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April 17, 2001

Handcrafted in the Little Traverse Bay area

By MELISSA CLARAMUNT
Special to the Record-Eagle
       Hand-crafted, hand-picked home furnishings and decor make for a handsome home and there are a number of shops in the Little Traverse Bay area that can provide those items.
      Located in Charlevoix, Interior Motives is a retail spot that can fulfill any decorating desire or furniture fancy.
      Owner Linda Hoffman says that "there is no theme or style to the store," from pillows to lamps, candlesticks to furniture, or clocks to mirrors.
      Customers will find hand-painted pieces from local artist Linda Boss, whose works capture local scenery, as well as from Anita Rosenberg, a Hollywood set designer and artist whose pieces grace the set of TV's "Friends." Interior Motives also carries a line of lamps from Dez Ryan, an artist/designer who uses European fabrics, beads and fringes that turn lighting fixtures into works of art.
      The staff at Interior Motives includes an interior designer and a Feng Shui consultant. Feng Shui is the Chinese art of placement to bring harmony and balance into the home. This consultant will work with the customer to arrange everything from furniture to wall treatments in a way that assists the flow of positive energy.
      Along with the design services, Hoffman says that she takes special orders and will also be offering trips to her warehouse during the summer. This will allow customers the chance to see merchandise before it hits the showroom floor. With everything from contemporary to upscale rustic, Interior Motives offers the spectrum of style. Hoffman says that she hopes to offer the unusual and to create a showroom that is always changing. She says that the "customer won't know what is in the store or what I'm going to do next."
      Just outside of Petoskey, near Bay Harbor, is the Quiet Moose, a home furnishings store that offers an eclectic, up-scale collection of furniture from across the globe. Hand-picked antiques and furniture lines plus a range of home accessories grace the showroom floor. From antique to contemporary, traditional to log cabin, the collection at the Quiet Moose represents an assortment of styles.
      General Manager Jim Dutkowsi says the showroom mixes "elegant European antiques with a taste of casual living."
      Currently, customers will find a fresh look for spring in an assortment of bedding, tableware, and candles.
      With two designers on staff, the Quiet Moose can also provide consultation and design services. They also offer a fabric library and work with special orders. Open year round, the Quiet Moose will be open seven days a week after Memorial Day.
      Across Little Traverse Bay in Harbor Springs, a medley of antique finds and French-country decor comes together in the store L'esprit. Ed and Diana Throckmorton travel all over Europe, hand-picking furniture, pottery and accessories. The store seems to serve as a showcase for the best estate sale pieces and garage sale finds blended with various lines of French linens, fragrant soaps and candles, paper goods and one-of-a-kind architectural pieces.
      In their travels, the Throckmortons finds include everything from vintage wine jugs to antique armoires, French linen dishtowels to primitive harvest tables, and wall sconces to wrought iron chandeliers. L'esprit offers the type of home furnishings that can add both elegance and practicality to your home. L'esprit can also provide interior design services or help you search for that perfect piece. If you enjoy hunting for treasures, are looking to add to a collection, or searching for just the right gift, visit them at one of their two showrooms in Harbor Springs.
      For your lawn and garden projects, visit the Landscape Depot in Petoskey, owned by Ken and Sherri Schoenberg. According to Schoenberg, the Landscape Depot, which is entering its sixth season, has evolved into a "garden center specializing in accessories for the outdoors."
      While the Landscape Depot carries everything to design, plant and maintain a garden, it doesn't stop there. You can also find what you'll need to create the perfect outdoor setting in exterior furnishings and accessories. Also available is Gloster Teak furniture, a high-end line from England and an assortment of concrete, wrought iron and aluminum furniture. An item that the Schoenberg's are highlighting this season is the Luminarium Outdoor Hearth. This outdoor fireplace is made for the deck, patio, or beachfront and burns a gel, offering easy use and maintenance.
      For architectural additions to your lawn or garden, the Landscape Depot sells arbors, trellis', and pergolas; for added elegance, you'll find bronze figures, fountains and outdoor chandeliers; for a touch of artistry there are hand-painted umbrellas and hammocks; and, finally, for some outdoor fun, Landscape Depot even offers an outdoor pool table.
      With an extensive assortment of pots, fountains, garden figures, candles and tableware, a stop at Landscape Depot can enhance your own garden or help you find a gift for someone else's. Opening for the season in early April, the Landscape Depot will be open seven days a week.
      Melissa Claramunt is a freelance writer who lives in Harbor Springs.