being afraid to live your dreams, even if you have to modify them a bit. One of the biggest mistakes with a small garden is to plunge into it without planning, resulting in a
hodge-podge of looks, plants and furniture. The result can be cluttered, cramped and chaotic: Think of being in grandma's living room with 60 years of furniture styles on display, surrounded by towering piles of old magazines, newspapers and a collection of ornamental Scottie dogs. You don't want that look for your garden! So start by planning. If necessary, take out old landscaping, even though it might be a scary thought. You want clean, clear ground to start with. Taking out old plants also provides a chance to work lots of fertilizer into the soil and lay down weed barriers so your garden will be healthier and easier to maintain. Measure out the dimensions of your yard and create a detailed drawing with fixed features like your house, deck, and limits on your lot
like walls, driveway and so forth. This will give you a clear idea of the space you have to work with. Christopher Cohan at “This Old House” recommends creating an ornamental border, especially along the street side, as this will create a clearly defined space and add some privacy. Keep your border clear and simple, with plants in similar colors and heights. Too much variation can make your border feel chaotic, and not in a good way. Establish pathways to key parts of the house and yard, and make sure the materials are appropriate to the setting, whether you're hiring a concrete contractor to install a basic concrete walk for a mid-century modern home or laying stepping stones for a whimsical English cottage.
see ‘LAWNS’ page B7
■ pontiacdailyleader.com
REMODELING IN THE WORKS
Father-daughter duo brings history back to life By Cynthia Grau Staff Reporter
Being able to tour a half-finished, large-scale renovation project seems to be rare, because many contractors and building owners would prefer to show a finished piece to the public. The Daily Leader had the chance to observe a project, which includes two apartments, in a historic downtown Pontiac building, to see just what it looks like to take an old building, wipe away layers and layers of history and bring the space back to life. Gary Boldt of Boldt Home Improvement has been working on the apartments above the former Pontiac Sports building on Main Street since the beginning of November. He says the project is about halfway finished at this point, and he and his daughter, Cyndi, still have plenty of work ahead of them. Boldt said when the pair first started work inside the building, there was a lot of “junk,” like things previous inhabitants had left behind, as well as aluminum items from the former trophy room in the front of the building. “We pulled the dump truck up to the back door and started throwing things out. We filled it up twice,” he said. “We recycled the aluminum items.” From there, the two of them got to work scraping the seven layers of wallpaper that covered all the walls of both apartments. He said that process was finished before Nussbaum Heating, Cooling and Electrical came in and started working with the electrical, heating and plumbing in the apartments. “The heat is above the ceilings now. This is easiest because we knew we were doing suspended ceilings, so it’s a good way to hide the hardware,” Boldt said. “The air conditioning units will be on top of the roof.” Four months into the project, Boldt said
that their biggest challenge has probably been the part of scraping off all the layers of wallpaper. He wasn’t even able to talk any of his other helpers, which are his other four daughters and grandchildren who chip in with big projects from time to time, into scraping walls with he and Cyndi. He said he didn’t think it was their “cup of tea.” “It’s hard to say how long it took, because we are in and out, but we were at it a good solid month. It was just Cyndi and me,” Boldt remembered. During the early days of the project, there was no electricity to the apartments, so they ran electrical cords to the upstairs and had a light in each room, which was another obstacle. A bigger obstacle? The brutally cold winter the area experienced and having to work with little heating in that part of the building. “There was no heat here either when we started in October, so we had heaters blowing warm air around to help keep it warm while we worked up here,” Boldt said. “The dreaded winter we had, it got a little chilly up here. Once you actually warm it up and get the fans working to distribute the heat, it was OK.” Currently, the pair, along with Nussbaums, is working on ceiling tiles, from placement to cutting the edges, to fitting heating vents. He said his daughter is working on cleaning up the baseboards because the majority of them are going to stay natural wood, and some have to be replaced where they were missing. When working in old buildings, many surprises seem to pop up. Boldt said his biggest surprise was found underneath the linoleum. “You always seem to find newspapers. They used to find newspapers underneath linoleum. Before they laid that down, they always used to put newspapers down for insulation, for some reason. So the ones I found date back to 1935 (Chicago Daisee ‘FAMILY’ page B5
Gary and Cyndi Boldt, above, pair up to do home improvement work that runs the spectrum in the Livingston County area. The Bolts laid the gridwork for the new ceilings, below, and Nussbaum Heating, Cooling and Electrical installed the electrical and ductwork. PHOTOS PROVIDED/CYNTHIA GRAU/DAILY LEADER
B8 pontiacdailyleader.com WEDNESDAY, March 26, 2014
Change style with new, exciting decorating trends Looking for ways to switch up your style? From the right patterns and colors to impressive accents, the latest home design trends will keep your space looking fresh and fabulous. “Now more than ever, homeowners are willing to experiment with design,” said Taniya Nayak, interior designer and DIY television personality. Here are a few home decor trends Nayak predicts will make a big impact this spring: A hot trend in 2014 is to bring flea-market furniture back to life with painted patterns and details. “Refurbishing old furniture pieces is a popular and easy look to achieve,” said Nayak. “All you need is a little bit of paint and a lot of creativity.” New pre-cut, patterned painter’s tape makes this simple project much easier. Before painting, simply apply the tape in the desired pattern on a hand-me-down or thrift store find to create a custom piece for your home. You can create a home filled with vintage details, regardless of the age of your house. Try using muted color palettes, like gray, taupe or certain shades of green One of the unique features throughout the loft is the exposed ductwork that lines the ceiling. The master or rose, and industrial accents to transform its apbedroom is also unique in that it features angled walls and sill offers more than enough space for a large bed. pearance. “Incorporating pieces of distressed wood will LUKE SMUCKER/DAILY LEADER also add to the overall vintage effect,” adds Nayak. “Merging styles to make the entire family happy is have to design around what you’ve got,” Russell said. “You not always easy,” said Nayak. Instead of looking too have to remember nothing is square, nothing is level — rugged or too girly, a key trend is to blend both from Page B7 nothing is simple.” masculine and feminine components into your home After the general layout of the loft was set, Courtney’s after the completion of the stairway for work to begin input was included when making decisions about the de- design. Try painting a design on a wood floor. This techupstairs. Today, it somewhat resembles Lydia’s Loft — sign and look of the kitchen, floors and things like that. nique allows the raw, masculine features of the wood a sought-after loft-style lodging in downtown Pontiac She said it felt good to know her opinion was valued. to show through, while introducing a feminine overlay of patterns or colors. Popular patterns include qua— in the sense that it celebrates the exposed brick walls “The fact that I got to have some input really makes trefoil, herringbone and modern floral designs. and has a modern vibe accompanied by a picturesque the loft feel like home,” Courtney Lucas said. view of the Old Historic Courthouse. That, however, is Since moving in, Courtney says work is moving toward where the resemblance ends. A major difference between completion. Although there are a few odds and ends yet the two is the entrance to the master bedroom. In the to be completed, those who have been given the opFor the latest news, sports and photos, loft, bedrooms are accessible through the long hallway, portunity to tour the apartment are pleased with the devisit the Daily Leader online. but in the Lucas’ loft, the master bedroom can only be sign. www.pontiacdailyleader.com accessed from the open kitchen and dining room area. “People come up here and they love it,” Tiffany Lucas “We considered turning the space into two apartments said. “I’ve been working up here since about June and or possibly a bed and breakfast,” Tiffany Lucas said. whenever I finish up for the day, I step back and truly “Knowing what Lydia’s looked like was a help in com- feel pleased with what we’ve accomplished.” ing up with our ultimate vision for the space. We are very pleased with our decision and how things have turned out.”
One thing the family kept in mind while designing the space was that each bedroom had to have a window due to safety codes. With that in mind, it was decided none of bedrooms could be attached to the solid brick wall side. Russell said different codes dictated a lot of the loft’s over all layout. Another factor would be the design for the heating and cooling. The family wanted to make the loft as efficient as possible and that meant figuring out the # " optimal place to run the utilities. The loft has gas-forced heating and central air throughout. ²sss !ªÓá ²ÜĄĄ
@×á .e %% " " “It’s not like starting with a brand new floor plan, you ,ª¥á@[b "
LOFT
½s²¾sÜĄĄ %% üüüÁ @×ánÓ!ªüÁ[ª $$$ "
,#Ą²¦²Ąé
pontiacdailyleader.com WEDNESDAY, March 26, 2014
B7
LUXURY REDESIGNED
A big city life in Pontiac By Luke Smucker Staff Reporter
Areas including features such as ponds or statues are encouraged for those who may not have the yardage for extensive landscaping. PHOTO PROVIDED
LAWNS from Page B5
Establish areas where you want more dramatic features, like a pond, an accent tree or shrub, or statue. In a small yard, you don't have a lot of space for these design elements, but you do have some, so take advantage of it. At the same time, make sure it all ties into the larger garden design and to the home. When you have a small yard, it's harder to pull off areas with radically different design aesthetics, because they can feel jarring. Play down the small size with small, simple furniture that will feel large thanks to the surrounding space and light, airy
HOME from Page B6
“I think the wood is an art within itself,” Dee said. “From there, my husband took it a step further and made our headboard and art frames out of reclaimed wood too. It makes everything flow from the bedroom into the bathroom.” As is the case with almost any project, the bathroom addition had its own set of hurdles to overcome. First, there was no basement underneath, which meant digging out a crawl-
plants. Use creepers and climbers to your advantage to make the garden into an outdoor room filled with light and color, and enhance the illusion of space by adding multiple levels to your garden. Use stepped terraces, pathways, and decking to draw the eye along the vertical axis of the yard, which will make it seem bigger, and install mirrors in clever locations to add to the size. You don't want to make visitors think you feel like your yard is inadequate, but you can turn it into a space that feels much bigger on the inside. There are lots of creative ways to use a small yard, and you might just find yourself falling in love with your tiny space. After all, unlike your friends with huge gardens, your landscaping maintenance will be a cinch.
space and there was no way to get a backhoe into the backyard because of the pool, so the workers had to dig the crawlspace without the use of heavy machinery. “That was as bit of a challenge, but John didn’t blink,” Mike said. “He got some people together and they finished it in a day without tearing up the yard. He was here May 1, but he was done in midAugust. The bathroom took two months at most.” If adding a crawl space wasn’t enough, Tibbs also used the wood siding and
the trim around the windows and doors as an example for the outside of the addition. He even made exposed rafter tails, which Mike said nobody does anymore and put them all around. “It looks like it’s always been here,” Mike said. “The outside completely matches the original house. Some of the trim had to be manually made, but that’s the craftsman in him and we absolutely love it. We can’t believe we lived here for so long without it. He took our idea and nailed it — literally.”
Courtney Lucas, the owner of Charmed Boutique in downtown Pontiac, has always had a heart for life in the big city. Her business, a woman’s boutique specializing in fashion-forward dresses, tops, handbags, scarves and jewelry, models her passion. A little less than a year after opening the business, she approached her parents, Tiffany and Kley Lucas who own the building, with the idea of turning the loft above the storefront into a luxurious living space. The transformation is still in progress, but for the last two months Lucas has been living life on her terms in the heart of Pontiac. “I always planned to live in Chicago,” Courtney Lucas said. “The fact that I live here stems from having the store, but I also like the idea of living in the middle of downtown and I love what we’ve created.” From a practical standpoint, the family agreed it made sense to make the best use out of the loft above the store. “Even before we started, the upstairs had a lofty feel to it,” Courtney said. “We felt like the space already had potential with the exposed brick. Why waste it?” Tiffany Lucas says other business owners around the downtown have had similar ideas to reconstruct the space above their establishments. However many of them cited water damage as the reason they ultimately had to forgo the endeavor. “Luckily we didn’t have
Courtney Lucas, owner of Charmed Boutique, is in the process of bringing a city life feel to the loft above her storefront. LUKE SMUCKER/DAILY LEADER
any of that,” Tiffany Lucas said. “If we had to deal with water damage and put on a new roof we probably wouldn’t be making the improvements to our space either.” Most of the work began on the loft last March, but before any of that could commence, a stairway had to be completely constructed. Prior to its construction Bob Russell, Courtney’s grandfather and the Mayor of Pontiac, said the only way to access the loft was through a 15-inch by 24-inch hole. “You had to take a couple of step ladders just to get into the loft,” Russell recalls. “You had to take one step ladder up to a landing and use another ladder to get through the hole.” It would take Russell around two months just to find a way to make stairs work in a place that previously had no stairs. The set of stairs also had to meet guidelines and safety standards.
“I figured out where the stairway was going to go and I built an enclosure so that once we got started working on the loft, none of the debris would fall downstairs and spill out into the storefront,” Russell said. “I actually had to do that before I could even begin to work on the stairs.” To hear Tiffany, Russell’s daughter, describe the initial loft space, the windows were boarded up and the space was completely open and empty. Many sketches were drawn in an effort to make the best use of the space. “Kley and I went back and forth to discern what would look good, but we always had a sense that the loft had something special going for it — like a diamond in the rough.” Russell said. Everyone knew this project would take a lot of work. The loft encompasses 1925 square feet and it took around six months
see ‘LOFT’ page B8
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WEDNESDAY, March 26, 2014 pontiacdailyleader.com
HARDWARE from Page B5
The bathroom attached to the Ingles’ bedroom was one of the major assets added in their recent renovation project. LUKE SMUCKER/DAILY LEADER
HOME from Page B5
home instead of losing a bedroom. “We wanted our own unique bathroom attached to the master bedroom,” Mike Ingles recalls. “Houses of this era just didn’t do that. We also wanted to give this bathroom access to the pool so we could go in and out without tracking water through the house.” Tibbs assured the couple their addition would look natural while also meeting their specific needs. After the couple gave him a list of their ideas, he incorporated those ideas into a couple of different plans for the couple to choose from. These plans were looked over and tweaked again by the couple and Tibbs came back once more with a plan incorporating those changes. “He really listens to his clients,” Dee Ingles remarked. “The guy is multi-talented — he’s a designer, a craftsman and a carpenter.” Dee Ingles loves natural tones. The tile and every color in the house is a natural mix and she wanted the color scheme of the bathroom to fit. She also wanted to add light fixtures because the addition meant eliminating three windows in the bedroom. Tibbs not only added the light fixtures but also opened up the bathroom to natural light with windows and a door with wood steps leading to the in-ground pool in the backyard. For the couple, a favorite part of the addition is the pair of medicine cabinets set in a larger opening. The light spills over the top of a pair of medicine cabinets. “The light glows into the bedroom,” Dee beamed. “The craftsman part of John came out in the vanity, the double sinks and the drawers that I wanted off the floor — kind of a Caribbean-style with rolled towels. He put spindles for the towels and went completely above and beyond our expectations.” The back of the cabinets was covered with reclaimed wood. Dee said they are both partial to different woods and the backing adds an organic feel to the room. see ‘HOME’ page B7
best to improve properties this time of year, as well. “Common questions would be, “How do I get my lawn ready?” With the rain and the mess and the wet, a lot of people have questions about basements, too,” said Hammer. “‘Can I clean out my basement? How do I prepare it for the next time we have water?’ We’ve been going through sump pumps and shop vacs – things like that.” She went on to say that the staff at Ace are some of the most knowledgeable in the area regarding home improvement projects. Georgia Howard has been with the company for two decades and Dave King has also put in his time, making the two well-known throughout the community in terms of being go-to faces for help. Outside of home improvement projects, Ace also offers a wide variety of what local residents may need to keep their lawns in top shape this spring. “As far as gardening, laws and all of that, it’s important to start from a good foundation,” she said. “If you have a lot of good dirt and soil, you can work and get a lot of things accomplished quickly.” According to Hammer, the store sells several types of fertilizer, including products from Scotts, Jonathan Green and Ace. Other crucial items for lawncare include hoses and grass seeds, as well. Hammer admitted that the store is smaller, but said that oftentimes, customers come in to pick up the oddsand-ends of projects before hitting the larger department stores like Home Depot or Lowes. “We don’t sell all of the big products that the home
Tina Hammer, Ace Hardware store manager, points out a sump pump – one of the store’s most popular items this time of year. LUKE SMUCKER/DAILY LEADER
stores sell,” she said. “We carry all of the smaller stuff needed to finish the project. So, it’s not a bad idea to come here and buy all the little things before heading off to the bigger home stores.” For those moving into new homes or business locations, Ace also offers the service of making keys or rekeying locks for doors. Ace Hardware in Pontiac is located at 203 E. Livingston St. The store can be reached by calling 815-8422966 for home improvement needs.
pontiacdailyleader.com WEDNESDAY, March 26, 2014
B5
STORE SHIFTS TO SPRING MODE
ADDITION TO LOCAL HOME
ACE Hardware readies for the spring season
Time for more rooms for grandkids By Luke Smucker Staff Reporter
By Jacob Misener Managing Editor
With warmer temperatures comes the desire to clean one’s home. The traditional spring cleaning, which includes major time and effort isn’t alway’s people’s favorite thing to do, but sprucing up their homes in other ways seems to grow in popularity as the mercury rises. According to Tina Hammer, who has worked at the Ace Hardware store in Pontiac for four years, paint always seems to be popular this time of year. “They are changing hardware on their doors, on their cabinets – everybody wants a refresh,” she said. “Especially with this harsh winter that we’ve had, people have spring fever.” Even people who aren’t typically the self-home improvers are looking for both materials and advice on how see ‘HARDWARE’ page B6
These pocket doors were unusable until the Boldts came in and started work on the apartment to the east. PHOTO PROVIDED
FAMILY from Page B4
ly Tribune and Pantagraph). I love to see all the advertisements in those papers, because you can see the price of things back then,” he said as he pointed out a sale for a 77-cent dress. He said the owners, who are a couple living in Pontiac, don’t seem to be in a big rush to have this project finished, so he doesn’t really have a deadline at this point. “It will happen when it happens. I’m expecting another solid month of work up here. Now, whether that takes two months to get that month’s worth of work done, so be it,” Boldt said. Next up in the apartments, which each have one bedroom, a living space, a bathroom and kitchen, will be to sand and do some repairs and restoration to the hardwood floors. “As you walk through here, you can see and visualize what can happen to it,” he said of his first tour. “It’s always nice to walk away from a project and see the end result.”
Mike and Dee Ingles, owners of the 1949 brick craftsman-style ranch on Henry Street in Pontiac decided last summer it was time to add on to their home to make room for the needs of their grandchildren. They wanted a master bathroom, which would be unique to their tastes, but also match the rest of the house. The Ingles said most local people know their home from the previous owner, Harold Schroder, was a physician from Pontiac. The couple says the Schroders built the house and raised three boys in it before moving in during 2004. It was designed by an architect from Bloomington with the last name of Hilfinger — part of a firm called Lundeen and Hilfinger. “From what we have been told, Hilfinger and Harold were friends,” Dee said. “The man was in his
Mike and Dee Ingles recently added onto their home in order to meet the demands of a growing family – namely grandchildren. LUKE SMUCKER/DAILY LEADER
20s and he loved the Frank Lloyd Wright arts and crafts look. It’s a very unusual house.” The home is usual compared to homes of its time because it was insulated and all of the windows are
thermal-pane windows. According to the Ingles’ research, Pella introduced the thermal pane windows in 1949. To add on to the house, the couple decided to seek out the expertise of John
Tibbs, owner of Tibbs Construction Co. They discussed multiple plans, one of which was to take a bedroom and turn it into a bathroom. The couple decided to add on to the
see ‘HOME’ page B6
GARDEN AND LAWN TIPS
Make the most of your penny-sized lawn By Katie Marks Gatehouse Media Service
Got a yard the size of a postage stamp? I used to live in a house where the deck space was bigger than the garden, which was barely big enough for a cat to turn around in (granted, I have a big cat). That didn't stop me from creating an amazing garden that got tons of compliments -- and looked way better than the neighbor's spacious garden. The trick to making the most of a small space indoors or outdoors is getting creative with your design and placement, and not being afraid to live your dreams, even if you have to modify them a bit. One of the biggest mistakes with a small garden is to plunge into it without planning, resulting in a
hodge-podge of looks, plants and furniture. The result can be cluttered, cramped and chaotic: Think of being in grandma's living room with 60 years of furniture styles on display, surrounded by towering piles of old magazines, newspapers and a collection of ornamental Scottie dogs. You don't want that look for your garden! So start by planning. If necessary, take out old landscaping, even though it might be a scary thought. You want clean, clear ground to start with. Taking out old plants also provides a chance to work lots of fertilizer into the soil and lay down weed barriers so your garden will be healthier and easier to maintain. Measure out the dimensions of your yard and create a detailed drawing with fixed features like your house, deck, and limits on your lot
like walls, driveway and so forth. This will give you a clear idea of the space you have to work with. Christopher Cohan at “This Old House” recommends creating an ornamental border, especially along the street side, as this will create a clearly defined space and add some privacy. Keep your border clear and simple, with plants in similar colors and heights. Too much variation can make your border feel chaotic, and not in a good way. Establish pathways to key parts of the house and yard, and make sure the materials are appropriate to the setting, whether you're hiring a concrete contractor to install a basic concrete walk for a mid-century modern home or laying stepping stones for a whimsical English cottage.
see ‘LAWNS’ page B7
