Appeal

Looking for eye-catching impact? Incorporate graceful curves with custom millwork.

by LUCINDA HAHN

Rectangular windows. A peaked roof. Straight walls intersecting with a hardwood floor. A home is often a study in orderly, linear shapes. Still, maybe you’ve noticed a neighbor’s beautiful arched front door that seems so welcoming. Or perhaps a round window at the end of a hallway, revealing porthole-like views of a distant lake. Curvaceous shapes are key architectural elements that lend a home a sense of relaxation, spontaneity and surprise. “And because they’re rare in project design, they attract the eye and add excitement to a space,” says Andy Thomas, founder of Thomas & Milliken Millwork, Inc., a Northern Michigan millwork company.

His firm’s busy workshop in Northport is reached via a stretch of M-22 that winds and bends along West Grand Traverse Bay. That’s fitting, because while Thomas & Milliken makes all manner of millwork, from wall paneling to staircases, it has made a specialty of crafting curved forms—the sort that elevate a home from standard to spectacular. Equipped with computer-controlled machinery (CNC routers) manned by woodworkers with the requisite skill, precision and patience, the firm is uniquely positioned to do so. “Creating anything curved,” Thomas says, “is a final exam for woodworkers.”

Curve curious? Here’s some advice for how to stray from the straight-and-narrow:

Focus on the places where you want to draw attention. You might have a high ceiling in the dining room, for instance. “If you look up, and it’s just drywall, that can be dull,” Thomas explains. “Consider a coffered ceiling with a circular center, with the circle creating a bit of a surprise and also a focal point.” A front door, or a doorway into a special room such as a library, could be arched to add distinction. A staircase might be flared, with a curved banister, to create panache in a foyer. On balconies, the handrail—though typically straight—can be curved to lend a softer look.

Seek out expertise. Exploring a showroom, such as Thomas & Milliken’s outposts in Petoskey and Traverse City, is a good way to get ideas. “You can see examples of every type of trim,” Thomas says, including hundreds of molding variations, from those with traditional patterns to more recent designs. The experienced staff is a resource, too. “They are well-versed in reading blueprints and identifying what needs to be filled in by the homeowner or builder, as well as applying the products to the architectural design.”

Less can be just right. “You don’t have to have a lot of curves to create an impact,” Thomas says. A crown molding with a French curve (concave at the outer edge and convex at the inner edge) can add just enough of an accent to achieve old-world charm. Whether you’d like two round columns to stand sentry at the entrance to your living room, or a kitchen island graced with a curved wooden countertop, “any little extra curved treatment can really enhance a space. It doesn’t take a lot.”

The pros at Thomas & Milliken are able to craft custom millwork with a hands-on approach, no matter your inspiration. They thrive on helping DIY-ers, homeowners, architects and designers give projects that “uniquely you” touch. Their full mill shop can supply everything from graceful curves, to accurate representations of period millwork, and a boundless supply of straight-line moldings, doors, windows, stair parts and siding.