52 weeks of design (kitty & company) week 39

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 Mr. Adam Kovsky.
What is your profession and for how long? I am the managing director at Robin Hills Farms, off M- 52, just north of Chelsea.  I set the strategic vision for the company and manage the day to day operations. I have worked for them since 2016 in various forms, in the office and out in the field.  I have a business management degree and always dreamt about managing farmland, so I am so fortunate to have this job. Seasonally I work at the Michigan Renaissance Festival, juggling fire and knives with the group, Delirio Del Arte.
Your family members:  My wife- Brogan (Darwin), who manages Agricole.
 
People think of me as: Well - It would be so great if I knew what people thought of me – I am outgoing and enjoy talking to new people.
When did you move to Chelsea? Where did you live prior to this? I grew up in Livonia and went to Central Michigan, where I met my wife Brogan.   After completing college, I moved to Chelsea, in 2015, in a home on Middle Street by the Fire Station.  I had never been to Chelsea before, and I started learning about all these interesting venues that Chelsea sported, and realized what a nice little town it is.
 
What do you love about where you currently live?   Our home feels like a place we just go to sleep, because we work so much, but we have a mix of woods and open spaces on our property and we love the outdoors.
 
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would it be? Costa Rica.
We did an extended stay on various eco farms for three months…it was so educational and interesting and I love the country.
 
What three words describe your style? Simple, Practical 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 live   polar opposite to which I grew up.  My childhood was spent in a big house in the suburbs, and now I  live in a 190 sq. feet home with a lot of land.
 
Who most influenced your design styles? I have always been creatively minded, and would say my experiences have been more influential in my life than a person, at least in relation to design. Being a boy scout my whole life, and the excursions I have been able to participate in have taught me that I don’t need a whole  lot to get by.
 
What are you most inspired by in your design/decor?  My experience in building our home is that you have to decide where all things go. Every detail counts and has to be thought about from the start to finish.  The function of each space is very important, so in a nutshell, function is my answer.
 
When entering your home, how do you want it to feel? Without being too boring with my use of adjectives, I think it should be warm and welcoming and set up for interesting tactile interactions.
 
What is one trend in design you do NOT like?   Honestly, I don’t pay that much attention to trends!
 
Have you ever built a new home or remodeled an existing one?   I built a 190 sq. foot tiny home on wheels.  It is situated on a twenty four foot by eight foot flatbed trailer.   Our home is solar powered, off the grid, and all our appliances operate on propane.
 
Did you seek help in the building/planning of your home?  My friend, Brent Koors, who has a construction management degree helped me a lot.   I have learned everything from people like him, and or taught myself through trial and error and You-Tube videos.  The first building project I completed was building two fourteen-foot wooden canoes for the Dragon Boat Festival and three years later I was building my home.
 
 
Which room in your home gets the most use? I would love to be sleeping more and say our loft, but really it is the kitchen.
Is there anything you regret in building your home?  I didn’t realize how expensive windows are, so if I could do this project over, I would have bought all my windows ahead of time, in clearance sales at Chelsea Lumber and then built my home around the window sizes I had.  As it stands, we have really good windows and they are all awning style, so I love that we can have them open during the rain.  
If you were moving and could only pick one item from your home to keep, which would it be and why?  My banjo – I play a little bit.
 If you were given $1,000 to buy a new piece of art, what would it be?
Something from Lindsey Dahl (Wild Feather Studios) for sure, I love her style and art.*Lindsey was a former interviewee in this series*
No room is complete without:  A comfortable place to sit.
 
I tend to be: A minimalist – I just don’t collect much.  I am constantly getting rid of things.
What did you do to pass the time during the COVID-19 State shutdown?  I kept all the trails open at Robin Hills Farms so people could enjoy the outside.  I planned for some meal kits and drinks to go and we have been taking advantage of the patio use now for most of the summer.  Our plans are to keep it open all year long. We have just added a bunch of heaters outdoors to keep guests warms and enjoying the outdoor environment at the same time.  I am really thankful for all the support that we have had from our community, bikers from the DTE trail and neighboring towns as well that have continued to come out to our gatherings.
A few of your favorite things!
 
Historical Place You Have Visited-  When in boy scouts, we went to a Civil War Battlefield, where I found an old bullet. I still have it!
 
Season-Fall
 
Song, Artist or style of Music- Right now- The Devil Makes Three (a blue-grass, folksy type style)
 
Food- Pizza  or Wesley’s Catering Leftovers
 
Bucket List Travel Destination- The Upper Peninsula
 
Things to Collect- Brogan is a collector, but if I haven’t touched it or used something in a year, I get rid of it.   Things need to be useful.
 
Museum-The City Museum in St. Louis, Missouri (look it up!)
 
Item on a bookshelf- Books, I just finished reading A Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley.
 
Color- Blue
 
Hobbies- Juggling, music, reading
 
Tree -  Beechnut Tree - they grow well in Michigan- and are currently endangered
 
Pets

1. Dogs – Royce  Breed: Dogo Argentino
2. Cats- Jelly 

 
Kitty’s Notes: It was fun to get to know Adam a bit more. I just met him this year through Robin Hill’s Thursday nights and through some venue wedding planning with my son and his fiancé. Adam is passionate about the outdoors, land and the resourcefulness of it. He seems destined to be doing exactly what he does for Robin Hills Farms.  Who would have thought a boy from the suburbs of Detroit, would now be working in the business of land and agriculture? He has a lot of talents up his sleeves – I mean, juggling with fire and knives?  Look up his talent group and see about hiring them for your next birthday party!  That will be the talk of the evening!  He mentioned perhaps bringing the show to Robin Hills one evening, and I hope he does, I think it will be a sellout.
 
 

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