Northern Michigan Style: We asked Cathleen Elkington, interior designer for Edward’s Home Furnishings in Suttons Bay, to do what she often does for clients: Begin a room design with a piece from Edward’s and then accessorize from the boutiques and shops around her store. So Cathleen went shopping—looks to us like she found spring in Northern Michigan.
1. Cathleen calls the Ekornes Stressless Dream recliner “The last chair you’ll ever buy.” Constructed to heirloom standards, the chair is custom-fit to your body shape, both in terms of size and padding (Edward’s employees take classes on how to fit customers with the proper chair). Its timeless style is worth designing a room around. Shown here in spring green leather. Recliners start at $1,295. EDWARD’S HOME FURNISHINGS, SUTTONS BAY. 231.271.6600, EDWARDSFURNISHINGS.COM.
2. A designer arrangement of purple larkspur, yellow tulips, and craspedia and leucadendron sets a lovely spring palette. $69.95. FORGET-ME-NOT FLORIST, SUTTONS BAY, 231.271.1977, SUTTONSBAYFLORIST.COM.
3. Carol Bawden weaves these custom artisan rugs on a loom that has been in her family for 140 years. Washable and colorfast, the panels come as long as 25 feet and as wide as 42 inches—but panels can be sewn together for wider rugs. Shown here: 24-BY-48 INCHES. $96. PAINTED BIRD GALLERY, SUTTONS BAY. 231.271.3050, PAINTED-BIRD.COM.
4. Jesse Hickman’s folk art decoys hang out in some fine places: the American Folk Art Museum in New York City, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago, to name just a few. And your living room perhaps? Hickman calls the funky fish shown here “It’s a Bumpy Ride.” $625. MICHIGAN ARTISTS GALLERY, SUTTONS BAY. 231.271.4922, MICHIGANARTISTSGALLERY.COM.
5. Mixed-media artist Philip Lichtenhan describes the home decor sculptures he creates— high-fired clay eggs in found-wire nests—as metaphors for life. Lovely. $600. MICHIGAN ARTISTS GALLERY, SUTTONS BAY. 231.271.4922, MICHIGANARTISTSGALLERY.COM.
6. Traverse City mosaic artists Jane Whiting and Steven Bath of Peace By Piece take broken dishes, china, tiles and glass and put them together again—an ancient art that transforms a design accent into a focal piece. Mirror shown here, $379. PAINTED BIRD GALLERY, SUTTONS BAY. 231.271.3050, PAINTED-BIRD.COM.