Homestyle - Fall 2011

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HomeStyleMIDLAND DAILY NEWS

FALL 2011

THIS OLD FARMHOUSE:Old Eastman place richwith Midland history

Also inside:New bathroom in a day or two

Picking a front doorStoring paint

homestyle 9-18 1homestyle 9-18 1 9/8/11 9:00:40 AM9/8/11 9:00:40 AM

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Serving Midland Since 1971

By Lori QuallsMidland Daily NewsThe door is wide open with pos-

sibilities when it comes to picking out the design that will greet people into your home.

The front door is important part of a house, said Jeff Snyder, retail salesman for C&L Ward, a home im-provement business in Kawkawlin. He said an attractive front door can boost the perceived value of a home.

“For years it always was people’s kitchens,” he said. “Nowadays, people are spending more money on the front door.”

He said studies have shown that people rate the value of the same house some $10,000 to $15,000 higher when it carries a fancy door rather than a plain one.

The good news is a good looking door can be bought for about $500, he said.

“You can put in a smooth fi ber-glass door with fairly nice glass for $400 to $500,” Snyder said. Of course, you can boost that price

skyward with a higher priced door, and lots of glass including a tran-som window up top, he said. “Glass really drives the price of your door,” he said.

The fi rst step in getting a front door is to fi gure out how wide it should be, Snyder said. Most homes are limited to widths of 32 or 36 inches, with the latter be-ing the most common. The 36-inch entry should accommodate a wheelchair, which is a factor in many people’s decision, he said.

Most people come to the Kawkawlin company’s showroom to see examples of doors, glass and hardware.

Snyder said fi berglass doors,

Lots to think about whe

An attractive front door can

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which can be painted a color or stained to look like wood, are favorites right now.

“You can still get wood doors but they’re uncommon in Michi-gan because they expand and contract” because of outdoor temperatures that fl uctuate greatly. He said for years steel doors were the popular choice, but have given way to fi berglass doors that don’t dent or rust.

He also said the rise in the cost of steel has steered many hom-eowners to fi berglass.

Smooth fi berglass doors can be painted or stained at the factory or the homeowner can do it them-selves, he said.

Glass options abound as do hardware choices

“For years and years, people were buying oval shaped windows in glass,” he said. “The majority of people do get some type of glass in the front door. Some people think it’s a security issue and don’t want glass but will put a side-

light there,” which he said really doesn’t make sense. Sidelights are windows, either on one or both sides of a door.

Nickel and brass are the most popular metal choices for hard-ware and homeowners are opting for lever handles rather than door knobs.

“If your hands are full, they’re easier to open the door,” he said.

Storm doors are added to protect the front door as well as allow air from the outside to circulate through a house. Popular now are full-glass storm doors with retract-able screens that show off the beauty of the front door.

Right: Traditional style door with sidelights.

Left: Glass panel double French doors.

Centerspread: Updated Prai-rie style door with curved top window.

More photos, page 12. Photos by Kevin Prior

hen buying a new door


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This Old HouseSteeles part of a rich140-year-old history

Story By Lori Qualls | Cover, Portrait photo by Thomas SimonettiMidland Daily News


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Th e Steele family: Dustin and Sarah, and their children, Emma Lutenske, 8, and Aiden Lutenske, 4, pose in their kitchen.


The red two-story farmhouse at 1812 Eastman in Midland has stood on the hill for 140 years, built some 20 years before young Herbert H. Dow ar-

rived here by train.Throughout its lifetime, the house saw the wagon trail

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out front become a bustling fi ve-lane business route, lined annually with petunias or marigolds planted by hundreds of volunteers. The house saw Herbert and Grace Dow’s apple orchard, numbering 5,000 fruit trees, become the site of a public gardens and an arts center that each year hosts dozens of local events and

attracts top names in entertainment.When it was built in 1870, the farmhouse most likely stood alone with few, if any, neighbors. The young village of Midland, with a population of about 1500, was in the middle of a lumber boom, and was far from expanding into the area. The land was pure country, dotted with fi elds of corn, wheat, oats and potatoes.

On a winter’s daySarah Steele, who has been in Midland since

she was 9, doesn’t remember ever seeing the house. Her husband, Dustin, who drove by the house twice a day for four years, never knew it was there. The Steeles, though, feel in love with the house at the corner of Eastman and Crane Court on a winter day in 2010, even with its overgrown lilac bushes that towered 25 feet into the air, wallpaper everywhere, even on the ceilings and a seemingly endless list of needed repairs.The staircase area before. Photo

courtesy of Sarah Steele

The staircase, original to the house, with redone steps. Photo by Kevin Prior


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“The price was right,” Sarah said. “It had good bones. We basically love the character of the old, but we wanted to make it new ... We could see the potential. We liked the fact that it had all the history and it was so old and so many families lived here.”

That spring, they moved in, along with their two children, and the Steele name was added to the list of families who have called this house home.

The Steeles went right to work and among the repairs, replaced most windows in the house (luckily, the parlor’s windows, including an amber piece, had no cracks), replaced the stairs leading to the upper level, stripped off most of the wallpaper and painted the walls and created two closets in the master bedroom.

They kept as much old-time charm in the house as possible, including the bull’s-eye rosettes on the corners of the windows in the parlor and the wide baseboards and casing around the old windows.

The house that James builtThe house originally belonged to

James S. Eastman, who “owned a farm extending from Carpenter Street to Snake Creek (Midland Country Club) along the road named for him and later bought by Hiram Crane,” wrote Doro-thy Langdon Yates in the book, “Salt of the Earth.” (Local historian Gary Skory said he has heard, but has never been

able to document, that Eastman Road, which had been called Midland Road, was named in honor of Eastman Kodak for all of its business with The Dow Chemical. Co.)

That information about the house matches what a for-mer owner has told the Steeles as well as handwritten city records. The Steeles were told their house was the “original Eastman family farm,” and farther down on what now is Crane Court was where the barn stood.

Records from the same period show a James S. Eastman and an Eliza E. Eastman made land purchases in Midland from 1865-1869. Eastman is credited with starting the fi rst store in the village of Midland down by the docks of the Tittabawassee River near where Riverside Senior Center is today. His brother, Lewis, was the clerk. Together in 1867,

the Eastman brothers drilled a well and started a mineral salt bath business near where Dow Diamond is today.

(To complicate things, the 1870 census shows a James L. Eastman, a 39-year-old merchant, lived in Mid-land with his wife Eliza, 32, and three children, Clyde J., 12, Cora, 7, and Floyd, 2. Also living on the property was a Richard Wilson, 40, described as a common laborer, and Mortimer Clark, 14. Interestingly, the 1860 census shows Mary Clark, 12, lived with the fam-ily, and does not include Wilson or the young boy Clark.)

It is not known if the two James East-mans are the same people; perhaps re-cords were wrongly recorded along the

The handwritten list of canned goods stored in the basement. Photo by Kevin Prior


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way, or maybe James Eastman had several middle names.

James S. Eastman also was one of the fi rst postmasters and in 1867, he reported the village had one sawmill, four general stores, three drugstores, one news depot and book store, three hotels, one jewelry store, a photographic gallery and a number of mechanic shops.

Hiram Crane, a real estate agent and road developer, bought the house in 1908, from William and Louisa Campbell and John and Nannetta Kern. Directory records show Crane was living at the house in 1929 through at least 1953. Crane added a garage to the property in 1934, the only permit found for the property, according to city records. City records also show the Golfside subdivision, which this house is part of, was created in 1934, by Crane and his wife, Lucy, and three other couples: Gilbert (Charlotte) Currie, Willard (Martha) Dow and Earl (Eva) Bennett. Records show the property was vacant in 1957, the year Crane died.

Kitchen not a mainstay in house

The original Eastman house did not look like what it does today. It wasn’t covered in red shingles, and most likely had only three rooms on the main level, including the formal par-lor, which faces west and has a large window topped with am-ber glass fl anked by two smaller ones. The living room is behind one end of the parlor and an-other room, which could have been a bedroom or kitchen, is in back of the other end.

The upstairs today has three bedrooms but Sarah Steele said she learned most farm-houses at that time had one continuous fl oor on the upper level and bedrooms only were added as the family grew. She said during the renovation, she and her husband discovered one continuous fl oor in their house.

Historian Skory, who vis-ited the house, pointed out a built-in closet in an upstairs

Timeline of owners; year occupied

Dustin and Sarah Steele 2010Robert E. Falardeau 1978

Werner H. Braun 1972 James H. Case 1965

Rosiland R. Blacklock 1964Charles B. Blacklock 1961

Irma E. Wildes 1957Hiram A. Crane 1908

(six other title changes, including John Haley, between 1880-1908)

James S. Eastman 1870

Continued on page 26


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Personal fi nances: It sounds simple, but homeowners must examine their fi nances before starting a home improvement project. Just because a bank will loan out money for a project doesn’t mean the project is affordable. Homeown-ers should compare their monthly expenses with their incomes, and then determine what’s left that might be able to go toward a project. Monthly expenses include everything from groceries to mortgage payments. When the comparison between monthly expenses and monthly income has been made, homeown-ers can get a grasp of

just what they can and cannot afford.Credit score: Many homeowners fi nance home improvement projects with loans from the bank. Par-ticularly in the current economy when banks are being forced to tighten lending requirements, secur-ing such loans isn’t easy. Homeowners with signifi cant credit card debt should eliminate such debt before begin-ning a project. Doing so serves multiple purposes. First and foremost, eliminating outstanding debt will free up more money to allocate toward the project. Eliminating

debt will also make loan applicants more attractive to prospec-tive creditors, increas-ing their chances of securing a loan and a lower interest rate.The project’s prior-ity: Budgeting a home improvement project also involves being honest as to just how necessary the project is. For example, a man cave might be a dream project, but should it be a priority over other things around the house? If wear and tear is taking its toll on the roof, for instance, the money going toward the man cave should probably be allocated to replacing the roof instead. If a project is

low on the priority list but high on the want list, re-examine those projects higher up on the priority list to deter-mine if they are more deserving of immediate attention and funds than vanity projects.Overrun costs: Hom-eowners should not be caught off guard when a project goes over budget. Instead, plan for the project to go over budget and expect such frustration. Allocate extra money in the original budget for overrun costs. This will reduce stress and frustration, and if the project comes in under budget, then there’s extra money when the project is completed.

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There are steps that can be taken to extend the shelf life of your re-

maining paint. Caring for the product begins the moment you open the can. Here are some tips.

Before you start: • Do all preparations of your

work area before opening the can. This includes assembling your tools, taping and placing drop cloths.

• The paint stores usually do a good job of mixing the product when you purchase it. Depending upon the quality of the paint, no stirring is neces-sary if it is being used within 24 hours of purchasing.

• Remove the lid carefully with a paint can opener. At-tempting to pry the can open with a screwdriver or other tool may distort the lid, making it difficult to create a good seal when you’re done.

During your project:• Exposure to air is what

makes paint harden. Minimize

the number of times you open the can. Do not leave it open while you are painting.

• If you need to stir the paint, do it gently so additional air is not introduced into the prod-uct. When you are done, re-move the stir stick and close the lid.

• Pour paint into a small con-tainer or roller pan. Clean the well (the indentation around the top of the can) and replace the lid. Even covering the can with a shower cap while you are painting will help to keep it fresh.

• Never dip your tool di-rectly into the can. The brush or roller will pick up dust and lint from the wall and it will be transferred back into the fresh paint.

• In the event your latex paint is too thick, take out the amount you will need and place it in a separate container before adding water. If you add water directly into the can, the remaining paint will spoil prematurely or mold will form. Discard any diluted paint.

When you are done:• Before closing the can, clean

the lid and the well of excess paint to make sure there will be a good seal.

• Excess air will cause paint to dry prematurely. Place a piece of plastic wrap inside touching the top of the paint before replacing the lid. This will prevent a surface fi lm from forming.

• If the can is less than half full, consider transferring the remaining amount into a smaller container so there will be less air inside the can. They

are available at most paint and hardware stores. Or, you can use any type of container that will maintain a tight seal (like a Mason jar).

• The can must be sealed tightly. Use a rubber mallet to tap the lid shut. If using a ham-mer, place a piece of wood on the top so the hammer doesn’t distort the lid.

• If your paint is in a plastic container, clean the threads along the sides and inside of the lid. Then coat them with a small amount of petroleum jelly to create a good seal.

Where to store paint: • Store remaining paint in

a climate-controlled environ-ment. Freezing will render paint products unusable. Like-wise, excessive heat (next to a water heater or furnace) will make it react with the excess air in the container and cause it to thicken.

• Do not leave paint cans on a concrete, stone or tile floor. The moisture will cause the can to rust over time and will distort the color.


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High traffi c areas, including bedrooms, play rooms, studies and family rooms, cry out for carpeting. AP Photo/Caleb Magnino


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After years of being ripped out and kicked to the curb, carpet is making a comeback. And

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After years of being ripped out and kicked to the curb, carpet is making a comeback. And not just the neutral-toned carpets of recent years, but ones that are boldly colored or patterned. AP Photo/Bossy Color, Michael K. Wilkinson

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bedroom and said that spoke to a family’s status. Taxes were based on the number of rooms in a house, he said, and a built-in closet was considered a room and added to the home’s value. That’s why free-standing wardrobe closets were so popular, he said.

A kitchen wasn’t necessarily part of the house in the mid-1800s, Skory said. Back then, a kitchen could have been a freestanding building close by or even a shed-like structure attached to the house. The parlor was the place where friends and family gathered and the family’s food most likely was prepared unseen by the hired help.

Kitchens became a mainstay in American houses in the 1910s and 1920s when electricity and appli-ances made kitchens functional, Skory said.

When Hiram Crane came into the picture, the house most likely was expanded. Either the kitchen and dining room were built on, or the kitchen, which was a freestanding

building in the rear of the house, was joined to the main house by a dining room. Skory said round nails are evidence that these rooms were added on in the 1900s. Square nails were used for construction in

the 1800s, he said.The kitchen has separate stairs

that lead to a room above it, which likely was the servants’ quarters.

“Back then being a domestic was a common and easy way for a woman to make a living,” said Skory, director of the Midland County Historical Society. “A dol-lar and a half to $2 a week, she could have been a day maid or lived here.”

Puzzling to Skory and the ho-meowners is an unfinished pass-through of sorts that connects the servants’ quarters to the Steeles’ bedrooms. This is above the dining room and there still is evidence of a fire in that area. Skory rubbed his finger over black spots on timber and it was blackened with soot.

Based solely on how visibly excited a historian can get, Skory discovered something worthwhile while down in one of the house’s two basements. With a flashlight aimed into a cavity above his head, he spotted a 28-plus-inch wide wood board that is part of the subfloor for the kitchen. He said that width of lumber will never be harvested in Michigan again

Continued from page 18

Sarah Steele found this key on the stairwell under the kitchen. Photo by Kevin Prior


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and could only have been sawn in the 1800s, which does not match the era of the kitchen’s construc-tion. He could not determine if the nails were round or square, but said there were holes in the board, indicating it had been used before. Perhaps this board is timber from the original Midland courthouse, a Greek Revival building constructed in 1858, and bought by Crane in 1926, for $250 after the present-day courthouse was constructed. Crane dismantled the timber and used it elsewhere, and Skory said several houses on Crane Court are believed to be made from some of that timber.

While still in the basement, Skory pulled away some boards from the foundation wall under the kitchen area, and discovered remnants of an old cistern, which would have been the house’s hand-dug well. He glanced up and found a hole in the basement ceiling and said that would have been where the pipe led from the cistern to a hand-pump pitcher in the kitchen. Also in that basement, Skory found wooden shelves put together with square nails, and another with

round nails. A list written on the wood in pencil indicated what was canned in 1942 and 1943, including apples, peaches, pears, huckleber-ries, blueberries, and how much of it had been stored on the shelves.

Treasures found,someone else’s future

When the Steeles bought the house, it came with some treasures, including a Frigidaire Flair range, the same model Samantha Stevens used in the popular 1960s sitcom “Bewitched.” Steele said she loves the old electric model, which has three functioning burners on a tray that can pulled out and back into the appliance. Two ovens, side by side, have see-through glass doors and are above the cooktop.

“I use it every day,” she said.An ornate upright piano, which the

Steeles have learned is a 1917 Hender-son piano made in either Ann Arbor or Chicago, also was left in the house. The piano would have sold for about $400 in 1917 — quite a bit of money at the time.

The Steeles thought they had the rest of their lives to make this house their own, but are expecting a third child and have decided they need a four-bedroom house.

“This would have been nice,” Sarah said, explaining all their “big ideas” were starting to happen and she could actually see the house’s potential.

But that will have to wait for the next family.

The staircase to the basement under the kitchen. Photo by Kevin Prior


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810-714-9300

FENTON5211 Williams Lake Rd.

(1/4 Mi. S. of Dixie Hwy.)

248-674-1300

Quantities Limited • One Sq. = 100 Sq. Ft. • HOURS: Mon.-Fri., 7:30-5, Sat., 8-12, Closed SundayFREE Installation Guides!

2252 N. Merdian(1/2 Mi. S. of US-10)

989-687-7313

SANFORD5393 N. Michigan(1/4 Mi. N. of Tittabawassee)

989-754-3440

SAGINAW

10 Colors Available

In Stock!

White & Some Colors

$4495

$110$163

CONTRACTOR REFERRAL AVAIALBLE

$6495

$4495

$865per pcs


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4 DESIGNER TRICKS FOR THE

DO-IT-YOURSELFERIncorporate designer ideas

into your space

6 A NEW BATHROOM IN

JUST A DAY OR TWOThese projects add value

even with a limited budget

8 WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DOOR MAKES

How to choose a front door

14 THIS OLD HOUSELocal family part of arich 140-year history

19 MAKE A BUDGETPersonal fi nances, credit scores,

priorities, overrun costs

20 STORING PAINT Extend the shelf life

of your colors

22 FLOOR THEM WITH STYLE How do you choosefrom all the options

HomeStyle is produced byMidland Daily News

www.ourmidland.com

features


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It’s easy to incorporate designer tricks into your space, no matter the style or existing decor. Focus on adding layers of color and texture, and

notice how hues fl ow from room to room to create a cohesive design.

Choosing coordinating colors is easy when you have the right guide. Look for color palette cards that group colors by design themes to incorporate a favor-ite style, from traditional to rustic to contemporary. Then draw these hues into all elements of the room, including fl ooring, fabrics and light fi xtures.

For example, the new HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Wil-liams line of interior paints and supplies features eight designer-inspired color collections — each with 20 colors that work well together, no matter how many or how few are selected — along with expert design tips to help do-it-yourselfers create harmoni-ous room-to-room color transitions.

“Many homes today have open-fl oor plans that require close attention to how colors fl ow between spaces,” says Jackie Jordan, director of color mar-keting for Sherwin-Williams. “Our collections are designed to take the guesswork out of coordinating colors, and to give consumers the confi dence and creative spark to fi nd their personal color style.”

Pull together a well-designed home by taking cues from the overall color palette to add decorative ac-cessories. For example, a spicy orange vase on the dining room table can play off a bold accent wall in the kitchen. Or update the look of furniture with a glossy coat of paint. Personalize with family trea-sures and modern, metallic or glass fi nishes for an eclectic, yet timeless look.

Designers aren’t afraid to make a statement with a signature space. Why not play on the high-impact contrast of black and white in a foyer or infuse an electric jolt of pink in a master bath? There are no wrong choices, because color is personal — and doesn’t have to be permanent.

Another popular design technique is to turn fl oor-ing into a fl exible decorating element. Flooring can signifi cantly impact a home’s overall decor by en-hancing the warmth and beauty of a room. To liven up a space, try layering a vibrant area rug over a hard-surface fl oor or a neutral carpet -- it’s easy to change as design preferences evolve.

ARA Content

DESIGNER TRICKS FOR THE

DO-IT-YOURSELFER


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LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORSSERVING THE MIDLAND AREA SINCE 1967

COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIALGRADING ■ HYDRO-SEEDING ■ LAWN MAINTENANCE

SNOW REMOVAL ■ NEW LAWN CONSTRUCTION ATHLETIC FIELDS

LICENSED PESTICIDE APPLICATOR

CALL FOR FREE ESTIMATES835-4810 FAX 835-9949

3190 E. HUBBARD RD. MIDLAND

ERVINSKIODERVICE, INCS


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DECORATIVE STONE • FLAGSTONEMULCH • PAVERS • RETAINING WALLS

DRIVEWAY GRAVEL • FIELD STONE

CONTRACTING, INC.STONE AND LANDSCAPE SUPPLY

PH (989) 687-7331 • MON-FRI 8-5:00 SAT. 9-12SEE US AT THE CROSS

62 E. SAGINAW RD., SANFORD

Renovating the bath is one of the most popular home improvement projects around, according to renowned home im-provement expert Danny Lipford. And, if budget is an issue, consider this - the aver-age bathroom remodel returns an average of 93 percent of the investment.

So even with a limited budget, the fol-lowing projects will add value and visual appeal to your loo in just a day or two.

Vanity sanity Think of how much time you spend at

the sink — applying makeup, fi xing your hair and brushing your teeth. So why not update this bathroom focal point in just a weekend with a new vanity and fashion-able faucet? Many prefinished vanities with built-in sinks are available for under $100 and have surface options including cultured marble and granite to match any decor, according to Lipford.

The next step is selecting a faucet to complete the look of your new vanity. To start, determine whether your sink or countertop requires a centerset (one-piece) or widespread (handles and spout are separate) faucet. Once you know the type of faucet you need, manufacturers offer a wide selection of style and fi nish options

to meet your design desires. To install your faucet, be sure you have

the proper tools, including new supply lines, adjustable wrenches, a basin wrench and Phillips screwdriver. Then, just follow the manufacturer’s directions to remove the old faucet and install the new one. Or for extra help, websites such as moen.com also offer step-by-step videos to walk you through the simple process.

Add a fi nal touch to the vanity area by installing new accessories, such as towel rings or towel bars.

Tile transformationAdding or replacing tile is a great way

to continue your bathroom transforma-tion. The most cost-effective and popular

type of tile to install is ceramic. Porcelain is another type of ceramic tile that is more stain-resistant, but not as easy to install, so the cost and labor involved is often higher. Stone tile, such as marble, granite and slate, is another option that helps to create a unique and upscale look in the bath, but often has a heftier price tag.

Once you select your tile, don’t let the installation be intimidating as it’s a rather simple process — and tiles can even be laid directly on top of an existing tile fl oor. One quick design tip from Lipford is to lay the tile diagonally to help maximize the feeling of space and make your bathroom appear larger. Using light colors (both in paint and tile selections) throughout the room, and even adding an oversized mirror, also helps to create the illusion of space.

Beauty and the bath You can create seven additional inches

of elbow room in the shower and add vi-sual appeal with a curved shower rod. For about $60, it’s an affordable, stylish and easy-to-install solution. To help complete your updated shower, add an invigorating rainshower.

ARA Content

A new bathroom in just a day or two


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What a difference

a door makes

Fancy or plain, lots toconsider when making decision


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Documents

Homestyle - Fall 2011