Rustic Owl Unique Retail Addition to Harrison

The grand opening of the Rustic Owl will be from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6 at 105 E. Main Street in Harrison. Regular hours are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday-Thursday; and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Monday.

Visit the Rustic Owl at 105 E. Main St. in Harrison, in the former library location. They are also on Facebook as The Rustic Owl.

105 E Main St
Harrison, MI 48625

Jeff and Malisa Dinnan are receiving enthusiastic support from other businesses in Harrison, which is something they hope extends to support from customers and visitors. They are ready to show off their new store as well as all the hard work of their vendors.

In a short time, they have transformed the former library location into a beautiful and unique shopping venue. They purchased the building over the summer and have been very busy making changes since the library moved out in the last week of August.

The store has long been a dream of theirs and they cite several stores that have been an inspiration to them, including Morning Glory Mercantile in Houghton Lake, RepurposedbyRaine and their mentors Around the Farm Antique Mall in Birch Run.

In addition to 16 vendor spaces full of antiques, repurposed furniture and other treasures, the store will be carrying several popular paint products for creating your own treasures. Sweet Pickins Milk Paint, Dixie Bell chalk paint, IOD product line, Crossroads Candles, brushes and other items for DIY.

“I would say this is my hobby – I just like to tinker, it’s just what I love to do,” said Malisa of how she uses the paint and other products they carry. “Some of these vendors you will notice the difference, their work is phenomenal.”

Jeff enjoys quilting and fixing things. He’s creating a small, fully ventilated paint room Malisa can use for painting when the building isn’t occupied.

The shelving that came with the building was moved into the back room. This serves as a storeroom and a workroom for now. Next year they will begin DIY workshops and classes.

Photographs of Malisa’s grandparents grace the mantel over the fireplace giving the store a personal touch. Malisa names her grandmother as a big influence in her life.

“Jeff had these made for me at Christmas; she is my conscience,” Malisa said of her grandmother. “I can hear her in my head. She’s my angel on my shoulder.”

Of course, the store is full of owls too. Their real estate agent, Ruth Defoy, gave them a gift of owls on a tree and many other owl-related items have been gifted to them.

The Dinnans raised their three children in Clio where Jeff grew up. After the kids graduated, they bought an 1853 farmhouse near Frankenmuth which they remodeled and lived in for 12 years. Malisa began as a vendor at Around the Farm in Birch Run. They have modeled a lot of their business after what Malisa learned at Around the Farm.

After Jeff’s job began to take a toll on his health, he retired and they moved to Gladwin. Then they began their search for a store. They praise Ruth DeFoy of Harrison Realty for her help.

“She always seemed to drop what she was doing if she could, to show us a property. She has become a friend.”

The Dinnans toured properties from Houghton Lake to Beaverton, and they looked at the library location several times before taking the plunge.

“It’s a big store and it feels right,” said Malisa. They look forward to meeting more Harrison business owners and residents, and to becoming a part of the community.