Interior work begins on downtown Royal Oak's Flute House

The exterior is "all but finalized" on Royal Oak's Flute House, says architect Keith Phillips, and the interior is now beginning to take shape.

Phillips, co-founder of Brighton-based The Think Shop Architects and the designer of the building, said work continues at the downtown high-end flute store. "Currently we are installing the digitally fabricated black Polyurea exterior cladding where the exterior vapor barrier is showing on the entry cube as well as the residence above," he says in an e-mail. "We are continuing to fit out the interior of the structure, with every day getting us a bit closer to our goal, yet we are still a ways off."

The two-story red-and-off-white building on South Main Street next to B&B Collision will serve as a high-end flute store and the residence of Ervin Monroe, the retired principal flutist for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The retail portion will be on the ground floor, while Monroe's home will be on the second.

The building started out as home to Alegra Print & Imaging in the mid-20th century, and has since played host to a body shop and brick emporium. It will house a 5,000-square-foot retail shop on the ground floor. The residential space above measures out to 2,100 square feet.

Source: Keith Phillips, co-founder of The Think Shop Architects
Writer: Kristin Lukowski

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