Suburban goes urban in shades of purple, green and more

• Local couple's home is eclectic mix of color and personality
• It's one of 23 homes in Westwood Common, Michigan's first new urban development

Most home exteriors make a statement. Marcie and LeRoy Wulfmeier's purple house in Beverly Hills makes a declaration.

Once painted a sedate peach hue, the couple decided to go bold — very bold. They painted the exterior LeRoy's favorite color, purple, with Marcie's favorite color, lime green, as the trim. It works.

"Actually it's Sherwin-Williams' Plummy and Bamboo Shoot," says Marcie, who says a neighbor down the street actually suggest lime green for the trim. "We were shocked that our condo association approved it, but it's probably the only neighborhood around where you could get away with it. We love it and everyone loves it!"

And it's perfect for Westwood Common, built in the mid-1990s and considered Michigan's first new-urban development where bold, but warm exterior colors are the norm, not the exception (see box to learn about Westwood Common's interesting history). Other homes are painted pink with green shutters, mustard yellow and dark green.

Long before the Wulfmeiers moved to Westwood Common, Marcie was drawn to the unique subdivision with just 23 homes off Lahser Road. Parishioners of the former St. Ives Catholic Church in Southfield, "every time we went to church, I made him (LeRoy) drive through" after, says Marcie, who says it reminded her of Greenfield Village with its old-time feel. "I loved it. It was so cute and quaint."

Designed by Bob Gibbs of the Gibbs Planning Group in Birmingham and developer David Jensen, houses are built close together with big front porches and smaller backyards. There are two large common areas for kids to play and families to enjoy. It's built to encourage a sense of community.

"It's based on this concept that people miss the community that develops when houses are closer together," says Toni Grinnan, Wulfmeier's neighbor who played a key role in getting the development built and organized its first home tour last summer. "The design of most suburban neighborhoods doesn't really promote encounters with your neighbors."

That's not the case in Westwood Common. The Wulfmeiers can look out their front window and see the large Upper Commons area. A nearby Lower Commons area slopes by the Rouge River and has a gazebo, fountain, children's play area and nature trail.

The Wulfmeiers bought their 2,700-square-foot-home in 2008 after Marcie spotted the house during one of their Sunday drives. Marcie saw it first on a Friday and on Saturday morning, they squeezed in a second showing before LeRoy's golf game.

"We closed the following week," says Marcie, who previously lived in a condo in Bingham Farms. "It was crazy."

Today, the four bedroom, 3 ¹/₂ bath site condo is a sophisticated, fun mix of color, art and personality.

A little bit of everything

Marcie, who describes her style as transitional, is a design lover. She combs through design magazines like Elle Decor and Veranda looking for ideas and isn't afraid to have something custom built to work for her space.

She worked with designer Mario Kocaj to hone her style and pull several rooms together, picking out textiles for certain pieces.

Warm — but fun — paint colors fill the house. The open concept living room, which flows right into the dining room, is painted Sherwin-Williams' Restrained Gold with accent walls in Bengal Grass.

Sometimes finding just the right hue is a matter of trial and error, admits Marcie. The family room, right off the kitchen, for example, was originally painted a lipstick red, including the ceiling.

"It was too much," Marcie says. "It stressed me out."

So she had the family room repainted the same Bengal Grass as the family room accent walls, a fun, but soothing springy-green color.

Furniture and accents throughout the house, meanwhile, are a great mix of high-end and bargain pieces. A beautiful wood, marble and metal Ritz sideboard in the living room is from Lexington's San Tropez Collection. Nearby is a framed Frida Kahlo self-portrait knockoff from Mexico.

"I have Gorman's, I have flea market," says Marcie. "I have TJ Maxx, I have Home Goods. The frame (from the Frida Kahlo painting) cost more than the picture."

A etagere divides the living room from the dining room, filled with glass and ceramic sculptures, books and other pieces.

One big happy family

The biggest renovations came in the kitchen. Marcie and LeRoy refaced the cabinet fronts and installed granite counters. They also expanded the island and painted it black.

"When we have company, everyone wants to stand around the kitchen," Marcie says.

One of the most interesting parts of the Wulfmeier home is Marcie's vast cross collection, which spans nearly three walls on the upstairs landing.

The collection started 15 years ago when Marcie admired her sister-in-law's cross collection in Sante Fe.

"I said, 'That's so cool. You can do this in the Southwest.' She said, 'No. You can do it too.' She took one down off the wall, gave it to me, and the rest is history," Marcie says.

Marcie now has crosses from Argentina, Italy, Romania and the Dominic Republic. They are made of metals, wood, ceramics, even jute. One cross was blessed by Pope Benedict XVI. She has another hard-carved by the late Rev. Bodhan Kosicki, a local priest who was known for his metal sculptures.

"He carved this for me from branches from his yard," she says.

The 120-cross collection is so well-known, it's almost become a community effort. She's gotten crosses from her dentist, ophthalmologist, even the mother-in-law of one of her husband's colleagues.

"People have made it their mission," she says. "The look for something different, fun."

Fun, in fact, is interlaced throughout the Wulfmeiers' decor. From the animal print carpeting in the master bedroom suite to the dog art (including an adorable oil painting in the mudroom by Michigan artist Christine Marcus Stone), a sense of fun and sophistication fills each room.

And while there are some downsides to living in a new urban development — without a large backyard, Marcie has to leash her two dogs, Donald and Joey, and take them to a trail to let them do their business — they're far outweighed by the good.

"It's like a sorority — seriously," says Marcie. "I have everyone's keys to everyone's house. We all just take care of one another. Lots of kids, lots of dogs. We all get along."

mfeighan@detroitnews.com

(313) 223-4686

Westwood Common: A history

Westwood Common wasn't just built, it was created — and Metro Detroiters are fascinated by it. "We have drive-bys all the time," says Marcie Wulfmeier. Situated on 17 acres just south of 13 Mile east of Lahser Road, it's known for its bright exteriors, large front porches, and common areas. It's considered Michigan's first new-urban development. "It's the idea that the built environment can shape human interaction," says resident Toni Grinnan, who helped make Westwood Common a reality.

Grinnan and her husband, Joe, raised their daughters in a stone house on Lahser next door to a large wooded lot. When the owner of the wooded lot died, the couple worried what would happen to the land, so they bought it "as a defensive measure," she says. North of the wooded lot was another two-bedroom house that Grinnan's mother-in-law bought to live close to the family. With several acres of land now on their hands, the Grinnans eventually discovered developer David Jensen. Jensen encouraged the Grinnans to visit Seaside in Florida, a neo-traditional development that inspired Westwood Common. Designed by Bob Gibbs of the Gibbs Planning Group and built in the mid-1990s, it has 21 site plan condos and several common areas. Grinnan, who now lives in the development, is convinced that the new urban concept works.

Compared to a neighborhood where you may know your neighbors on each side, "here, we see and encounter everyone, all the time," says Toni Grinnan. "It is a great, friendly, mutually engaging place to live."

Maureen Feighan