Welcome to a sneak peek of Art Full Rooms: Living with Art. This Jordan River Arts Council exhibit features six rooms outfitted by area designers and featuring local furniture makers and artists. Art Full Rooms opens Sunday, August 11, at 1 p.m. (when you can meet the designers) and continues through September 22. 301 Main St., East Jordan. 231.536.3385, jordanriverarts.com.

Northwest Orient

Second-generation potter Andrew Otis sculpted this 45-inch-tall vase, etched it with patterns from nature, topped it with a split kimono-style lip and fired it with a blue-green glaze. We envision it holding a simple Asian-inspired collection of dried Northern Michigan grasses. $1,500. 231.536.7856, andrewotispottery.com.

 

Rustic Greek

On occasion, musician and furniture maker Kirby Snively is moved to take his contemporary-rustic design sense in a classical direction. Such is the case with this lyre-shaped side cupboard. Trimmed in walnut and cherry and clad in birch bark, the piece is in perfect harmony with the Northwoods. Note Snively’s finishing touch: inlaid twig round on the top. This one-of-a-kind piece measures 46-by-24-inches and is 19 inches deep. $2,800. 231.526.7014, kirbymusic.com.

 

Comfortable Art

Bill Perkins has been crafting twig furniture for decades now—long enough to know the secrets of a beautiful, comfortable piece. Thanks to the design and the flexibility of its willow frame, this handsome wingback chair doesn’t even need a cushion. Add the magazine pockets on the sides, and well, you probably have a chair around the house you could get rid of to make room for this relaxing objet d’art. 231.357.4139, sleepingbeartwigfurniture.com.

 

Horses That Go Whimsy

Artist Tami Bier has made a name for herself and her beguiling hand-sculpted clay animals. See this pair at Art Full Rooms. Find a virtual arc-full of their friends at Bier Gallery in Charlevoix. The horses shown here are $175 each. 231.547.2288, biergallery.com.

 

Color Blast

Textile artist Kirk Rowe has been designing and weaving custom rugs out of 100 percent virgin wool for 30 years. Rug shown here, 4-by-5-feet, $1,400. 231.709.2709, kirkrowetextiles.com.

This article is also available in the August 2013 issue of Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine. Get your copy today!