This weekend SCAMP encourages everyone to come out see some beautiful homes in their own neighborhood and support a charitable program.
Those familiar with the summer camp program for impaired children and young adults know the organization hosts home tours as a major fund-raiser every year. This year marks the 24th annual home tour which takes place June 3-4. The event features four homes within the village, two mini-mansions outside the village and for the first time, a garden.

The McGraw House
Monica and Mike McGraw are admitted Home Depot junkies. Walking through their historic home at 27 Holcomb, one can only see the fruits of their many visits.
The house, built in 1860, has only seen four owners in its past. The present owners have taken the idea of a home make-over to the next level by returning the home to its historic roots with a modern twist.
Under this husband wife demo/remodeling team, the house has undergone several transformations over the years. The kitchen alone underwent several changes.
‘Sometimes it takes two or three times to figure it out,? Monica said. ‘You have to live with it for awhile before you get it right.?
The dining room also shows off the efforts of the McGraw touch. The room’s warm pumpkin color compliments the mission dining table and chairs. An archway located in the corner of the room contains a large window that overlooks the front street.
‘That arch was painful,? Mike said as he reflected upon the hours it took to strip the many layers of paint from the large curved wood. ‘I don’t count the time in hours’instead I count it in profanities and the amount of dust I raised.?

The Brosseaus House
Whatever the season, Barb and Ron Brosseaus? view can’t be beat. In the winter, they watch the snow fall on Clarkston’s popular Mill Pond. In the spring and summer, they watch people, ducks and geese enjoy the water. And the fall is a palette of rich colors all around.
The Brosseaus built the old world-looking home at 74 North Holcomb Road seven years ago. They wanted a house that fit in with Holcomb Road. The house both blends with the surrounding neighborhood and looks unique at the same time.
The Brosseaus changed certain aspects of the plans to better suit them such as an archway in a wall between the kitchen and the great room. Barb saw a similar design in a magazine and thought it would add to the ambiance of the house, creating a more open feel.
‘I love my great room. It has the high ceilings. I just love it in here,? she says.
Having those high ceilings meant the Brosseaus had to change their furniture. The old furniture ‘looked like doll house furniture here,? she laughs. So, the home’s furnishings are all new, starting with an 80-inch mirror in the entryway.
‘It was here before the drywall or anything,? she laughs. ‘It was the first purchase I made.?

The Callahan House
There’s an old saying that ‘every man’s home is his castle.? That phrase might spring to mind when one views the Callahan family residence.
This well-appointed home at 7424 Foxburg Court in the Oakhurst development certainly boasts castle-like details. Featuring rounded turrets along the flanks, the home invokes the image of a medieval fortress.
One step inside, however, reveals this fine Clarkston home to be thoroughly and tastefully modern. The owners, Cheryl and Patrick Callahan, created an opulent but comfortable setting for their family, overlooking the Oakhurst Country Club golf course.
Upon entering the travertine marble-lined foyer, visitors immediately notice the soaring 30-foot ceilings and the expanse of two-story windows that offer a commanding view of the golf course’s ninth hole.
‘This property has such a great view of the course, we knew we wanted to have a house that was equal to the location,? says Cheryl. ‘We were inspired to create something that maximized the vantage point.?
The 11,000-square-foot house is filled with natural stone, including limestone, marble (both rough and polished) and several kinds of granite. Tumbled stone, tile and mosaic are used to excellent effect in the home’s magnificent kitchen. Limestone is used prominently in the interior and exterior (as in the ornate balustrade that skirts the terrace, and in architectural detailing around windows and doorways).
Another prominent theme is the use of the radius as a design element. These curves can be seen throughout the house, helping to break up the monotony of four walls.
‘We really made a point of using a radius where we could, because it gives rooms some contours and softens that hard-edged feel you get without it,? says Patrick. ‘Then, we carried it into other areas of the house, to the walkway at the top of the staircase, for instance, and even outside, to the limestone garden wall and hedge row.?

The Coin House
Imagine having to renovate a brand-new home.
Strange as that sounds, this was exactly the predicament that faced Linda and Dana Coin after purchasing the house at 5123 Dorsetfield Court.
The 4,700-square-foot house was built in 1999 as one of the original builder’s models for the upscale Oakhurst development. Sadly, the structure soon became a reflection of the declining fortunes of its builder.
Though starting out proudly on a grand scale, the house began to suffer from a nasty case of ‘cheapskate syndrome? as the construction progressed, with the quality of materials being compromised as the builder’s financial situation worsened. Eventually, the builder declared bankruptcy, and the property ingloriously was returned to the bank.
Enter the Coins, who acquired the distressed property in 2003, initially as an investment.
‘Our original plan was to fix it up and sell it,? says Linda, a real estate professional. ‘We recognized that this house had good bones, even though it lacked a lot of quality materials. But the more we thought about the place, we realized that it was exactly what we needed for our family of six.?
Thus began the Coins? extreme home make-over, a process that took a solid year of nonstop activity. For the family, this meant living with a daily invasion of workers and craftsmen who turned the Coins? investment project into an inviting showcase home.
‘We replaced every hinge, every knob, every lighting fixture, stairway banisters, all the carpeting ? and every door ? all 38 of them,? recalls Linda. ‘You name it, we replaced it.?
The barren fireplace in the great room was properly dressed with a stone facade and flanked with built-in glazed cherry cabinets. In the otherwise luxurious kitchen, additional cherry-stained cabinets, granite and custom details were installed. A designated media center off the kitchen was repurposed as the informal dining room and the would-be dining area converted to a multiuse/computer lounge.
Decorative elements such as wainscoting, crown moldings and baseboard moldings were installed, and fresh paint or wallpaper applied to wall surfaces, which gave every room in the house a dramatic facelift.

The Flaugher House
From the moment she first walked through it, Cyndi Flaugher loved her home. She knew the house was just where she wanted to move with her two children.
Almost three years later, Flaugher still loves the house at 68 North Holcomb Road and its location within walking distance of downtown Clarkston. Flaugher has put her own twist on the interior, updating much of the 1914-built house.
In the kitchen, Flaugher added new cherry floor-to-ceiling cabinetry. She kept the high-end appliances from the previous owners, but changed their locations in the sprawling room. The original kitchen across the back of the house was changed years earlier and now acts as almost an extension of the fresh kitchen. Flaugher ‘remodeled the remodel? as she says.
‘I pretty much live in here,? says Flaugher, of the kitchen, rich in yellow-gold hues. ‘It was kind of the purpose in this space. Family time has changed so much.?
The granite countertops stretch along the wall and atop a large island which includes an under-mounted sink and an instant hot water dispenser, a special request her daughter made for making hot chocolate.
Amid the new cabinetry and other touches, Flaugher kept the kitchen’s wood floor, which all but tells the story of the house’s age and changes. Another part of the kitchen that Flaugher loves is the lighting. She started with the chandelier and matched other hanging lights with it, then carried that look throughout the first floor and even onto the front porch.
‘I’m an obsessive compulsive matcher. Everything’s curly,? Flaugher laughs. From the dining table to sconces to the walls in the front entryway, a swirl design ties everything together.

The Lowrie Garden
A new addition to the SCAMP Hour Tours is the first garden.
Instead of opening their home to visitors, Tom and Tami Lowrie of Lowrie’s Landscaping are revamping their home garden for an outdoor tour.
Being in the landscaping business, Tom decided to put his effort into displaying the outside of his home instead of the inside.
Lowrie began working the exterior of his home, removing dead brush from the previous seasons and laying the groundwork for fresh plumage back in April.
Visitors can casually stroll through blossoming perennials as they make their way to the back. Pass through the white pillars and visitors feel like they are in a storybook setting. The backyard, nearly three acres with a lake front view, includes a variety of flowers and exotic trees.

Tours are available on both days. On June 2, tour registration begins at 5 p.m. Tours run from 5:30 ? 8 p.m. with a reception at Oakhurst Golf and Country Club at 8:15 p.m. On June 3, registration begins at 11:45 a.m. at Depot Park. Tours run from noon to 5 p.m.
Tickets are $22 for advanced reservations and seniors (60+) and $28 if purchased at the door. For more information, visit www.clarkstonscamp.com or call 248-620-1882.