52 weeks of design (kitty & Company) week 45

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  Mrs. Juli Turner.
What is your current profession?  I am the secretary for Turner Electric plus I get to watch my grandson a few days a week!
Your family members: Rob (husband) Madeleine & Jason (daughter and son in law), who have Mason, my grandson.  Molly (Daughter) and her fiancé Makana. 
People may think of me as: very confidant  but really I am more insecure.
When did you move to Chelsea? At five years old my family moved to this town. I started Kindergarten at the old St. Mary’s church because the addition was being built at North Creek Elementary School. I have lived here ever since.
What do you love about where you currently live?  First, I love that I have a history in Chelsea. I love our property and the peacefulness in our new setting north of town.   Rob is particularly happy here – we used to live in town, but he loves having some property and quietness.
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would it be?  We had a 2nd home, in Harbor Springs for 20 years, but we sold it this summer as our new home doubles as a vacation home and now being grandparents, we love staying here.
What three words describe your style?  Classic, Clean and Transitional.
Who most influenced your design styles? My husband’s mother helped me with my first two homes.  I didn’t’ have any experience and welcomed her help.  Technically my first houses were more her style but this home that we recently built, was inspired by watching HGTV .
What are you most inspired by in your design/decor?   I tend to lean a little more modern and am very inspired by cities, architecture – especially the 1920’s era as well as futuristic looks.
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?  My family was large ( 7 people – I was oldest of 5 kids).  We grew up in a very small home.  My parents didn’t have much and they were resourceful, so new furniture, remodeling etc. was not something that was done.  Styles and design elements were not impressed on me during my formative years, however, a love of order developed  not having seen it while growing up, (busy, small home).
When entering your home, how do you want it to feel? I will use these phrases -  “Don’t take your shoes off, Eat wherever you want, Don’t worry!  Come over and enjoy yourself! Be yourself.”
What is one element of design that you do not like?   Accessories feel over the top and add “more stuff” to the room.  I like a non-cluttered look, so I have minimal accessories and nothing complicated, just simple.  We have to really love an item to buy and display it.
What is the biggest design issue you struggle with? Confidence in my choices – which is why I was happy to have Kitty & Company come in and help us with all the tiles, paint, cabinets and furniture etc that we had to select for this home.  I know what I like, but don’t know how to bring it all together, I end up second guessing myself.
Have you ever built a new home or remodeled an existing one? *We have built three new homes in Chelsea.   The first one was breaking ground the day of our wedding, in fact Rob was out there in his tux on the way to our reception! That home was off of Stofer Road on  Forest Court.  Our  2nd home was in town on Quiet Creek  in the new part of Lane Wood Subdivision. It was great to raise our kids in town and be so close to the schools and activity.  Now we have a bit of land and live north of town, in a home built by Greystone Builders.
If you were moving and could only select one item from your home to keep, what would it be?  Besides family photos, I do have a pair of pillowcases embroidered by my grandmother – I would probably try to bring that – as it is a piece of her.
Which room in your home gets the most use?  The great room, which encompasses the  kitchen and the living and dining rooms. I absolutely love this room! We have beautiful sunsets  out the back and farmland out the front. When we have family over,  I can partake in the conversation and still be working in the kitchen.
No room is complete without: A comfortable chair.
How does having a pet influence your decisions?   Ezra, our new kitten is half Ocelot and half tabby with big ears.  He is 6 months old and has two speeds, sleep or full speed.  He is a disobedient little guy – and is starting to scratch our sofa….so he will be getting the caps on his claw tips.  We haven’t changed anything about our design.
Has any local venue particularly caught your eye - if so why?   I love the old and the new Chelsea Library.  Quite frankly, I really miss being at the library as it is has been closed for so long! I miss the entire experience.   A side note: The old library, squeaking floors and all is a great memory for me.   I would go there for lunch since it was across the street from my first job, at Palmer Auto.  
What did you do to pass the time during the COVID-19 State shutdown?  We walked on our rural road a lot and used our 3-season room. I was also in continual planning mode for a baby shower for my daughter. (Should we have it? Should we not?)  To make it safe for everyone,  we used our home and separated groups into various rooms. We used local shops to provide the food with box lunches.   It was a wonderful get together.   Now I am planning a wedding during this pandemic as well and hoping that by next June…?... well, we shall see.  
If you had $1000 to buy a piece of art, what would it be? – I would purchase a Georgia O’Keefe, one of her contemporary abstracts. I visited her studio in New Mexico and fell in love with her work.
A few of your favorite things!
Movie – Rear Window  by Alfred Hitchcock
Favorite Historical Place You have visited –   Washington DC  (anyplace there!)
Scent – Cranberry
Music–  80’s
TV Show- M*A*S*H  ( I own the whole series set). 
Meal – A good hamburger.
Travel Destination (on your bucket list)– Israel
Season –Summer
Color- Blue
Favorite thing to Collect – My  husband would say Jewelry  
Museum –The Neue Gallery in New York City, an art museum dedicated to art from Germany and Austria in the early 20th century.  I saw Klimt’s,  Lady in Gold  here, a tiny museum that left a big impression.
Hobbies- Shopping, reading and planning events are enjoyable activities for me. I am a mission shopper and I love finding things for other people – so Christmas is a great excuse for me to be in the stores!  As for Reading – I love historical fiction and non fiction.  
Item on a bookshelf –  a picture of my family plus The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
 
Kitty’s Note: I met Juli years ago when our kids were both in band and she was the music booster’s president.  More recently, our studio helped them with their new home build from start to finish. I enjoyed getting to know her and Rob a bit more and help them with their new and potentially last home. The answer that surprises me though Juli, is MASH? Who would have known? Only your siblings that you forced to watch with you, right?
 
 
 
 
 

---