Home Improvement, the Natural Way

Old barnwood and older Petoskey stones find their way into design and décor

By Geri Dietze | April 29, 2023

What’s your style? Hip and earthy? Sophisticated and minimal? Current decorating trends are embracing natural materials, colors, and finishes, and they are finding their way into a variety of design styles. Because today, if it comes from terra firma, it’s cool. Below, read about two northern Michigan craftsmen who have found their niche, and with it, an enthusiastic customer base.

Artist, Visionary, Conservationist

Petoskey Stone Tile & More

Charlevoix’s Fred Falting is something of a renaissance man, and his wide-ranging interests and enthusiasms tumble out in conversation. He’s an art school graduate, a former automotive design specialist, a proud veteran, and a protector of wildlife. (A quick Google search will tell you about his efforts to protect our local eagle population.)

Now, Falting is using his art and design background to fashion décor and design elements from Petoskey stone, aka hexagonaria percarinata, the ancient coral fossil that is showing up in some high-end homes in unexpected ways.

Falting loves introducing others to Petoskey stones. At shows and events he will meet people from all over the world, and they all are “blown away” by the stone’s unique beauty. “You don’t have to be from Michigan to appreciate this stone,” he says.

Falting began small with organic shaped Petoskey stones atop high-grade stainless wine stoppers that he marketed as corporate boardroom gifts. It was a lucrative gig until COVID shut down the boardrooms. But from there, things have progressed, and there seems to be no limit to what Falting can create, from mosaic tiles to subway-style rectangles to design elements which retain their organic stone shapes.

Think backsplashes and countertops, shower surrounds and floors, but also drawer and cupboard pulls, switch-plates and soap dishes. Falting has created stone installations which can be backlit for dramatic effect, from ceiling lights to switch plates. Jobs range from a couple of hundred dollars to many, many thousands.

When asked whether he has environmental concerns about working with this native rock, Falting states that the Petoskey stone is “absolutely not an endangered stone,” and that beachgoers will continue to find the eponymous treasures every year after the seasonal storms. (In fact, geologists have determined that a section of the northern portion of the lower peninsula, from Leland to the northern tip and all the way across to the Alpena area is solid coral fossil.)

Falting’s stone comes from a handful of sources who pull the stone from quarries. “I jump through serious hoops” he says, to make sure that his Petoskey stone comes from reputable sources, rather than the “bad apples” who believe it is their right to trespass on private land. Occasionally, he sources a cache of stone from a family, the kind of collection which builds slowly, generation by generation, after strolls on the beach.

Find Petoskey Stone Tile and More at 3773 Marion Center Rd. in Charlevoix. (586) 604-8473, petoskeystonetileandmore.com

One Man’s Barn Is Another Man’s Accent Wall

Lake Ann Barnwood

Bad aphorism aside, there is a real calling for repurposed barnwood as designers and homeowners look to access natural materials for their projects. The go-to source in these parts is Joe Harrison at Lake Ann Barnwood, which began as a backyard business around 2017.

Harrison, a licensed builder who learned the trade from his father, has gradually transitioned from new-home construction and remodels to barn deconstruction, as his respect for the material informs his artistic sensibility. Harrison is, at once, an environmentalist and conservationist, an archeologist and historian, a curator and a storyteller, with a reverence for these materials that have seen a century or more of life.

“We can’t replicate this type of wood,” he says, and adds that upcycling leads to more than just building materials. There are “stories” in the wood—the saw marks, nicks, and sometimes initials—which “opens up a dialogue with the owner” or begins a search for more information.

Harrison estimates that he stores up to 100,000 board feet of reclaimed lumber and is looking to expand his facility this summer. He has two full-time employees and adds more as needed. Lake Ann Barnwood has shipped product nationally, but less now as the local demand heats up.

The bulk of Harrison’s business comes from property owners who have structures that are insurance liabilities or are just unwanted. But, unlike demolition, deconstruction is a more time consuming and exacting process. Every piece has potential value, from the boards to the vintage nails and hinges, barn door sliding trolleys, weathervanes, and tin roofs. Lake Ann Barnwood will tackle any building or barn that is at least 75 years old.

(Conversely, as much as Harrison would like to restore barns for some clients, the cost is prohibitive, something that he learned the hard way when a barn repair went thousands of dollars over the estimate. Those looking to restore their structures should visit the Michigan Barn Preservation Network.)

The lumber Harrison salvages is typically 120-130 years old—often ranging from the 1880s to the 1920s—and, in this region, is primarily white pine, whose vast forests once covered the state. Of course, old wood required serious cleaning. Brush cleaning and debugging brings the boards back, exposing their true character and unique qualities. “We take the last 50 years off, and keep the first 50 years,” Harrison says.

Lake Ann Barnwood offers restored lumber as well as custom items and installation. Options range from accent walls to full paneling; trims and wainscotting; bathroom vanities, kitchen islands, and built-ins; or furniture pieces of all types including farmhouse and trestle tables, benches, and canopy beds.

He sees upcycled barnwood as a perennial favorite. “I really don’t think it has ever gone out of style,” he says, “but it’s definitely trending now.”

Find Lake Ann Barnwood at 1765 Park Drive in Traverse City. (231) 640-4248, lakeannbarnwood.com