Welcome Mat: Local garden clubs cancel tours for 2020

Garden walks canceled for 2020

Home tours aren't the only summer traditions that the coronavirus pandemic is putting a serious damper on. Some of Metro Detroit's biggest garden walks have been canceled this summer for safety reasons. The Franklin Garden Walk, originally scheduled for early June, has been canceled. So has the Troy Garden Walk and the Rochester Garden Walk. Garden club leaders say they're already eyeing 2021 but this year, safety comes first. "Thanks to the homeowners who have been working to give us the beautiful gardens in June," said the Rochester Garden Club on its website. "We hope they will open their gardens to us in 2021."

Pottery Barn, Airstream team up on new collection 

Dreaming of hitting the open road this summer in your dream RV? Then Pottery Barn's new collection with Airstream is for you. The Airstream X Pottery Barn collection debuted earlier this month and features everything from bedding and art to RV-inspired drink coolers. It comes as RVs, especially vintage ones, continue to have their moment in the house, inspiring everything from home decor to holiday decorations. Prices for the new Pottery Barn and Airstream collection range from $12 for cloth napkins to $329 for a lounge chair. To see the entire collection, click here.

Home decor stores shift to offer face masks

Like businesses across Metro Detroit hit hard by COVID 19, spring wasn't kind to Post Detroit. The studio and retail space in a former post office on Detroit's east side, which sells a variety of home decor and housewares, launched a Go Fund Me page to stay afloat during Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's stay home order. And while business is still on hold -- POST typically hosts dozens of workshops a year on everything from creating natural dyes to embroidery -- it is slowly now offering online sales and selling face masks. The masks are made right in Detroit by local artists, hand-dyed with natural indigo and each mask is double layer 100% cotton with elastic loops. They're $20 each with discounts when you buy more than two. Go to https://www.mutualadoration.com/ and search "cotton masks." Masks can either be shipped or picked up at POST.

Michigan Design Center reopens by appointment only

The Michigan Design Center in Troy reopened for business this week but customers will have to call individual showrooms to make an appointment. The design center, which has been temporarily closed since the governor's stay home order in March, has more nearly 40 showrooms and interior designer offices, including Ann Sacks, Baker Furniture and Cercan Tile. One showroom, Ghiordes Knot, will have a sanitation station set up for customers at the front of the showroom and only allow 6-7 appointments a day so they don't overlap, said showroom manager Coralyn Eddy. A phone number for each showroom is listed on its website, michigandesign.com. The design center is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, although individual showroom hours could vary.

Nominate an essential worker for a $5,000 Closets by Design makeover

Closets by Designs wants to give back to essential workers continuing to put themselves at risk every day during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company is giving away a $5,000 custom closet makeover to one lucky worker and the deadline to apply is Sunday. Anyone can nominate a deserving applicant 18 and older by filling out a nomination form. "Essential workers have become our backbone during the outbreak – while most of us have stayed at home, they continue to go to work and potentially place themselves in danger," said the company in a press release. "They’re the people working in hospitals and grocery stores, on farms and in meatpacking plants. Essential workers are keeping public transit, utilities, and the supply chain running." To nominate someone, click here.