Every summer since childhood, I have grown up with Debby in Harbor Springs, Michigan. As many of you may know, Harbor Springs is my happy place filled with my oldest & dearest friends and family. Debby restored an old home, built in the late 1800s, back to its picturesque beauty. Her eye for detail is excruciating in the best way possible! 

Here are her five favorite things in her home:

Inglenook Fireplace

This is typically a large recess in the wall featuring a fireplace. Whereas a chimney usually protrudes into a room, an inglenook is a type of “walk in” chimney with a recess at its rear. This style of fireplace generally came into being in the mid-late 16th century. Debby masterly used the original brick from her home and rebuilt it the exact way it was originally and intended.

Original Refrigerator

Debby found this refrigerator in the basement of the home that now is on full display in her kitchen. It is original to the home and was “powered” by filling it with large ice blocks before electricity was added to the home in the late 1800s.

Harbor Point Casino Pool Table

This pool table was built in 1904 and used to call the Harbor Point Casino its home. Debby found it in terrible condition after the casino closed in 2011. She researched and was able to locate the original company who built this style in New York and had them restore it to pristine condition.

Petoskey Stone

Pleistocene glaciers (about two million years ago) plucked Petoskey stones from the bedrock and spread them all over Michigan and surrounding areas. They are namedin honor of an Ottawa Indian Chief, Chief Petosegay, who’s name means “rising sun”, “rays of dawn” or “sunbeams of promise.” They are indigenous to the Harbor Springs area and people will search for them along our beaches. Debby has hunted for years and has found almost 1,000 unique stones to date and has arranged a small portion of them into these framed cases.

Thomas Crapper & Co. Toilet

In the late-19th century, a London plumbing presario named Thomas Crapper manufactured one of the first widely successful lines of flush toilets by developing the ballcock, an improved tank-filling mechanism still used in toilets today. Debby’s 19th century home would not have felt authentic without it to pair with the original 19th century sinks still in the home.

As I mentioned, she thought of every detail! 

Christy BerryJuly 8, 2021