Feels Like Home, Looks Like You

House on Horizon combines English antiquing and interior design

By Rachel Pasche | April 26, 2025

The feel of the English countryside—think Narnia-worthy wardrobes, sleigh beds, and farmhouse tables—is closer than you might think. Elk Rapids’ House on Horizon specializes in designing and furnishing spaces meant to evoke feelings of old-world England and a slower pace of life.

Owners Sam and Liv Barnsley didn’t meet in England, or even in Michigan—instead, they met in college in southern Mississippi, where Sam had come from England on a soccer scholarship. After school, they married and moved back to northern Michigan, where Liv had grown up.

“Our journey really started when we bought our first house,” Liv says. “We couldn’t afford much, so we gutted and renovated the entire thing ourselves with help from my parents. That process taught us a lot about design and renovation and what sort of things we look for and like in a space.”

A Family Business Around the World

After selling that house during the COVID pandemic, the couple went to England to stay with Sam’s family for a few months. During that visit, they fell in love with antiquing and finding vintage English furniture at antique fairs and estate sales.

Liv, a thrifter and designer, says she feels completely lit up while antiquing, a passion her husband shares.

“At the time, we were doing some interior design work. Our style is heavily influenced by English decor, but it’s impossible to find authentic English furniture in the U.S., so we decided to buy a bunch of it during that trip and ship it all back to the U.S. to restore and sell, plus we keep a lot for ourselves. Now, it’s progressed into multiple shipping containers of furniture each year and a huge warehouse where we restore and keep everything,” Liv tells us.

Their interior design business expanded through word of mouth, growing into something big enough that both Liv and Sam could quit their other jobs to focus on their clients and growing their furniture stock. Now, they spend several months of each year in England, scouting antiques and visiting with Sam’s parents.

The couple now has three boys; the older two love to help out in the warehouse, Liv says, and they’re developing a passion for travel.

“It’s really important to Sam and me that they get to see the world and spend so much time with their grandparents in England. And I love that we’re growing a family business. The boys love to be in the warehouse helping us out, and they love the days spent hunting for treasure at an antique fair.”

Buy (and Design) What You Love

Liv’s favorite project she’s ever done is the living room in her current home. “The process of gutting and renovating our current home led to our social media accounts blowing up. We got a lot of visibility and business from the videos we posted. We designed this house to mirror a traditional English house, filling it with old oil paintings and antique English furniture. It feels like I’m in an English pub, and I love it so much.”

Liv says she is particularly drawn to French oil paintings with moody, earthy colors. She prefers them unframed because she thinks the simple, unfussy designs feel more approachable. “I want to be able to sit on the couch with a cup of coffee and not worry about spilling it.”

She also loves English pine furniture, particularly statement pieces like a large table or cabinet. Cute dressers are something she seeks out often, saying wooden English dressers can look good in almost any room. French ceramics and earthenware have also been featured in their stock a lot. Small accent pieces, like stools, ladders, and brassware, are popular items she keeps in stock because Liv finds the small details make a huge difference.

“The stools, especially, have been selling super well,” she says. “I can’t buy enough of them during our buying trips.”

Speaking of buying trips, this year the Barnsleys are inviting others along for several week-long trips to the English countryside where they’ll take guests to antique fairs, small towns, and cozy pubs along the way. There are buying trips scheduled for June 3-9 and August 5-11, 2025, with a full itinerary that crisscrosses the country.

While the couple does most of their shopping in England, Liv does occasionally check out the thrift scene in the area. She recommends Antiquities in Traverse City because they source many items from Europe and Broconte in Elk Rapids for their unique finds and stylish inventory.

Liv’s advice for anyone seeking help with thrifting, interior design, or both?

“Buy what you love. Be patient. People want their house to feel done, and it probably won’t ever be finished. Your house should be evolving—you should be collecting constantly. Things that you love, things that make you happy, things that represent you. Over time, as you start to put these things together, they’ll look good. Soon, your house will be a reflection of your personality and your life. It will feel like home and like you.”

You can check out House on Horizon’s stock of antique English furniture, reach out for design advice, or sign up for one of their upcoming trips on their website, houseonhorizon.com.