A woman who purchased a 102-year-old modernized home and restored its 1920s vintage charm has lifted the lid on the transformation process.
Michigan native Niki Marie and her husband, Brad, weren’t on the hunt to find a new home, however, when they toured a four-bedroom, three-bathroom property in a “historic neighborhood” of Detroit, they were sold. But, they wanted to make some major changes.
Speaking to Realtor.com®, Niki—who recently went viral on TikTok after revealing the stunning changes she has made in her home—revealed that the minute she saw the property, she knew they had to have it, despite the modern makeover it had been given.
Looking past the cold marble accents and stark white walls, Niki saw the incredible potential in the dwelling—and felt a strong desire to return it to its original glory.
“As soon as we pulled up, almost instantly, I was like, ‘This is my house.’ I know that sounds so dumb, but everyone kind of tells you, ‘You just kind of know,’ and that’s how it was with this house,” she said.
Though they say you should never judge a book by its cover, Niki confessed that she fell in love with the home before ever setting foot inside the front door, calling attention to the picturesque brick facade and vintage feel.
When she did make it inside, however, she was stunned by what she found. Instead of a vintage paradise, the home had been turned into an ultramodern shell, complete with white-washed aesthetic and very minimalist feel.
“Sometimes I look back at those photos and I’m just like, ‘What did I see?’ I think my husband and I both thought it just felt right. Sometimes you just kind of have to go with your gut on things, and trust the process,” she added.
Before the transformation, the home boasted marble flooring, a marble mantled fireplace, and a muted color theme.
Since the couple began working on the home, they have added several much more eye-catching details including a checkerboard floor, vintage fireplace, colorful walls, and a charming library.
Speaking about her decision to go from modern to vintage, she explained, “I grew up in a classic Colonial home, and my mom has a really great eye for decorating. None of us do this professionally but we have an eye for it.
“Growing up with her and my dad, they always really loved homes that had a lot of that charm and that character, so that’s something I always really loved too because it just felt like home to me, because that’s what I grew up in.
“And my husband and I were actually destination wedding photographers, so there is artistry in that,” she explained.
“Even with my own photo work, it’s very classic, and it’s very timeless, and it’s very true to who we are as artists, so there’s a lot of correlation of what my work is for my clients, my personal style, and what I like to create for my own home.”
The photographer noted that she knew she wanted to change several things about her home “within the first five minutes” of stepping foot into the abode.
“I think within the first five minutes of walking in the house with the staircase, I turned to my husband, and my parents, and I was like, ‘I need a black and white checkered floor.’
“Thankfully, my husband and my dad are really great and handy and, I’m kind of the chief creative officer, and then they’re the ones who are good with their hands and everything, and a few other family friends that have helped us to help implement that.
“And same with the fireplace, too, which was a big transformation, I instantly thought we needed to add a bit of character,” Niki said.
The photographer noted that she and her family went “room by room” and restored everything, with the transformation taking a total of two years.
She noted that she “feels lucky” because they didn’t have to hire any outside help, saying that her husband, father, and other family members completed the construction.
And, her family even helped them make the abode more colorful, with her aunt completing a hand-painted mural on the ceiling.
Niki noted that she “loves to host,” and is looking forward to having her family over for Christmas.
However, beyond her family members, the TikTok star’s renovations have been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people on social media, where she has been regularly documenting the changes made to the property.
One particularly popular post on her TikTok account, which featured multiple before and after photos of different spaces in the house, earned more than 819,000 views and was flooded with comments from impressed fans.
“You breathed life back into this home!!! Hate hate hate the sterile modern look,” one person wrote.
“My soul was unsettled. Thank you for bringing her back to life,” another wrote.