Home + Design

Coming Home to Individuality

At Esquire Interiors, this year's biggest design trend is personality over uniformity Article by Lindsey Dodge After a decade of staged minimalism—spaces that looked pristine but somehow all felt the same—homeowners are craving something warmer in 2026: rooms with personality, texture, and evidence of real life. “You can only do so many shades of white, khaki, or beige before we’re all living in the same home,” says Amanda Barron, marketing director at Esquire Interiors, the family-run Ann...

Event Planning + Services

The Art of Celebration

The Vanguard brings approachable, sophisticated hospitality and elevated event design to Ann Arbor Article by Emily Klimas At The Vanguard, the celebration doesn’t begin with the first toast, the opening slide of a presentation, or the first bite. It begins the moment you enter the building and your eyes begin to feast on the rich design details. A magnifying glass rests atop the  Cyclopedia of Michigan . Blue-tinted china hangs above the fireplace. Greenery spills from the ceiling in the...

Life + Culture

Only in Ann Arbor

Get to know John Downing, the handyman with a PhD Article by John Downing Grad Student Transplant My wife and I grew up west of the Rocky Mountains. After completing our bachelor’s degrees, I was accepted into the PhD program in the Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences Department at the University of Michigan.   Setting Up Shop While pursuing my degrees, I picked up extra work as a handyman. I've always enjoyed fixing things and working with my hands. One referral led to...

Home + Design

A Place Called Home

HouseN2Home turns empty spaces into homes for veterans, families, and others finding stability after homelessness Article by Maria Karpiel | Photography by Stacy Anderson and Provided “That’s not going to be the story this time.”   That was the thought that ran through Ruth Ann Logue’s mind over and over again.   She had just finished a conversation with someone she knew. Someone who had seen hard times before. A single mother with three young children who, due to a family tragedy, had...