52 weeks of design (kitty & Company) week 38

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  Jacob Osburn.
What is your profession and for how long? I am a trained pastry chef and am starting a new venture,  Kitchen Little, featuring pop-up dessert lounges in venues such as, Agricole and Robin Hills Farms at varied times during the year.   This venture will go hand in hand with the second part of my vision, Heirloom Culinary Creation, promoting seasonal culinary classes.  I also adore plants and consider myself somewhat of a botanist and am cultivating a plant based home décor accessory line to sell locally.
What did you do to pass the time during the COVID-19 State shutdown?  This directly links to my above answer as I was working for the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association based out of Lansing, MI. before the shutdown. I oversaw eighty school and prison programs, such as the Culinary Arts Consortium program.  When everything went haywire, the whole department was nixed and Kitchen Little budded out of time to think and plan.
People think of me as  really social and outgoing but really I am  reserved.
When did you move to Chelsea? I moved to Chelsea in 2018, but prior to that lived in North Carolina in the smoky mountain area and worked for The Swag, a rustic-chic mountain hotel, as a Sous Chef. I’ve also lived in Ann Arbor, Louisville, KY and I  Grew up in Gerome, Mi.   
What do you love about where you currently live? *  We love living in the heart of Chelsea, with birds- eye views of Jiffy Mix, Amtrack and the Clock tower.  Even though a smaller city, we love the hustle and bustle of being downtown.
 
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would it be? *   I would choose a quiet setting in a forest (anywhere warm) with a nice river.
 
What three words describe your style? * Reclaimed, Botanical and Durable.
 
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? I grew up in a lake home, surrounded by woods. My mother decorated very traditionally and nurtured lots of plants, indoor and out, she had best gardens!   My love of growing and decorating with plants came from her.  I also acquired the knowledge that a home should be functional and always working. Nothing should go to waste. 
 
Who most influenced your design styles?  Most of the credit to Better Homes and Gardens
 
What are you most inspired by in your design/décor?  Are you seeing a trend here?  Plants is the answer.
When entering your home, how do you want it to feel?   Full of Zen! Peaceful. Especially now, we both work from home the majority of the time and we don’t have a large space – so things need to be in order.
 
What is one trend in design you do NOT like? *  Disposability also named: throw away fashion.
 
What is the one biggest interior design issue you struggle with? *Our limited space in the 600-700 sq. apartment, is challenging, we have to make each inch count. When moving here, I got rid of almost everything and started over to make things work.
Have you stayed true to a design style throughout the years, or have you fluctuated in your tastes?  I have shifted my viewpoints a bit. I used to think I liked the cottagey farmhouse style, but really, it is too crisp for me.  I prefer a rougher edge and like to decorate with “old stuff” and vintage pieces. One of those pieces is an antique cabinet that my mother bought when I was around 12 years of age. I used it as my dresser and it has traveled with me all of these years
 
Which room in your home gets the most use?   It is the hallway.  Honestly, living in the tiny space we do, that hall sees a lot of travel – it’s our access in and out of the building, to and from rooms, it sports a bench and acts as our mudroom, plus a bike is suspended from the ceiling.
Is there an item you regret buying for your home?  I have an orchid cactus and it lives above my refrigerator, is super large and has little fiberglass like thorns.  Every time I reach up there it stabs me.  She is a sassy and stubborn cactus because she hasn’t bloomed yet, but I am hoping it will soon.
 
If you are a pet owner, has that influenced your choices in design? Gypsy Louise, our 6 year old (what we call, “East American Long Haired Pointer”) has a lot of hair and our Roomba takes care of it twice a day, so we situated the furniture so that the vacuum can do it’s job.
 
If you were moving and could only pick one item from your home to keep, which would it be and why? *  The tall antique cabinet that I have had since a boy.
 If you were given $1,000 to buy a new piece of art, what would it be?
A Moss Wall  or a sculpture with a water feature.
 
I tend to be: A collector  of things with a minimalist house– which causes the demand for being a minimalist.
 
A few of your favorite things!
Movie-Thelma and Louise
Historical Place You Have Visited :   Dahlonega, Georgia where the first gold rush started. It hosts a cave with quartz veins.
Scent- PETRICHOR (Kitty’s note: for those of you that have to look this up, like I did, I will just give you the definition:   A pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather. )
Season- Summer
TV- The Big Flower Fight, which was a British show.
Song, Artist or style of Music--Alternative types of music- I do however, love Stevie Nicks
Food-  Seafood
Bucket List Travel Destination-  Italy- I had to postpone my trip this past May. I will get there!
Things to Collect-  Antique silverware
Museum- 21c located in Louisville, KY. It’s an odd mix of boutique hotel with an ever- changing, contemporary art gallery
Item on a bookshelf- Flower presses 
Color - Amethyst
Design Style - I wouldn’t say it’s a favorite, but I like Art Deco and Victorian but tend to call myself eclectic.
Hobbies- Biking, swimming and hiking
Tree – Redwoods -  in California
Kitty’s note:  Jake has a fun personality and has a creative streak running through his veins. From the artistry in the beauty of growing his plants to his culinary repertoire (currently, think pumpkin and squash flavors) to his home decor (collector meets minimalist), I noticed thoughtfully and beautifully crafted designs. We had a fun meeting and hope to team up again for other adventures!  Jake, remember I offered to be a taste tester for any of your exploratory pastries!

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