By Laura Hipshire
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

That fresh scent that accompanies all things brand new is wafting through the air at Henry Ford Village. It must be because several of the retirement  community’s unoccupied apartment homes are undergoing a few changes above and beyond a new coat of paint.

Many peop le have said they are looking for a more open, contemporary feel to their homes, says Retirement Counselor Nicole Nation, and the creative team at Henry Ford Village has responded.

“So far I have done five [homes],” says Custom Interiors Coordinator Donna Harki. She has been coordinating the large-scale project and is very excited about the new updates being implemented.

High-quality upgrades
Harki created a new look and feel for the homes by painting walls vibrant colors ranging from deep red to chocolate, adding new laminate flooring that imitates high-end ceramic tile, and installing new granite-look countertops, overhead can lighting, and six-panel bifold doors.

Many of the new kitchen countertops will be made of Granite Transformation, a granite-like material that comes in 40 colors and is heat, stain, and scratch resistant—essentially maintenance-free. Soon these remodeled homes will be complete and open for people to walk through, so they can truly get an idea of what their future home at Henry Ford Village will look like.

For residents living at the community the new models show examples of the many possibilities they can choose from if they decide to update their current homes. According to Harki, it’s all completely “doable.”

For each project, Harki assembles electricians, painters, plumbers, and  carpenters.  She also secures flooring and window treatment vendors to  complete the looks.

Harki says some of her favorite new updates include extra lighting and wood base molding added throughout the homes. “They turned out beautifully,” she says.