52 weeks of design (kitty & company) week 33

By Kitty Golding
Kitty & Company will be conducting a series of short interviews with Chelsea Residents for 52 weeks, bringing to light differing personalities and design styles in our community.  Perhaps you will meet someone new through these weekly interviews or perhaps it will be YOU! Stay tuned and follow us each week – we now introduce you to our second couple interview - Mr. and Mrs. Joe and Cristina Manly.  
What is your current profession? Cristina - Various positions in the Healthcare industry for 10+ years; Joe - Engineering 8+ years.
Your family members: Kaehla (daughter), Noah (son) & Alex (daughter-in-law) and Achilles (grandson).
People think of me as: (Cristina) a workaholic   (Joe) an overachiever but  really I am (Cristina) ok, I guess I am!  (Joe) a risk-taker.
When did you move to Chelsea and where did you live prior to coming to Chelsea? We relocated to Chelsea in September of 2000, from  Menifee, CA. Our SoCal home was a 2300sqft ranch style home (which we prefer) and was a  four bedroom/ bath open concept with a 3 car garage  and no basement. It was a nicer home than we  have in Michigan, but we left California to get away from the rat race and the high cost of living.
What do you love about where you currently live?  Chelsea  offers a country setting with resources that are close by, offering the best of both worlds.
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would it be? New Zealand would be nice .  We’ve admired the beautiful scenery from the Hobbit/LOR movies, and researched/seen video of the island culture. There is  a very attractive broad range of environments from forests and mountains with snow to warm beaches with great surf.
What three words describe your style? Simple, comfortable, functional
Who most influences your design styles? HGTV Shows,  The main show we like on HGTV is Fixer-Upper with Chip and Joanna Gaines.   Joe  like the repurposing and combination of wood and metal applications and Cristina loves Joanne’s color applications and shabby chic styles.
 
What are you most inspired by in your design/decor? Our Faith and European Culture.
As you think about the home in which you grew up, what elements did you like and do you think you have incorporated some of them in your own home? Being of European descent, it was typical for our families  to gather around the kitchen, so we have some items passed down that have become decorations in our home, and others that we still use for cooking.
When entering your home, how do you want it to feel? Welcoming!
What is one element or trend in design you do not like? Something that is too cheap to last or too expensive to enjoy.
Have you ever remodeled a home?  Yes we have including some  projects that we are proud of, using salvage materials. Below, I share about our fireplace and mantel and we also completed a kitchen remodel as well – hiring an Amish family in Ohio to create the island for us.  It was fashioned from a reclaimed door, along with molding and ceiling tile all from a 19th century basilica.
What is the biggest design issue you struggle with? Coming up with true useful solutions for the design of existing spaces.
Have you ever sought professional interior design help?  No, but on some of the efforts we wish we did ;-)
If you were moving and could only select one item from your home to keep, what would it be?  A hand-hewn beam on our mantle,  that I saved from a friends family farm. It is the oldest single family farm in Shiawassee County (1865) and their grandfather and other family members had hewn it themselves.  I built in supports for the mantel over our fireplace and put in a stone wall facia. When I was finished, I stamped the beam on the end with the family name and the date the family farm was founded. It was a great project.
Which room in your home gets the most use?  The kitchen and the library.
No room is complete without: Positive words on the wall.
If you are a pet owner, how has that influenced your choices in design, if it has?  We have paid more attention to our flooring decisions.
Has any local venue particularly caught your eye - if so why? The Grateful Crow as we are excited to eat some local sushi!
If you were given $1,000 to buy a new piece of art, what would it be? *  A landscape or wilderness scene would be our first choice.
A few of your favorite things!
Movie – Nacho Libre.
Favorite Historical Place You have visited –  Cristina - Interlochen, Switzerland/  Joe - Berlin, Germany
Scent – Cristina – vanilla/ Joe - bubble gum surf wax
Music– We are very eclectic
TV Show- Jack Ryan
Meal – Carne Asada / Pollo Asada Tacos
 
Color- Cristina - red; Joe – blue
Favorite thing to Collect – Cristina - destination coffee mugs/ Joe – tools
Design Style-  Modern Rustic (although our home doesn’t represent this style)
Museum – Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter
Hobbies- Both - Jeepin'/ Joe – watersports
Item on a bookshelf – Bible
Plant or Tree – Sugar Maple
PETS?- 1 dog and 1 cat

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