It’s a dog’s life at Leelanau Interiors

by Norm Wheeler
Sun editor

When you enter Leelanau Interiors, you get thoroughly inspected. Here comes the three-dog greeting committee: Otis (a Jack Russell), Wally (a shepherd/laud Anna mix), and Harriet ( a Welsh corgi). Otis barks, Wally sniffs, and Harriet looks. You can get the same greeting doubled as Harriet’s baby triplets, “the hoodlums”, join these three on the website: leelanauinteriors.com. In both places you’ll find the people are just as friendly as the dogs. Kristi Brubaker, Kim Gower, Sandy Fox, and Louise Patterson are welcoming as they take turns explaining the past and the present of Leelanau Interiors. Kristi bought the business one year ago on June 1, 2001, from her parents Jo and Stan Brubaker, who wanted to retire after the first 15 years but then held on for another 10. Jo and Stan established Leelanau Interiors in 1972 at the Homestead. In 1976 they purchased the old post office building with a tiny apartment behind it from Steve Bowman. Then in 1978 they added an alcove and a showroom to that original front entrance. But even after 25 years, Jo hasn’t really “retired.” She is still part of the team.
“Jo comes in to do design work for her clients and to boss us around as necessary,” says Kim, the business manager. “Kristi designs, the rest of us support,” Kim adds. “Sandy is in charge of the gift shop and special orders, Louise is the project/design coordinator, and I get the coffee cake and haul the trash. Everybody pets the dogs.”
Leelanau Interiors is not your typical gift shop. It’s full of one-of-a-kind things that change every year or every week. Full of the works of local artists, puppy love items, and interesting and unique home-furnishings, there is something for the ceiling to the walls to the floor. See, for example, the extremely dog-friendly red “Otis chair” which is available for purchase. Kristi reports that many people tell her that it’s their favorite store, and Kim adds that it’s because the “help is so good lookin!”
“People come to get their dog fix,” says Sandy, “or they bring along their own dogs.”
Louise chimes in “There’s always water at the door!”
At Leelanau Interiors, clients can expect detailed designing and outfitting of their space right down to the toilet paper, toothbrushes, and comfort stations for their pets. “People want to be able to walk in for the summer, with towels folded, beds made, and the coffee-maker ready to perk,” Kim explains. “Sometimes we see that the groceries have already been delivered (probably by Ryan Obcamp, their “boy Friday”) and the fridge is stocked. We can create a turn-key home situation.” As the website indicates, they create comfortable designs, they are easy to work with, and they are good at solving problems. If a client is building a new home, Leelanau Interiors watches construction, trouble-shoots, and uses both old and new materials in the design as requested.
Jo Brubaker has designed worldwide, from NY to California to Antigua, “from small homes to corporate retreats and everything in between.” Now Kristi brings her considerable gifts to the business. “Kristi is a genius at creating warm, welcoming spaces,” Kim says. “You have to be as comfortable with your designer as with your hair stylist or doctor, and that’s what we do here, provide warmth and trust.”
Kristi’s gift for design can be seen at the Western Avenue Grill. “We created a ‘northern lodge’ style, with birch bark and dark mahogany, fish and Adirondack style art, the hanging canoe, with lots of reds and greens,” Kristi explains. “The back room has just been remodeled as a non-smoking dining room,with pine tables and birch bark walls.” It is a beautiful space. The new game room will continue the motif, with a birch bark covered light over the pool table.
Visit Leelanau Interiors, or go the the website. You’ll find an emphasis on warmth, comfort and friendliness. “Mostly we’re just a darn nice group of people” Kim assures.
Kristi concurs: “And you’ll always be greeted by a free smile and a couple of dogs to lick your ankles!”