Quietly residing above the 9&10 News office, where Laurie Morley works, is “The Arlington Executive Suite.” Fun surprises await those who enter this delightfully decorated apartment home.
Laurie and Scott Morley completely renovated this space – much of it themselves. There are no before and after photos because the space was in such disarray that the homeowners just couldn’t take pictures. The difference from then to now has been a labor of love.
Presently, the upper part of 105 Arlington Street is an updated, spacious apartment which includes a great room looking into the kitchen adjoining the rooms while being separate spaces. What originally planned to just be a pass-through, eventually turned out to be a large opening to contain the handmade large table made of ash harvested from Morley’s hunting property on Sugar Island. It serves as both a bar on the great room side and a dining table/island on the kitchen side. This multi-functional table has stools, which conveniently store under the table thus saving space, as well as two high back chairs.
The color scheme of gray, black, and red is carried throughout the home beginning with the long, gorgeous church pew Laurie found on Craig’s List. The pew’s color is the same as the large table and is nearly identical with the kitchen’s cabinets’ color made by Great Lakes Cabinets.
Beginning in the great room and scattered throughout the apartment are black and white photographs of Sault Sainte Marie’s past. One can see images of building of the power canal and also see images of the Soo Locks. Notice the extended window sills throughout the home. These are perfect for city viewing which allows the Morleys views of ships passing through the locks.
The open kitchen, which includes stainless steel appliances, provides much space for daily living or for the occasional social gathering.
The home’s color scheme and the Sault Sainte Marie theme is also evident in the spacious bathroom with a shower curtain depicting a Sault Sainte Marie image. The large, red chest, converted into a vanity, was another Craig’s List find.
The apartment’s only bedroom is a spacious room with a walk-in closet which also houses a stackable washer and dryer. The headboard, a door, is painted the same color as the kitchen’s table and the church pew.
This apartment home is warm, spacious, and fun. The Morleys have done a fantastic job creating a space that is highly functional and comfortable. “It’s been great seeing our purposeful vision come to fruition. I hope other downtown building owners realize their properties’ full potential,” says Laurie Morley.
