Davis & Davis of Farmington Hills, Michigan names new partner of the firm, becoming a majority women-owned business. Since its founding by Michelle Davis, principal and design director, and Howard Davis, principal and chief executive officer, in 1990, Davis & Davis, an architecture and planning firm based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, has proven a successful track record of designing visually stunning and equally functional interior spaces during their 31 years as a company. In September of 2021, the firm announced that Jamie Jordan, NCIDQ, managing director at Davis & Davis, has also been named a partner, becoming a majority women-owned business. Primarily specializing in corporate, public, and commercial interior spaces, Davis & Davis has been recognized for delivering compelling, timeless spaces that reflect their clients’ needs such as with the award-winning…
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In community
The River North Design District of Chicago celebrated the art and design community with its sixth annual River North Fall Gallery Walk, an event that took place on September 10, 2021, comprising 17 design showrooms, as well as kick-off and after parties. At this year’s event, a total of 25 artists and 18 designer vignettes were featured and displayed in each showroom until October 11, 2021. Within each participating space on opening night, guests walked into a transformative experience—exquisite displays of art and design, the gathering of Chicago’s art and design community, and various food and drink pairings courtesy of event sponsors. Great Lakes By Design Magazine had the opportunity…
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In the grain
“I have always had a love affair with architecture and woodworking,” said Jason Sharp, founder and craftsman of Terroir Wood Studio in Boyne City, Michigan. Named after the French term ‘terroir,’ which loosely translates to “a sense of place” and often referenced in relation to the natural environment from which a wine is produced, Terroir Wood Studio is an independent artisan woodworking shop based in northern Michigan. Specializing in crafting custom heirloom furniture, much of the studio’s work is based on the sum of the effects that the environment has on the end product, mimicking the beauty of the natural world. “My grandfather was my biggest inspiration in my woodworking…
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Choreographed by design
From within the renovated walls of a landmark-designated site in the Traverse City State Hospital Historic District, a husband-and-wife-led team of kitchen designers, project managers, interior designers, and craftspeople are continuing a mission established long before relocating their design studio to the former Steward Residence on South Division in Traverse City, Michigan. Initially founded in 2003 as a cabinet supplier in a space on South Garfield Avenue, Kitchen Choreography LLC has since grown into a robust remodeling firm with a team dedicated to realizing well-designed spaces for their clients. Recognized for its commitment to preservation such as in the artful blend of historic and new walls of the 3,500-square-foot, vacant-home-turned-design-studio…
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Virginia Tile opens in Troy
Since 1928, Virginia Tile Company has become a leading tile distributor in the Midwest, serving 14 states with its two distribution hubs in Livonia, Michigan, and Kansas City, Kansas and network of showrooms. Fulfilling the needs of residential and commercial building industry customers, the company is a provider of porcelain, ceramic, stone, glass, metal, and mosaic design solutions, with select regions also offering resilient flooring and woodworking products. On Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, Virginia Tile held a grand opening gala in celebration of its new flagship location in Troy, Michigan. The milestone event was attended by more than 200 industry representatives and supporters from across the country to witness the…
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Vintage curation
“If I am offering design as a service to someone else, I can solve problems that maybe the client did not even know they had or make their space more functional, but more importantly, more enjoyable. Good design truly does bring joy to people,” said Kim Tanner, owner of Strangelovely in Godfrey, Illinois. Strangelovely is a classic vintage furniture and home décor shop located on the lower level of a historic home built in 1850 in Godfrey. Initially launched in 2012 by Tanner as a hobby upcycling vintage furniture during her spare time while living in Chicago, the shop has evolved into a careful curation of vintage quality and craftsmanship…
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In conversation: Graham Stanton
In an industry disrupted by the cancellation and rescheduling of events due to COVID-19, Chelsea Farrugia and Robin Wilson, co-founders and co-owners of Graham Stanton Co. in Detroit, Michigan, pushed forward with their new business venture, navigating the uncertainties that came with it. Graham Stanton, a woman-owned, event experience firm offering full-service event planning and floral design, was first established in 2019 and just as Farrugia and Wilson were making ground with their new company, 2020 put a halt on many events as safety precautions went into effect across the state and the country. Now, roughly a year later, business for the floral and event planning company is busier than…
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Freshwater future
As a collective of fresh water that houses more than 20 percent of North America’s freshwater volume, the Great Lakes hold a unique status among American waterways. They require special consideration and treatment, especially in the face of climate change’s adverse effects. While the Great Lakes have a long, natural history of water level fluctuation, recent levels signal a decidedly more extreme phase in the pattern. The past few years have seen some of the lakes’ highest recorded water levels, which can cause destruction from flooding and erosion to damaged shoreline homes and infrastructure across the Great Lakes Basin’s approximately 14,000 miles of shoreline. Headquartered in Detroit but operating across…
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Design at home
In Troy, Michigan, the Michigan Design Center boasts distinctive access to top design manufacturers and their showrooms under one roof. From September 17th through the 27th, the design center will also provide rare access to the personal homes—and styles—of six Metro Detroit interior designers as part of its bi-annual Home Tour, in coordination with Detroit Public Television, or DPTV. This year, the tour will be presented as an hour-long video program for the first time, and it will be available to ticket holders to watch any time within the duration of the program. The video presentation tour, hosted by DPTV’s Fred Nahhat, will provide an intimate glimpse into the designers’…
