Three business owners are creating their own little speciality niche at the southern end of the Village of Lake Orion.
They’re all housed in the completed remodeled section of South Broadway called Village Shops.
Diana Deutsch-Ostrand, owner of Accent on Art, is no stranger to Lake Orion, having been in business for 14 years.
Kathy Burnais opened Country Blossoms last September.
Diane Neely plans on opening Ponder — A Book and Beverage Respite sometime this spring.
Diana believes her long-time success with Accent on Art is due to her faithful customers.
‘People feel comfortable coming in here,? she says. ? I love seeing these people, like hearing about their lives and their families.
Diana will custom frame almost any object — photographs, memorabilia, sports items, canvas, dried flowers, mirrors, collectibles.
One of her most unusual framing projects was grouping items from the year the Detroit Tigers won the World Series. The grouping included a scoop of dirt from Tiger Stadium.
‘We work with homeowners, businesses, schools, church — anyone with a desire to complement their surroundings,? Diana says.
Her husband, DJ, is a finish carpenter and helps her with framing projects. ‘He can do anything.?
‘We have strived to present our framing with a complete goal to fit into the customer’s decor, using high quality products and fair pricing,? Diana adds. ‘We can find artwork and products using our computer. And we can scan photos as a courtesy to our customers.
For sale in the store is artwork by such local artists as Char Follis, Chris Hoard, Nanette Leigh and Judy Vail.
Accent on Art is located at 129 South Broadway. The store is open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday. Evening hours can be arranged.
Diana can be reached at 248-693-9826; fax 248-693-5006; framesataoa@aol.com.
Kathy uses her creative talent to bring a special touch to her store Country Blossoms.
She hand paints furniture and flower pots and does her own floral arrangements, all of which are available for sale. The cozy store has a selection of candles and candle accessories, Heritage Lace Products, Country Accents, glassware, unique gifts and some antiques.
‘There are a lot of seasonal items and also every day stuff,? Kathy says.
Country Blossoms is Kathy’s first business venture and she says she chose the Lake Orion location because she loved the downtown atmosphere.
‘It was a very long time deciding where to go,? she says, adding that she wanted to be located in a growing area. ‘I saw a need for it here, something small and personal.
Kathy also does custom orders. ‘Someone can bring in furniture they want me to paint, or if they see something in the store that doesn’t already have something on it, I can paint that for them,? she says. Custom orders for florals and custom-made furniture are also available.
Country Blossoms features jewelry by Patti Kline.
Winter store hours are Sunday/Monday, closed; Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, 11 a.m. 5 p.m.; open every first and third Saturday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Phone 248-693-2720. The store is located at 135 South Broadway.
Diane is hard at work getting Ponder — A Book and Beverage Respite ready for opening this spring.
She has been a business consultant for 20 years and when she helped a client open a business, it was so inspirational, she decided to open her own bookstore.
‘And this lovely little space became available,? she adds. Diane has the corner store which overlooks Paint Creek and Children’s Park.
‘It’s a good location.?
Types of books she will be selling include family, cultural, inspirational, sports/hobby, success in life and business, personal development, for children, bestsellers, and of course magazines.
Visitors coming into Ponder will be able to treat themselves with a lite snack, fine coffee, tea and juices.
‘We will eventually have computer/infor stations for researching and local advertising,? Diane says.
She would like to see Ponder become a community place where organizations can meet.
Diane has a special love for education and hopes to work closely with the school district — offering to host field trips at her bookstore, having special books that educators could use for a resource.
‘This is going to be a happy place. People can just come in and sit down, have a cup of coffee, look at books. You can even have a child’s party here. We’ll be here to serve the community.?
Diane can currently be reached by calling her cell phone 313-570-2333