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BULLETIN BOARD // IN RESIDENCE / DÉCOR SHOWCASE

DREAM WEAVER Items Kayla Powers uses in her natural dye process include black beans, avocado seeds, goldenrod, and more. This pillow was made from yarn dyed with goldenrod. Meet the talented loom-lover inside this section.

Map Art

A history-loving couple navigates a successful cartograph business

ANGELIKA “ANGEE” AND Keith Jenkins of Oxford, were in Illinois in 2015 browsing through a favorite store when they spotted a historic map framed on a wall.“It sparked the idea for doing maps,” says Keith, a former information technology professor who, with his wife, now seeks out and sells reproductions of old maps through the couple’s business, KarteCreations. “We can produce maps of nearly anyplace in the U.S. (even at the township level) and many countries, (dating back to) the late 1800s,” says Angee, a former preschool teacher. Custom framing material ranges from pallet wood to barn wood, and textures and styles vary from rustic to urban.

Q: What’s your most popular map?
A: A particularly colorful map of Michigan that we call our “sticks and stones” map because we add a piece of Great Lakes driftwood and some Michigan stones to it.

Q: What’s the allure of old maps?
A: People are fascinated by the history of an area. Historical maps from where people lived or grew up have significance for those people, and you can “drive” the roads in your imagination.

Q: What’s a good source for an authentic historical map?
A: Rare-maps.com.

Jenkins’ maps run between $150-$240 and are available at Knude Products (a home-décor shop), 135 Broadway, Lake Orion, knudeproducts.com. — By Carol Hopkins

A Sense of Place

WHEN THE C AND T of Catstudio (Carmel and Terrell Swan) are designing their vintage-style, geography-themed home accessory products (glassware, accent pillows, et cetera), the California-based couple takes into account their personal travels. On one of their Great Lakes State adventures, they started in Birmingham and drove north to Lansing, Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Pentwater, Frankfort, Glen Arbor, Traverse City, and beyond. “The state is so amazingly beautiful — (we love) the lakes and the old woody runabout speed boats!” Carmel exclaims. A trip to the Upper Peninsula is next on their list. Catstudio now offers more than 200 designs that celebrate places around the world, many of which feature the art of hand-embroidery. See their work in metro Detroit at City Bird, Detroit; Bohemian Home, Plymouth; and Leon & Lulu, Clawson. catstudio.com — By Megan Swoyer

Eye-Catchers

Terrific tints add interest in the homes of this issue’s featured designers and shop owners, plus we showcase a few of our favorite colors

IT’S A COLORFUL WORLD

A. Nelson Ball clock, Design Within Reach, $395, dwr.com
B. Ceramic Egg vase in Sienna, $12, West Elm, Birmingham
C. Big Chill fridge in Jadite Green, $3,395, bigchill.com
D. Fimbis Celebration credenza, $848.30, apt2b.com​
E. Society6 Sticks-and-Stones pillow, $38.99, society6.com
F. Quadrille rocking armchair, $2,900, Roche-Bobois, Birmingham
G. Ceramic Blue Drip vase, $69, Williams-Sonoma, Troy, Ann Arbor, Rochester Hills, Novi

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE POP OF COLOR IN YOUR HOME?

My mint-green, retro-style fridge (Big Chill). I went with a classic, clean white kitchen when I recently renovated my 1890s home (in Ann Arbor), but I didn’t want it to feel sterile. I adore the fridge.

— DIANA MARSH
THISTLE & BESS | ANN ARBOR

In my living room (in Detroit), I put a large bouquet of fresh-cut, jewel-tone flowers from Pot & Box in Detroit in an antique glass vase.

— ANAHI HOLLIS
ANAHI HOLLIS DESIGN | DETROIT

A large grouping of antique Chinese pottery with contrasting blue and white patterns adds vibrant color to my dining room (in Ferndale), which is otherwise a neutral space.

— JOHN RATTRAY
SERBA INTERIORS | BIRMINGHAM

I have a beautiful, vintage Scandinavian chair with the warmest forest green woven upholstery in my living room (in Detroit). I have dark blue walls and a light gray/rose sofa, so the green chair connects the dots.

— KAYLA POWERS
SALT TEXTILE STUDIOS | DETROIT

A bright orange, Mid-century Modern Majestic Regency Cone fireplace in my living room (in Ann Arbor). It’s this pop of orange that’s picked up again in the details of the accessories. Color is what makes me happy and gives me focus when designing.

— ELIN WALTERS
EXACTLY DESIGNS | ANN ARBOR

Threading Her Way to Happiness

KAYLA POWERS LOVES the connected feeling she has each time she sits at her large, countermarch floor loom. It’s a craft the Detroiter describes as a full-body experience, and it enables her to produce natural, handwoven home goods including throw pillows and rugs (and, soon, blankets and throws). The weaver recently launched Salt Textile Studios out of her Indian Village home. Here, we learn from Powers what inspires her creations.

Q: How long have you been working with a floor loom?
A: I got started weaving six years ago. I was the youngest person in the class at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts by like three decades! It just sparked something, and so I took a few more classes and then got my own loom.

Q: Why do you like to use local fibers and natural dyed materials?
A: I love this other use for plants. I think that each place in the world sort of has a natural palette, so I’m kind of walking around in Detroit and looking at the native plants and flowers, and determining my palette.

Q: Can you share your inspiration for creating pillows?
A: I was making all this fabric, and when I thought to make a pillow, it was so exciting to have a three-dimensional object, and (to think) it’s going to sit on the couches of people’s homes, and they’re going to have this story and connection to something. (That’s especially true) with alpaca (fiber) pillows, because you see alpacas out in the field and it’s not that many steps until it’s a pillow sitting next to you. salttextilestudios.com — By Melissa Burden

  PHOTOS BY JACOB LEWKOW

Romancing the Home

COREY CAMPBELL, PRINCIPAL of C-Arc Design Group, an architectural firm located in Bloomfield Township, says he remembers sketching from the time he was quite young. “At the age of 10 or 12, I actually designed a home in art class,” says Campbell, left. “It had a fish tank located under the floor of its library.” Today, some of his firm’s more recent projects include the gorgeous 111 Baldwin in Birmingham, shown here, and a large custom French Chateau-style home on Upper Straits Lake. Between contemplating angles, arches, and easements, Campbell, a graduate of Lawrence Technological University, shares his thoughts on the return of the turret.

Q: Your firm designs various styles of homes, but what is it especially known for?
A: While we design everything, we’re known for our one-of-a-kind lake homes. They’re often more intricate, due to the strict property requirements in various communities. And I’m always concerned with each and every view.

Q: Why are we seeing more turrets in current homes?
A: Turrets are great. Like an old castle, they give a sense of security. And, like a French chateau, they give a feeling of opulence. They also create focal points and a romantic dynamic.

Q: Are turrets more decorative, or functional, or both?
A: They add a lot of internal architectural function. For example, you can float a stairway inside them or they can function as sitting areas, closets, eating alcoves, or even one-of-a-kind front entries. c-arcdesigngroup.com — By Judith Harris Solomon

  PHOTOS BY JACOB LEWKOW

MID MOD: The Space Detroit (thespacedetroit.com), 514 S. Washington, Royal Oak, is a treasure trove of exhibits and items for sale, focusing on design and art from the mid-20th century to the present. Shown below is a fascinating Paul Evans (Cranbrook 1952-1953) Sculpture Front Cabinet, circa 1970. Another Space location is in Houston.

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A ‘HOME’ TOWN: Troy is among the housing markets in the 100 largest metro areas with the highest overall homeownership rates. Many similar markets are in smaller metro areas located just outside of larger cities. “Trulia’s study (trulia.com) shows our state’s progress toward making homeownership a reality at every income level,” says Mary Townley, Michigan State Housing Development Authority homeownership director.

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WELL(NESS) DONE: Meta Physica Massage (metaphysicamassage.com, offering massages, raw juice bar, and more), 1701 Trumbull, Detroit, recently opened with interior design by Detroit-based Anahi Hollis Design (anahihollis.com). Located in the city’s historic Corktown neighborhood, it has furniture made from salvaged wood by local craftsman Kevin Peplinski. The space features local art, too.

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ON A DIME: The William Elliott Building, 1403 Woodward Ave., Detroit, was constructed in 1894 and eventually became the home of the first S.S. Kresge five-and-dime store. A substantial historic renovation to preservation standards has been completed, and today it offers 23 one- and two-bedroom apartments. Info: 313-596-6000.

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SCANDI STYLE: Luxury carpet-maker Scott Group Studio (scottgroupstudio.com), 3232 Kraft Ave SE, Grand Rapids, has released a new rug collection called Lagom (the Swedish term for the art of balanced living). Its five Nordic patterns (see Solsken, below) emulate classic Scandinavian textile designs. The color palette was inspired by the northern region’s calm landscapes and long winters. Available through Scott Group Studio’s showrooms and at their headquarters in Grand Rapids.

Have news that pertains to the design industry that you’d like to share?
Send a note to: MSwoyer@hour-media.com.