Original Construction
1929 Completion Date
2012
Size
1,905 sqft
National Historic Landmark

Meadow Brook Hall was built between 1926 and 1929 by the Detroit architectural firm Smith, Hinchman and Grylls. This was a time when wealthy industrialists established grand rural estates, and Meadow Brook Hall was built at 88,000 square feet and at a cost of nearly $4 million.

HopkinsBurns Design Studio was commissioned to restore the original servants' back-of-house areas, depicting the working environment of the estate's historic support staff. Extensive research was conducted to identify room layouts, function, original materials, and finishes. The firm restored the original linoleum flooring, pocket doors, metal windows, leaded glass, plaster surfaces, woodwork, decorative doors, and damaged canvas wall coverings. The scope also involved updating electrical and mechanical systems, reinstalling period-appropriate light fixtures and window treatments, reintroducing original and replica furniture, and reapplying a historic "scumble" glaze to replicate the finish of the era.