MEET TAMELA & EVAN
I'm Tamela Ekstrom. I own HAVEN Real Estate + Design, and I am a real estate agent/decorator/artist. My husband is Evan Derian, he is a graphic designer/illustrator and comic book artist. We invite you to experience Detroit with the Rock House as your home base.
THE HISTORY
Our historic home was built in 1928. All the rocks came from the Pontiac River and were carted here down Woodward Avenue by horse and buggy. In the rainy months, it is said the stones were carried individually by hand down our street. The builder is called a “genius” by my stone mason. The walls on some parts of our the Rock House are about 24 inches thick! The home is so unique, with only two full-stone homes in Ferndale. We do treasure the original features of the home, but then I decorate in my own edgy style.
THE SPACE
The home is two separate, private spaces. The rental portion is a 1,475 square-foot home with two king bedrooms and one full bath located on the main floor. You have your own private entrance through the main door at the front and a spacious covered stone porch. The home also features a living room, dining room, music room, office, and a fully stocked kitchen.
We live in a 1,475 square-foot space below the main home, and we use our own private entrance in the back. We never enter your space during your stay. However, we are always available if you need us.
THE DESIGN
As described by SEEN Magazine, Detroit Rock House is, "...cozy yet edgy, giving you the best of both worlds during your stay...with each room curated to showcase art from local artists as well as the owner's artwork."
Because I am a designer, the space does evolve through the year, we do move the artwork around and we do get new pieces so it may look a little different each visit, but the vibe is always the same: cozy, cool, and comfortable. The art-work is created by us or our friends, and is available for purchase. Soon we will have an online shop site, but for now please Inquire within. Most art ranges in price from $200-$1200, we also have smaller prints on paper, of some of the canvas pieces.
THE AREA
Our home is set in a beautiful historic neighborhood with tree-lined streets in Ferndale, Michigan. We're in the Northwest quadrant of the city, which has the most beautiful unique historic homes nestled among mature trees.
We think the location is perfect because you are in the first city outside of Detroit, and the place everyone wants to be right now. We are walkable to downtown, with the restaurants and shops starting about 1/2 mile or an 8-minute walk away. We have lots of interesting shops and restaurants, and we're happy to provide recommendations. This is foodie heaven, and Ferndale is home to many great shops and the famous Rust Belt Market, which is filled with dozens of vendors selling their handmade goods.
PRESS
We've gotten a lot of attention for our funky and historic little abode. We've been featured on the pilot episode HGTV’s “What You Get For The Money,” in SEEN Magazine’s “5 Cool Detroit Airbnbs,” and as the cover story, "House of Rock," in Detroit News Homestyle. (In fact, we've been featured twice by Detroit News Homestyle!)
TESTIMONIALS
"THIS HOME IS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. IT TRULY LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF A FAIRYTALE. FROM THE INCREDIBLE UNIQUE DECOR TO THE COZY AND INVITING FRONT PATIO, YOU CANNOT HAVE A BAD EXPERIENCE."
—ELLA, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
"ALL I CAN SAY IS WOW. IF THERE WAS A WAY TO GIVE MORE THAN 5 STARS, I WOULD. THE NEWER HIP HOTELS ARE TRYING TO DUPLICATE WHAT TAMELA HAS ALREADY MASTERED."
—RAMON, MIAMI, FLORIDA