In the land of abandoned, shortlisted, and ridiculously cheap abodes, one Detroit community is taking empty houses, byproducts of the decay of what was once the city's livelihood, and transforming them into giant canvases for some truly eye-catching art. On Heidelberg and Elba Streets, one home is coated in polka dots, another is covered in stuffed animals. Above? It's decked out in a little bit of everything: campaign lawn signs, a kids' car, a toy giraffe, and more than a few American flag signs. It's all part of The Heidelberg Project, a salvaged art initiative started in 1986 by artist Tyree Guyton. The organization buys houses (many now can be bought for as little as $500) and turns them into public art in an effort to restore "the spirit of a city and the hopes of this inner-city community," said executive director of the project Jenenne Whitfield in an interview with Houzz. "We thrived on a manufacturing industry that fell, but we refuse to sit back and let Detroit fade away." View another another wacky home—this one, covered in teddy bears—below.
· Decorated Houses Help Save a Detroit Neighborhood [Houzz]
· Decent-Looking Detroit House Asks an Inconceivable $900 [Curbed National]