In late February, Andrei Napau opened Ann Arbor Stone & Tile on Jackson Rd. Napau, who also owns Detroit Stone in Shelby Twp. and Clarkston Stone & Tile, has previously worked with HGTV’s Rehab Addict host Nicole Curtis on home renovations in the Detroit area. Was it intimidating? “It was a little bit,” he admits of the four episodes he was featured in. “It was my first time being on TV.”
Napau says he had been looking at expanding into the Ann Arbor area for a while. He eventually settled on the former Darling Brides Showcase spot after its owner retired this fall. There are big-box home supply stores nearby on Carpenter Rd., but he thinks there’s room in the market for his higher-end tile and countertops. “It’s a little more expensive than Home Depot or Lowe’s,” says Napau, “but you’re getting much better quality.” Typical prices on countertops range from $40 to $130 a square foot, while tiles can go anywhere from $2 to $50.
Currently, Napau mans the Ann Arbor location by himself, driving every day from his home in Sterling Heights, to his Shelby Twp. warehouse, to Ann Arbor, and then repeating the same trip in reverse. He readily admits he is getting tired, and he’s hoping to hire two designers to take over some of the work. “It’s a tough few months,” he says, “but after that it’ll be better.”
Ann Arbor Stone & Tile, 5204 Jackson Rd., 550-1024. Mon.-Tues. 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Wed. 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m., Thurs.-Fri. 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat. 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Closed Sun. annarborstoneandtile.com
