For Jaime Misner, home restoration is much more than a hobby. It’s a way of life.
Misner initially came to West Michigan from White Lake to study at Kendall College. So her interest in design is only natural. Inevitably, she found herself fixing up rented apartments. But in 1972, while in her early 20’s, Misner decided that it was time to start fixing up a place of her own.
That’s when she purchased a home on Madison SE, in the heart of Grand Rapids’ Heritage Hill neighborhood. Little did she know then that she would spend the next three and a half decades completely gutting the home, which was built in 1883, and restoring every inch – twice.
“I went from canvas to a much bigger palette,” she says.
If These Walls Could Talk
To look at the stately home today, it’s hard to imagine that layers of paint once covered up wood trim, and that its open layout contained five apartments.
“Thankfully, [previous owners] didn’t touch the staircase,” Misner says, referring to the grand flight of steps that wraps around part of the entryway.
For years, a set of double doors hid the “enter at your own risk” work area, where a Walker-Turner saw took up the entire dining room. Little by little, the pieces came together.
“She used everything that was available to her to restore an enormous, beautiful house,” says Jan Earl, executive director of the Heritage Hill Association. “It’s a ‘determined woman’ story.”
D.I.Y
Because Heritage Hill was once targeted for restoration and historic preservation, the city made rehabilitation funds available for homeowners through low- and no-interest loans. This enabled Misner to replace the roof, add storm windows, and take care of other structural details. According to Earl, the up-front money from the city ended in the 1970s. But most owners are able to take advantage of a state historic preservation tax credit that provides as much as a 25 percent break on income or business taxes for certain rehabilitation expenses.
Misner, a devoted do-it-yourself-er, reduced costs by doing most of the work without the aid of a contractor and by salvaging many of the home’s fixtures. A water closet from the basement of Eastown’s Yesterdog. Flooring and bathtub from homes demolished for a parking lot near the corner of Michigan and Prospect. And a stove, circa 1940, leftover from the apartments that existed when she bought the home.
Thankfully, Jaime says, she met her husband, Steve Misner, in 1990. Also an adept DIY-er, he has completed much of the recent work on the home.
Not For the Faint of Heart
Restoring a home takes hard work, persistence, and a sense of humor.
“It has been like a camping adventure in a lot of ways,” Misner says. “You move from room to room, as you finish one and begin another.” For an entire winter, while restoring the downstairs kitchen, she used hot plates to cook.
“It’s not for everybody. You certainly can’t be lazy!”
Misner, a realtor for Prudential, says she advises clients interested in purchasing a historic home to go for it. “It is good to buy in a historic district. This is a solid, fun neighborhood, and the federal and state historical tax credits are a big help. These [homes] are a limited commodity. They just don’t make ‘em anymore.”
For those interested in buying a historic home, Misner has a few suggestions:
- Get a bottle of wine and think about it. Consider your needs. Do you have a family? Do you want to rent the home or a portion of it?
- Immediately assess the structural integrity of the home, like the roof and foundation; hire a good inspector.
- Decide if you want to perform the work yourself. If not, you better have the necessary funds.
In addition to those basic steps, Earl encourages prospective buyers to talk to people like Misner, who have gone through the process.
Ready For the Closeup
Last year, the Misners welcomed a few thousand people into their home for the Heritage Hill Tour of Homes, the annual neighborhood association fundraiser. Each year, more than 3,000 curious tourists line up outside to tour homes. They slip on signature blue booties as volunteer guides usher groups through the houses, sharing tidbits ranging from historical facts to restoration stories to personal details about the homeowners.
Steve Misner was the driving force behind the idea of putting the family’s Madison home on the 2006 tour home. Jaime thought 2007 was a better target.
“Thank God he’s the one who said it,” she jokes. “It was a good kick in the pants to get things done.”
Earl says the vast majority of people who put their homes on the Tour are proud that they are able to complete all of their projects, and they get great feedback from visitors.
Taking the Tour
If you’re someone strolls historic neighborhoods after dark with the hope of catching a glimpse of unique crown molding, art pieces, or new paint schemes, this annual tour is for you.
The tour, which features 12 homes, the majority of which are private residences, runs Saturday October 6th from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday October 7th noon to 6 p.m. This year’s highlights include three homes celebrating 100th birthdays, an 1890’s Greek Revival farmhouse, the ever-popular Meyer May House (designed by Frank Lloyd-Wright), the Voigt House and Victorian Museum’s first-ever German Fest.
Attendees will also get a sneak peek at the restored D.A. Blodgett Hospital, which sits on Cherry Street, just outside the 64-block, 1,300 structure neighborhood. Typically, Jan Earl says, tour stops stay within neighborhood boundaries. But the D.A. Blodgett building, which will house the Inner City Christian Federation, is an incredible project and it made sense to share the spotlight this weekend.
Tickets, good for both days, are $15 in advance and available at the HHA office, 126 College Ave. SE; online at www.heritagehillweb.org; and at participating Family Fare and D&W stores, Lake Michigan Credit Union offices, Martha’s Vineyard, and Wealthy Street Bakery. This weekend, tickets will be available for $18 and can only be purchased at Davenport University, 415 E. Fulton St.
It would be reasonable to assume that the Misners kick back and enjoy the fruits of their labor now that their home has been featured on the tour. But Jaime says the project continues to be a labor of love. “We’re still working on it,” she says.
Bridie Kent, a freelance writer, has lived in Grand Rapids since graduating from Aquinas College in ‘03. She also works as a recruiter for Michigan Community Blood Centers. She wrote about the
murals of Grand Rapids in the July 12 edition of
Rapid Growth Media.
Photos:
Exterior of the Misner's Madison Avenue home
Jamie Misner on her sunlit staircase
A water closet from Yesterdog
Double doors and inlayed wood floors
Vintage stove on the 2nd floor
Photographs by Brian Kelly - All Rights Reserved