We Have Nothing But Respect For Aretha Franklin’s Former Home for Sale

After a brief stint on the market late last year, the suburban home belonging to late legendary singer Aretha Franklin is up for sale again. Located 20 miles northwest of Detroit in a Bloomfield Hills gated community, the home has a $1.2 million price tag, which is a $400,000 increase from its previous listing.

At approximately 4,200 square feet, the spacious residence has five bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms.  Upon entry, a crystal chandelier fits right in with the two-story marble foyer. The entryway leads into a two-level great room, complete with huge windows, French windows that open up to a backyard patio, a wet bar and a granite fireplace. The theme of opulence flows into the master suite—where the singer spent a lot of time when she wasn’t touring. The room features his and hers closets and a bathroom accentuated with marble flooring.  A sauna and a finished living space occupy the home’s lower level.

Although the Queen of Soul maintained a primary home elsewhere before passing away after a private bout with pancreatic cancer in August 2018, the interior of the Bloomfield Hills’ pad offers a glimpse into what it must’ve been like when she lived there. Although it underwent a six-month remodeling project before resurfacing on the market, the home’s master bedroom bathtub and shower are original, as well as items in the kitchen, including the stove. Interior designer Rodney Howell staged the home by adding all new furniture. Howell also included a nod to Franklin’s musical genius by bringing in the singer’s iconic red piano as the centerpiece of the great room. 

Of the celebrated musician’s home, Realtor.com’s celebrity real estate expert Erik Gunther tells Apartment Therapy, “The Queen of Soul never wavered in her love for the state synonymous with Motown. Why one of her Michigan homes was re-listed with a $400,000 price bump is a mystery, but the value of a home associated with the Queen’s name is difficult to put a price tag on.”