Historic Detroit House Made Out of 20,000 Glass Bottles Hits the Market for $350K After 4-Year Restoration

Detroit's iconic "Bottle House" has hit the market for the first time in more than 70 years after undergoing a painstaking four-year renovation that returned the glittering façade to its original glory, while transforming the rest of the property into a bright, modern retreat.

The extraordinary $350,000 two-bedroom, one-bathroom home in Hazel Park, MI, was built in 1937 by its original owner, who set the ends of 20,000 blue and green bottles into the concrete walls, making it look like the home was covered in sparkling jewels.

But after its most recent owner—the matriarch of the Kline family—died, the home was left to languish, with a sagging porch concealing the once-dazzling bottle embellishments, which slowly became covered in layers of dust and grime.

The Klines had owned the home for nearly 70 years when the late owner's family decided it was time to sell the dwelling to someone who would bring it back to life.

They had received multiple offers over the years from various developers who wanted to demolish the Bottle House and replace it with two homes—taking full advantage of the 6,534-square-foot lot, which is larger than most in the neighborhood.

But the Kline family had a different future in mind for their beloved house. While exploring their options, the grandson did a Google search for cash homebuyers in the area and found the website HouseFullOfCash.com, run by local home-flipping and development expert Carl Schiller.

It didn't take Schiller long to realize that he was being offered the chance of a lifetime to restore a historic local treasure.

While Schiller will not disclose the price he paid the Klines for the property, "out of respect" for the family, he did share that restoring the 1,225-square-foot home cost almost $200,000 and took four years to complete.

"The numbers are immaterial," says Schiller. "This was not a business operation, but a labor of love."

As Schiller dug through the rubble, he also dug into the home's history.

It was built by Omar Reese, who worked at the main Dodge plant. He began building it in 1935 and decided to construct his home out of concrete blocks because timber workers were on strike, making it difficult to get building materials.

Reese poured his own concrete blocks and, inspired by a child's kaleidoscope, decided to cleave bottle butts and set them into the wet cement blocks to add bright color.

First, he dug out the basement and lined the walls with bottle blocks. He then moved into that lower level while he built the house above him.

News of his unique project quickly spread, and kids in the neighborhood began bringing him bottles.

Neighbors told Schiller they're still finding colorful broken bottle glass when they dig in their gardens, because Reese used only the bottoms and rather indiscreetly distributed the leftover glass shards in other people's yards.

When Schiller started work on the home in 2021, "it was rough," to say the least.

Slowly and methodically, he peeled back the layers, taking care not to demolish anything important. For example, after removing the drywall in the dining room, he found paneling, beneath which was beadboard, and beneath that, cement bricks with prune juice bottoms inserted. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen.

The ceilings were also unusually low. Some sleuthing revealed that the roof was damaged and leaked. Over the years, instead of repairing the ceilings, layers of dropped ceiling were added as needed.

Schiller was disappointed that there weren't more period details left to save, but he was ultimately able to implement some workarounds.

One involved commissioning the Detroit Wallpaper Company to create a wallpaper from a photo of the bottled wall that had run in the Detroit Free Press. He used wallpaper on a kitchen wall divider and a hidden linen closet door, to bring the feeling of the outdoor walls indoors.

He replaced the curling linoleum and loose tiles on the floors with white oak hardwood.

The original bathroom and kitchen features had all been replaced at different times and in various styles and quality levels, so it was out with the old and in with the new.

The open kitchen now features quartz countertops, a stainless-steel refrigerator with French doors, and a bathroom with custom tile and a walk-in shower.

Outside, the entire structure had to be stabilized, the sagging aluminum porch removed, and a modern entry added in its place. A stylish sconce illuminates the front door by night, and newer windows and skylights illuminate the dark interior by day.

The painstaking process of making the home safe and livable again forced Schiller to take extra time to raise the funds needed to complete the restoration. While he worked on other projects, he would stop by the home on his way to or from work and clean each bottle end with a wire brush to restore its sparkling color.

Just last spring, Schiller was able to go full steam ahead and finish getting the home ready for just the right buyer, who, he predicts, could come in a number of shapes and sizes.

It could be someone "who is looking for a short-term rental," he says. "It's turnkey, has excellent freeway access, and it's easy to get to just about any part of Detroit. It already has inherent draw, and there are no hotels in the area, but there is a lot of nightlife."

The nearby neighborhoods of Royal Oak, Ferndale, and Hazel Park are also being redeveloped, he adds.

Schiller notes that the home is also ideal for a buyer who wants something to brag about, something different from the typical '50s-style home or bungalow.

There is nothing typical about this house in any way, shape, or form now. Among its distinctive features are a bottle-lined staircase, a full basement with a laundry room, ample storage space, and extra space for a comfortable guest room, game room, or home theater.

Somewhere down the line, a two-car garage was added in the back of the house and a bonus room was added on. They could make for a private office or studio. Schiller says he painted the garage door and the extra room a "Noxzema Blue" to tie in with the blue bottles in the concrete block walls.

Now that it's finished, Schiller looks at it and smiles.

"I'm so blessed and thrilled to be part of this story," he says. "It's a landmark, unique to metro Detroit. We celebrate our history here—classic cars, classic buildings, nostalgia, etc."