ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME and the Junior League of Detroit are Making Haute History at the Detroit Designers’ Show House 2018 Hosted by Actor Hill Harper at His Home, the Largest Residence in the Historic Boston-Edison District.
In September 2018, 30 of the country’s finest and most celebrated designers will breathe new life into the interiors and gardens of the landmark Charles T. Fisher Mansion, the largest home in the Historic Boston-Edison District of Detroit, Michigan.
Award-winning actor, best-selling author and philanthropist, Hill Harper purchased the 18,000-square-foot home in early 2017. His passion for restoring the residence to its original architectural majesty while introducing innovative amenities and modern luxury led him to partner with ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME and the Junior League of Detroit on this exciting project. Each Show House interior and landscape designer will be meticulously chosen and tasked with the challenge to express their unique creativity, at once honoring the home’s innate craftsmanship and historic details.
Built in 1922, the English Tudor-style mansion was created for Charles and Sarah Fisher by architect George D. Mason. Only the finest materials and art were incorporated, to include extremely rare Flint Faience tiles and recently unearthed handpainted and carved wooden Chinoiserie medallions. The estate includes 14 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, a private chapel and a prohibition speakeasy and liquor vault – all of which will be transformed in the Detroit Designers’ Show House 2018.
Harper fell in love with Detroit while filming multiple projects there. He also owns an artisan coffee roastery in downtown Detroit called the Roasting Plant. Harper is a job creator and part of the growing population supporting the city’s soaring resurgence. “The creative and entrepreneurial spirit of the people in Detroit and the state of Michigan is truly inspiring,” Harper shared. “I am proud to own a beautiful historic home in this great state and energized city.”
In recent years, Detroit has earned the nickname, “America’s Comeback City.” Private and corporate investors are revitalizing historic properties like the Fisher Mansion, vastly increasing the desirability of Detroit and reinforcing its thriving economy. In June 2017, Forbes reported that Detroit’s poverty rate is a full point below the national average and the unemployment rate dropped to 5.3 percent in 2016, down from a high of 19 percent. Entrepreneurs and job creators like Harper are an important piece of the city’s resurgence. In 2016 alone, the city opened 110 development sites in greater downtown.
Detroit Designers’ Show House 2018 will also support the city’s rejuvenation. Proceeds from its Gala and public tours will benefit the Junior League of Detroit’s Project EAT (Education, Access and Tools), focusing on the basic needs of children and families in the community.
Harper, currently starring on TV’s #1 new drama, The Good Doctor, is renowned for his role on CSI:NY. He is also the founder of The Manifest Your Destiny Foundation, which is dedicated to empowering, encouraging and inspiring underserved youth to succeed through education, mentorship and grant programs. After the renovation, Harper plans to open the Fisher Mansion to members of the community and welcome student groups, artists and educators. Harper truly believes Detroit’s historic properties deserve to be restored to their original grandeur and shared with the community.
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