Millwork Style Statements

TIP: START WITH ONE SMALL FOCUS.

Unless you have a finalized idea book tabbed out room by room, you’re starting with a blank slate. Don’t let product selection bog you down. Start with one thing—this could be the doors, the baseboard or the crown—and key in on that. “All other decisions can be made once you pick one thing,” Strawderdam says.

TREND: CONJURE AN ERA.

Thomas & Milliken welcomes loads of requests to replicate trim, interior doors and hardware from every architectural era. Step back in time, adding a Victorian vibe to your project with curated millwork and door packages. Trends are capturing looks from mid-century modern to contemporary farmhouse, and Thomas & Milliken pride themselves on accurate representations of period millwork.

TIP: EMBRACE THE CHALLENGE. ASK FOR HELP.

“When someone comes into the showroom looking to pick out millwork, the basic premise is that they have a problem that they want to solve. It’s our job to help find the solution,” Strawderdam says.

The pros thrive on helping homeowners, architects and designers wade through products and services and lend projects that “uniquely you” touch.

TREND: WELCOME UP NORTH COTTAGE NOSTALGIA.

by Lisa Blake

Pro tips and trends for homeowners seeking outstanding design.

Walking into a millwork showroom can be a little daunting. Doors, window trims, molding, baseboards and panels in so many textures, styles and hues—“overwhelm” can creep in. And that’s ok. That’s when the experts stroll up, take your hand and help you articulate your vision.“It can be a pretty long and painful process to get to the first selection, but once that is made, it tends to be pretty smooth sailing,” says Thomas & Milliken sales associate Kent Strawderdam.With showrooms in Petoskey and Traverse City, the retailer specializes in doors, windows and stair parts and has notched its pedestal as the number one millshop in Northern Michigan. Andy Thomas launched Thomas & Milliken Millwork in 1977 with his wife, Gloria. When he was just six years old, Andy’s parents gifted him a small red steel toolbox labeled “Handy Andy,” jumpstarting a basement woodworking shop and continuing the family tradition of woodworking, dating back to his great-great-grandfather who built Northport homes in the 1850s.

Today, designers and DIY-ers appreciate Thomas & Milliken’s boundless custom millwork and hands-on approach. Here, Strawderdam helps homeowners break down tips and trends for 2022.

Since millwork in general and trims, doors and cabinetry in particular are a reflection of a home’s geographical location and regional tastes, it’s no surprise the “Up North Cottage” is Thomas & Milliken’s top-selling millwork package. The lakeside-inspired design is clean-lined and linear with detailed baseboards and casing and a crown that follows the same line. It’s not uncommon to see beadboard paneling and nickel-slot ceilings and accenting in various patterns and widths, Strawderdam says. Nature-inspired textures and customized light and airy nooks round out the Up North feel.

TIP: DON’T BE AFRAID TO GO MODERN.

On another front, Strawderdam says, Northern Michigan design is starting to lean more toward modern, contemporary aesthetics. It’s increasingly common to have stylish drywall returns on windows and doors with minimal baseboards and to see doors with contemporary flair.

An entrance sets the tone for a home’s interior and enhances the overall appeal of a space. In the past, modern homes called on flush solid-core birch and other species of durable wood. To make a fairly simple yet bold style statement, Strawderdam points to TruStile’s modern door collection and its stacked rail designs and sleek plank styles.

READY TO GET STARTED

You’ve got Thomas & Milliken’s creative and dedicated employees and longstanding reputation on your millwork team.

HonorBuildingSupply 10635US31 HonorMI, 49640 231-325-4551 800-444-6396

Onekama Building Supply 4847Main St. MI, Onekama 49675 231-889-3456