Sometimes it helps to be a little naive before embarking on a house remodel. This 1912 brick bungalow in Detroit’s historic West Village district sat vacant for eight years before architect Sidney Migoski and her fiancé, Drake, a mortgage banker, took a tour of what would be their first home together. The couple saw peeling ceilings, layers of hard-used finishes, and a kitchen that had been reduced to just a sink. “We had never done something like this before,” says Sidney. “So, we were like, How hard can it be?”

Before: Exterior

After all, the home’s potential was still visible, with details like wood columns framing doorways on the first floor, leaded glass windows, and original wood floors under the old carpet and linoleum upstairs. Sidney’s approach was to salvage all of the home’s historic features where they were still intact, while also making some key updates for modern life.

Before: Entry

After: Entry

For the remodel, the existing wood columns and paneling were left untouched, while the floors were sanded down and refinished in a lighter hue. Sidney also swapped the functions for the living and dining room. The latter, originally located in the middle of the floor plan, was “a little bit wider,” Sidney says. “We thought that space made more sense for the shape of a couch and chairs, whereas the dining room could lend itself to being a bit more narrow. Flipping those made a big difference,” she continues.

Before: Living and Dining Room

After: Living and Dining Room

Sidney furnished the new dining room with a table the couple found under a tarp in the basement, which she then refinished. The wall between the kitchen and living room was opened up and fitted with a stretch of cabinets under a counter that nudges up against the newly exposed brick chimney.

Before: Kitchen

After: Kitchen

Upstairs, the transformation was even more dramatic. All of the interior partitions were removed, layers of floor finishes were discarded to reveal the wood underneath, and the dropped ceilings were replaced with an airy, vaulted treatment. Sidney also hoisted the newly exposed ceiling beams in the process. “Even raising those another foot really helped,” says Sidney. The architect then configured the floor plan for two bedrooms and a bathroom on the upper level.

Before: Railing and Loft

After: Railing and Loft

For the palette, Sidney kept the focus on “real materials,” from the original woodwork, to the granite kitchen counters and the new metal stair rail. Doing so reveals exactly where the old house meets its new owners. “I was looking for those opportunities to really make it our own and tell the story of the house,” says Sidney.

Before: Bedroom

After: Bedroom

Before: Upstairs Bathroom

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After: Upstairs Bathroom

More Before & After:

A Chicago Architect Straightens Out Her Victorian Cottage’s Unwieldy Floor Plan

An Architect Couple Deftly Expand Their D.C. Home Without Losing Its Lived-In Charm

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Sidney Migoski

Builder/General Contractor: JC Beal Construction