405 Home Fall 2018

Inspired Design for Central Oklahoma

BRILLIANT! The Jansens’ Colorful Cacophony

The Titans of Design Multi-Generational Talent

En Plein Air The Party’s Outside

Fall 2018

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features

34

THE JANSEN HOME: ARTFUL FLIGHTS OF FANCY

A quintessential Quail Creek home has, under the artful eye of a photographer, been transformed into a cacophony of color and light. The Jansens’ matriarch, Beth, has an enviable style and a beautiful relationship with color. The home is as cozy as it is bold, and a unique treasure to explore.

42

One of the most recognizable homes in Heritage Hills, Oklahoma City’s first enclave of mansions, is now the gorgeous home of Susan and Ralph McCoy. A couple of years ago, the couple became the latest stewards of a home whose original details have been lovingly preserved, and whose rooms are now filled with capital-S Style.

6 405 HOME FALL 2018

DON RISI

THROUGH THE KEYHOLE: THE MCCOYS’ MAJESTIC MANSE

ZACH PUNNETT, PUNNETT CONSTRUCTION

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departments gallery 16 MOOD BOARD: CALM COMFORT Fall and winter are cozy and cheery seasons, if you approach them correctly.

18 A MUSTARD MOMENT Golden, vivid, hushed or vintage, it’s the perfect condiment for every room in the house.

20 DIE HARD FOR THE HOLIDAYS Holiday ambience means music and movies!

makers 24 OKC’S FIRST FAMILIES OF DESIGN There are a few venerable OKC design firms whose work has defined multiple generations. You’ll meet two of them here.

28 THE LIGHT FANTASTIC For more than 60 years, Lillian Strickler has illuminated homes throughout the 405.

30 AN UNCOMMON KITCHEN Creative, beautiful, delicious food served in a homey space by people who love to take care of people

living 52 WALLPAPER POWER Once the province of grandmothers, wall coverings have returned in ways that work for any home.

56 FINDING FIKA Taking a break — a real break — with a beverage and good company — now that’s a concept we fully support.

58 THE CROWNING TOUCH Bringing holiday cheer to mantels in the Oklahoma Governor’s Mansion 60 A LAIR EXTRAORDINAIRE Rand and Jeanette Elliott’s subterranean Heritage Hills hideout is a multi-purpose space filled with careful consideration.

SHANNON CORNMAN

52

alfresco 66 GET OUT. SERIOUSLY. No matter the season (almost), entertaining out-of-doors can be comfortable, fun and beautiful.

68 LIVING YOUR BEST LEAF When it comes to plants, Calvert’s knows better than most. Plan your interior landscape with a little help from the experts.

in every issue 12 FROM THE EDITORS A fond hello to the cooler months 72 LOOKING AHEAD April showers bring May flowers.

on the cover The grand and colorful entryway of the Jansen home in Quail Creek. Photo by Don Risi.

8 405 HOME FALL 2018

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Helping create memories since 1906 Publisher Heidi Rambo Centrella heidi.centrella@405magazine.com Editor-in-Chief Christine Eddington

Editorial Editor-at-Large | Stylist Sara Gae Waters Managing Editor

Unique holiday gifts now arriving

Steve Gill steve.gill@405magazine.com Contributing Writers Lillie-Beth Brinkman, Mark Beutler, Jerry Church, Jill Farr, Steve Gill, Greg Horton, Matt Payne

SINCE 1906 CHARTER AT MAY SHOPPING CENTER 9422 N May Avenue, The Village • 405.842.8872 bachlesbythefire.com • bachlesfireplace@yahoo.com

Art Art Director Brian O’Daniel brian.odaniel@405magazine.com Associate Art Director Scotty O’Daniel scotty.odaniel@405magazine.com Contributing Photographers Shannon Cornman, Carli Economy, Charlie Neuenschwander, Don Risi

Advertising Executive Director of Advertising Cynthia Whitaker-hill cynthia.whitakerhill@405magazine.com

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Reader Services Mailing Address 1613 N Broadway Oklahoma City, OK 73103 Phone 405.842.2266 Fax 405.604.9435 info@405magazine.com, 405magazine.com Advertising Inquiries sales@405magazine.com Job/Internship Inquiries jobs@405magazine.com Letters to the Editor Your views and opinions are welcome. Include your full name, address and daytime phone number and email to editor@405magazine.com. Letters sent to 405 Home become the magazine’s property, and it owns all rights to their use. 405 Magazine reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity.

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from the editors

SETTING THE TONE FOR FALL

12 405 HOME FALL 2018

couple, when faced with a flooded basement in their historic home, rose to the challenge and created a multi-purpose basement lair you’ll love on page 60.

Exploring concepts that are new to us has become a hallmark of our fall issues, and 2018 is no exception. Fika is a Swedish concept of sharing a coffee break together in a way that goes a little deeper. Contributing writer Lillie-Beth Brinkman explores the concept in her story on page 56.

405HOME is also ecstatic to bring you two of the most beautiful homes we’ve ever seen: the McCoys’ Heritage Hills beauty and the Jansens’ Quail Creek stunner. They are similar in that they are each unique expressions of the families who live within their walls, and we know you’ll love exploring them.

Settle in and enjoy these pages. We created them with you in mind.

Sincerely,

SARA GAE WATERS Editor-at-Large

CHRISTINE EDDINGTON Editor-in-Chief

PHOTO BY DON RISI

THERE ARE SUMMER PEOPLE and there are winter people, just like there are dog people and there are cat people. Lucky for you, dear reader, Sara Gae is a spring/summer and Christine is decidedly a fall/winter. Both of us are also, thankfully, dog people — the discovery of which was a huge relief!

The collaborative energy we share is joyful and curious, and we are always interested in learning more, seeing more and sharing more with our readers. Home is the most important place we inhabit each day. It sets the tone for the rest of our lives. It’s where precious memories are made, where great futures are planned and where we snuggle in for winter, Netflix at the ready.

Our Fall 2018 issue, like all issues, is a joint effort, with each person bringing her sensibilities and perspective into the mix. Since we print twice a year, this issue also covers the early spring of 2019, and with that in mind, we’ve tackled outdoor entertaining for all seasons, which we bring you on page 66.

Fall and winter mean slowing down, staying indoors and keeping cozy, punctuated with holiday frenetics. Our feature on Rand and Jeannette Elliott’s basement renovation is a primer on how to create an intentional and beautiful space for retreating and recharging. This remarkably creative

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The slow, golden light of fall tints everything a rich golden-bronze. We love those honeyed hues, and after you meander through our story on page 18, you’ll wish for a gilded cage of your own.

FALL 2018 405 HOME 15

gallery inspirations

CURRENT MOOD: CALM COMFORT Suggestions for visualizing ideas

BY SARA GAE WATERS | PHOTO BY CARLI ECONOMY

THE EASIEST TOOLBOX to access when it comes to the expression of your home, your atmosphere, your life is right before you: the senses. Touch, taste, smell, sound and sight. Smooth tiles underfoot, fingertips over velvet, sinking into a down sofa ‌ all feelings of comfort and calm. The taste and aroma of certain spices evoke memories or fantasies of far-away places, and can be your inspiration for your next dinner party.

The fragrance of your favorite candles bringing physical and spiritual warmth, perhaps a selection of lamp light or dimmed pendants inspiring a certain tone, the sound of a softly played record to bring back memories instantly – all these aspects can come together collectively to make a visual masterpiece. So look within, and be inspired.

16 405 HOME FALL 2018

“

“

The five senses are the ministers of the soul.

LEONARDO DA VINCI

Velvet fabric and wood trim by Linda Howell Designs, 6432 N Western, OKC; Wallpaper by Ketch Design Centre, 4416 N Western, OKC; Tiles by Artisan Tile Studio, 7108 N Western, OKC

FALL 2018 405 HOME 17

gallery fall color

A MUSTARD MOMENT Embracing a well-seasoned shade

BY SARA GAE WATERS | PHOTO BY CARLI ECONOMY

HONEYCOMB-COLORED CANDLES, an oft-worn tortoise shell bracelet, the decadent, harvest moon-colored liquid you spritz on your wrists before an evening out … these small, beautiful things bring more than merely physical benefit, they set our emotions in motion — and emotion, my dear, is at the heart of inspiration.

The trick is translating that emotion into how we surround ourselves with the things we love, and which bring us comfort, joy, maybe even transcendence in our home and work spaces. The color mustard is our inspiration this fall, and as seen in “I Mustard Implore You” online at 405magazine.com/405-Home/, the hue surprised us with its many facets.

You can’t pin this color down; perhaps that’s why it draws you in.

“

“

Color evokes emotion, and emotion inspires color.

AYLIN ERMAN

Book, wallpaper, ribbon provided by Sara Kate Studios, 1100 N Broadway, OKC

18 405 HOME FALL 2018

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gallery party picks

DIE HARD FOR THE HOLIDAYS A playlist and movie primer

BY JERRY CHURCH | ILLUSTRATIONS BY STEVE HILL

SO, YOU’RE HOSTING A HOLIDAY GATHERING? Maybe it’s a cocktail party, small get-together, office party or a family dinner. Since I’m not a foodie, I’m not going to cover hors d’oeuvres or meatless entrees. But aside from food and drink and perfect seasonal décor, what do you need to complete a party? Music!

Look at your budget. You can consider hiring a house DJ or a famous rapper … or you can find an old guy with a huge vinyl collection, but there’s only about three of us left in this town. So you should consider something that will cost you next to nothing, except a little time and imagination.

There once was a time when most people had a respectable music collection, with a sampling of Christmas favorites, or they knew somebody who did. Those days are long gone. People stopped “owning” music when they started thinking about how neat it would be to live in a tiny home. In 2001, more than 712 million compact discs were sold.

Last year, only 89 million. In 2013, there were more than 1.3 billion song downloads. Last year, 555 million. Music streaming now dominates the market, with more than 618 billion songs streamed per year. With that in mind, there’s no reason to borrow your uncle’s record collection. You can assemble an awesome party playlist through your smartphone.

SANTA GETS HIS GROOVE BACK

There are a variety of easy-to-use, and mostly free, streaming apps and services available now. A lot of people already have iTunes, so Apple Music is a convenient choice.

If you listen to music and podcasts in the car, Sirius XM is pretty popular. But if you’re a novice and you just want to put together a fun, two-hour party mix, you can’t go wrong with Spotify.

Spotify is a multi-platform, music streaming service at Spotify.com or through the app store on your smart 20 405 HOME FALL 2018

phone. I still prefer to work from a desktop (for stability and large monitor), but you can easily transfer your music to your mobile app later. The other cool thing about Spotify is that you can connect with friends online, so if you know someone who has already made a badass playlist, you can find them through the program.

Opening a Spotify account is easy — there’s a free version whose home screen is nice and clean and not intimidating. You can start with a search for “Christmas” or “Christmas Classics.” The latter is a playlist that Spotify assembled that’s nearly three hours long (about party length), and features 59 songs, from Brenda Lee to Mariah Carey. That’s almost too convenient. If it’s a special occasion, you can create your own list: from contemporary hits such as Ariana Grande’s “Christmas and Chill” to “Christmas in Hollywood” by the Hollywood Undead. Spotify is almost like making a digital mix tape. You can search for songs, and save them to your lists for the big event.

THE NOT-SO-SILENT NIGHT

Now, it’s time to party! If you are using a streaming program, I’m assuming that you are not an audiophile. That’s okay: sound quality is not that important as long as it’s loud.

Amplifying your party music is easier than ever, but you have to know the limitations of your electronics. Always make sure that your phone has plenty of memory and is plugged in; you don’t want to lose power when Santa’s on the dance floor. Wireless speakers, such as Amazon’s Echo Dot, are great and convenient, but there can sometimes be a millisecond delay in sound transfer, which creates an effect equivalent to digital “skipping.”

Finally, with any party, remember the words of musician Andrew W.K. — “It’s usually better to focus on partying and let the other stuff take care of itself.”

CHRISTMAS MOVIES … FROM A DUDE’S PERSPECTIVE

I’m a 52-year-old, single, white, straight man. I write this because I know that this magazine’s readership demographics lean heavily toward women. But my editor asked me to put together a list of classic and notso-classic movies for the holidays, and I had to put it in my perspective. So here goes!

Die Hard — Of course this is a Christmas movie! The 1988 film has held up well over the last 30 years. The signs of Christmas play out in important scenes throughout the movie: Hans Gruber and his crew barge in on the Nakatomi office Christmas party. Run D.M.C.’s “Christmas in Hollis,” likely the first-ever Christmas rap anthem, plays loudly in Argyle’s limo. And when John McClane surrenders to Gruber, he cleverly tapes a gun to his back using Christmas-patterned tape that he found at the party. The movie even ends with “Let It Snow!”

The Family Man — Before he started making direct-to-digital movies, Nicolas Cage was a bankable, dependable and prolific star. This 2000 movie stars Cage as Jack Campbell, a super-rich investment banker with a

fancy Ferrari and posh Manhattan apartment. An incident at a bodega on Christmas Eve opens a gateway to the life he would’ve been living as a minivan-driving family man working at a tire store. Jack gets to traverse both worlds briefly, but he ultimately has to make a choice.

While this movie is rife with clichés, such as the streetwise guardian angel, Cage and co-star Téa Leoni’s characters are empathetic and likable.

Rocky IV — Believe it or not, this is Lady Gaga’s favorite movie. Made at the apex of the Cold War in 1985, our hero Rocky Balboa ends up extracting revenge for his mentor Apollo Creed’s death (spoiler) at the hands of Russian War Machine Ivan Drago. Traveling to a remote log cabin, hounded by the watchful eyes of Russian security, Balboa goes old-school and trains by chopping wood and running through waist-high snow. Why is this a Christmas movie? Because Balboa beats Drago in Russia on Christmas night, flipping the adulation of the crowd to the Western hero, while the entire world watches — bringing peace on Earth, and goodwill to men.

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FALL 2018 405 HOME 21

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MAKERS

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DRAWN FROM EXPERIENCE

The pillars of the Oklahoma City design scene profiled in this issue are as relevant today as the day they hung out their respective shingles. Meet multi-generational gurus in interior design on page 24.

FALL 2018 405 HOME 23

makers legacies

OKC’S FIRST FAMILIES OF DESIGN The Thomsons, the Bolens and their legacies

BY JILL FARR | PHOTOS BY CHARLIE NEUENSCHWANDER

OKLAHOMA CITY’S interior design landscape is liberally dotted with talented individuals and firms providing topnotch services. However, there are two companies that hold special places in the hearts and homes of the metro residents they’ve helped through the years.

Thomson + Thomson and Fanny Bolen Interiors were founded by two of the first families of design in Oklahoma City, so to speak, and that heritage seems to be key to both their longevity and their lasting relevance in the metro’s interior design world.

THOMSON + THOMSON: OLD-SCHOOL ARTISTRY MEETS CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY

In every sense of the word, Thomson + Thomson is a family business. Its original incarnation was founded 60 years ago 24 405 HOME FALL 2018

by Ron Thomson; his son Cam met Dencie, one of his father’s interns, while working there, and the two married. They eventually provided the company with two more employees: son Ashford and daughter Cody.

The advantage of that kind of generational knowledge, when it comes to understanding and implementing great design techniques, isn’t lost on the younger Thomsons.

Cody says, “Growing up, I didn’t realize that everyone wasn’t having these precepts of design ingrained into them.”

Ashford and Cody both studied photography in college, enhancing their design upbringing with artistic eyes for composition and realizing how it translates to the world of interiors.

They’ve combined forces with their father to continue their grandfather’s legacy … but also to bring a little more

of the 21st century to the firm, by introducing a more technologically savvy focus, one that Cody is quick to point out is a good balance for the artisanal factor that her father still provides.

“One of our father’s biggest attributes is his ability to hand-render,” Cody says.

“He does all of these incredible drawings by hand for every project — instead of the common initial planning through computer aided design — and then Ashford and I translate it into the technical realm.

It’s such an awesome balance. We’re able to maintain old-school artistry with cutting-edge technology.”

Thomson + Thomson offers a la carte design options and full service for clients working on a residence or commercial setting, but Cody feels that they’re at their strongest when they’re in charge from the outset, and that their clients receive the biggest benefit from their strengths when they’re involved in the project from the beginning.

“We’ve always encouraged clients to consider that furniture should be considered throughout the whole design process,” Cody says. “Where we feel we have a leg-up is our ability to see design in an overarching way and realize that if all factors are considered from the outset, there’s more potential for better results than when the process is compartmentalized. But we can elevate any project, at any point.”

The educational background of the partners, combined with the informal osmosis that can occur in a family atmosphere, has produced individual strengths as well as a cohesiveness perfectly suited for delivering next-generation design.

Cody emphasizes that a solid foundation and understanding of design as a whole is paramount to facility with variety — something Thomson + Thomson values.

“We try to maintain versatility,” she says.

“We don’t have a defining style as a firm. Instead we have several individuals who may Ashford, Cam and Cody (top); The Thomson+Thomson conference area (bottom). be better at one school of aesthetic than another, but we want the client’s vision to be the driving force.”

While their technical expertise and range of effectiveness Thomson + Thomson’s strength as residential designers give them an edge, Ashford believes that their strength as a carries over into their commercial work, as well, blending firm is their ability to bridge the gap between a client’s vision the needs of a business with the familiarity of a home. That’s and the challenges that architecture or other aspects of the an important consideration for commercial clients who want project may pose. to provide a welcoming and beautiful atmosphere for cus“We can gauge the client’s style without pushing our own,” tomers and company staff alike.

Ashford says, “We create a relationship between what they “We like to put residential flair into our commercial jobs,” love and what we believe is best for a fluidity along the deCody says. sign process.”

FALL 2018 405 HOME 25

makers legacies

Fanny Bolen and Bebe Bolen MacKellar

FANNY BOLEN INTERIORS: THE HOUSE DOCTORS

When she started the company that bears her name in 1984, Fanny Bolen wasn’t necessarily envisioning a family enterprise — but she believes she came by her instincts naturally, and that sometimes an eye for beauty is in your genes.

“My parents were always gardeners, and always beautifying things,” she says. “My children all have great eyes for color, for flower arrangement — I think it’s just something some people have a knack for.”

Fanny welcomed the help of her daughter Bebe Bolen MacKellar when she came into the business in the early ’90s to facilitate some modernization. “I helped get things computerized, sort of brought it into this century,” MacKellar says.

Then, after a few years, she was ready for another challenge.

“In 1995, Oklahoma City didn’t have a lot of outlets for buying unique things,” MacKellar explains. “So I dragged Mom to DecorX in Chicago. We were there for the day, I started buying stuff, and Mom said, ‘Where are you going to put all this?’ I said, ‘I think I’ll just open a shop!’”

26 405 HOME FALL 2018

That was the birth of Bebe’s, which quickly became a fixture for metro residents seeking singular home furnishings. “It went hand in hand with what Mom was doing,” MacKellar says. “She always needed quality accessories, and remember, this was before the ease of Internet shopping.”

The strain of running a business like Bebe’s eventually wore thin, however, and MacKellar decided to sell her beautiful shop to Karen Samis, a former customer who despaired at the idea of the OKC fixture going away completely.

MacKellar took a job in New York City, with a jeweler … but then 9/11 happened. She decided to return home, and re-joined forces with her mother, an arrangement that has made for a formidable decorating team with an undeniable family spirit — one that spills over into their company as a whole, and pervades their decorating mode of operation.

“Our team has a ton of fun,” she says. “The movers we use, we’ve had for a long time, and we’ve been all over the country. They’re like our family, too.”

If there is such a thing as relational decorating, the Fanny Bolen Interiors team embodies it. You get an experience with Fanny and Bebe — it’s more than advice about colors and placement. They want to enhance your home life, and they put their considerable talents to work learning about what you really want, and how best to express it. “What we can pull out of a client is different from what someone else can,” MacKellar says.

Bolen told the story of a client who insisted that they hated red … until she showed them some key fabric choices that she thought would appeal to them, and they realized that they just needed to see it in a different way.

“A good decorator gives you the confidence to make the choices you really want to make deep down,” Bolen says.

“You’re like a doctor for their house.”

“Mom can do any style,” MacKellar adds, “and I’d like to think I’m the same way: traditional, modern, French. We can do beach houses! It shouldn’t be our style that we’re imposing, it should always be the client’s, at its highest level. The best it can be. And carried out in the right way.”

Fanny Bolen Interiors — and their impressive results — have built a loyal following. Clients will hire them for a home decor design, and then call on them again for seasonal decorating, entertaining, even choosing their dishes.

Fanny and Bebe’s professionalism, eye for detail and exquisite aesthetic, combined with their comforting, counselor-like approach and infectious enthusiasm, make their service special among their peers.

Their passion for what they do is evident, and their fun-loving personalities make something that can be intense — a decorating project — an adventure.

“It’s a beautiful business to be in,” Bolen says. “I look forward to coming to work. It’s just fun.”

akarenblackcompany.com | 405 - 858 - 8333 3013 NW 63rd St | Oklahoma City

makers lamps

THE LIGHT FANTASTIC Lillian Strickler’s personal touch

BY GREG HORTON | PHOTOS BY CHARLIE NEUENSCHWANDER

LILLIAN STRICKLER is 65 years old this year. The lighting gallery and workshop in Uptown 23rd opened in 1953, and while it was an anchor for a thriving shopping district at the time, the location has seen more than its share of feast and famine since. With recent reinvestment in several of OKC’s districts, especially near downtown, attention is once again focused on NW 23rd between Broadway and Western, and Lillian Strickler is perfectly positioned to capitalize on the urban boom.

Living in a world of myriad choices and planned obsolescence doesn’t really prepare us for the virtues of the pre-online commerce, pre-shopping mall days. Lillian Strickler is a reminder that customer service based on relationships is still the best way to do business. The modern iteration of the store emerged from Cathy Burris’ patronage of the lighting gallery.

“I was a customer from the mid-1970s until I bought the store in 2007,” Burris says. “I loved the customer service that (previous owners) Norman Bagley and Mary McPherson offered; I loved the warmth of the store, and most of all, I loved the beautiful products.”

Customer service has come to mean how someone you never see treats you on the phone, or how kindly someone at a register greets you. Aside from personal services such as tailors or interior designers, our retail interactions are 28 405 HOME FALL 2018

(l to r) Phil Edelen, Delores Hnot, Cathy Burris, Natalie Green and Karen Shelts

very short and very non-personal. For Burris and her staff, customer service is centered around ongoing relationships, so that the purchase of a product is rarely the first or last interaction for the customer.

It seems appropriate that a custom lamp is the best example of Lillian Strickler’s comprehensive approach to customer service. On the day we toured the store, an unusual lamp — constructed from hand-carved and hand-painted blocks of wood in animal, human and plant figures — was sitting on a shelf, awaiting repair.

“This customer’s grandfather whittled,” Burris says. “He’d take these blocks of wood, carve these shapes, paint them

and then give them to members of the family or leave them to collect around the house. This young man wanted a way to remember his grandfather, so we built the lamp for him. It’s back for a wiring repair.”

Burris knew the story, knew the young man, had helped oversee the original construction and knew exactly why the custom project was back in the store for repair – because the lamp had been well used, not from a problem with the custom work. This is just one story of hundreds Burris and her team can tell.

As Burris moved through the store, she talked about current trends, especially the newest fixtures that feature mixed metals. Gold tones are back; copper, too, and traditional never goes out of style. She pointed out pieces from Italy, where craftsmen seem to love the gold trend. A $15,000 honey lead crystal chandelier hangs just inside the entrance. As the light catches the crystals, colors seems to explode from the fixture.

“Many of our pieces are nearly one of a kind,” BurLillian Strickler is at 617 NW 23rd, ris says. “We tend toward and is open five days a week: 9 a.m.brands that are not common, 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays or not commonly known. and 9 a.m-4:45 p.m. Fridays. “That fifteen minutes makes a difference Our customers like the idea when we’re headed home on Friof unique lighting. The newer days,” Hnot says.

styles take a couple of years to get to Oklahoma City; people see them in magazines for a while, and slowly but surely, the demand increases locally.”

Delores Hnot helps Burris in the front of the store. She’s especially knowledgeable about the processes that go into matching pieces to existing rooms or redesigned rooms.

“Bring your lamp with you,” Hnot says. “That’s the best advice we have. It’s easiest to find the right shade, and the color is never easy to match from memory.”

The shade counter on the west side of the store has a large selection — the largest in the metro — but it’s a fraction of what’s available through special orders. Finials are found mostly on the east side of the store, and Burris likes to point out that they are one of the best ways to customize a lamp or light fixture. In keeping with Lillian Strickler’s custom approach, they can also convert personal objects into finials in the rear workshop.

The store has the most comprehensive offering of repair services in Oklahoma City, maybe the state. On the day we are there, a huge chandelier is on the worktable. Phil Edelen and Natalie Green, a teacher who picks up shifts during the summer as an artisan, are busily replacing damaged crystals. The team is constructed around the idea that you don’t have to throw things away, especially things that have sentimental or personal value. After all, in this store, personal is paramount.

FALL 2018 405 HOME 29

makers in the kitchen

AN UNCOMMON KITCHEN Why Commonplace feels like home

BY GREG HORTON | PHOTOS BY SHANNON CORNMAN

WALK INTO THE KITCHEN AT COMMONPLACE and ask an employee what her primary task is, and you’ll get the same answer you would next door at Commonplace Books: “I take care of people.” Ben Nockels and his team started the bookstore in 2017 with the idea that they would re-imagine a bookstore not just as a business venture, but as an extension of a family living room.

“We asked questions with the goal of re-imagining a customer experience in our store,” Nockels says, “and our lack of experience actually helped us do that, because we weren’t trapped in an idea of what a bookstore had to be. Our outsider status was our greatest strength.”

Operating the store like a living room helped the team avoid the transactional vibe that infects most retail establishments. The presence of shop dog Boz, usually napping on an area rug near comfortable furniture — but never on the furniture (he weighs 140 pounds) — contributes to the overall feel and function of a living room.

30 405 HOME FALL 2018

“When we talked about rounding out our experiences with people with hospitality at the center, food and beer were natural extensions of hospitality,” Nockels says. “Families spend time in a living room, but they also share meals around a table.”

The Kitchen at Commonplace emerged from this discussion of “What’s next?”

— and like the bookstore, the restaurant is shaped by outsiders’ perspectives. For his part, Nockels is approaching this endeavor with a healthy balance of confidence and caution, deeply aware that being an outsider is fraught with obstacles unknown to the first-time restaurateur.

Chef Chris Castro

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makers in the kitchen

“We’re approaching this with a posture of humility,” he says. “We’d rather be humble and end up being underestimated than the alternative that comes from being too cocky.”

Chef Chris Castro is new to a professional kitchen, but an ideal choice for Commonplace’s ideals of care of people, hospitality and home-based ambience. Born in California to parents from Michoacan and Sinoloa, Mexico, Castro grew up with Mexican cuisine as the backdrop to his early years.

Both parents cooked, and money was usually tight, but both loved hospitality.

“We didn’t have much to give other people,” Castro says, “but we had food, and my parents loved to have guests.”

That hospitable ethos still animates Castro’s food and cooking. When you are cooking for people, you are sharing life, love and family; you’re sharing yourself and your life in a tangible way, a means of bringing people together around a table.

The Kitchen at Commonplace is an open concept, and for guests at the bar, food preparation will be an arm’s length away, which means Castro is focused on staffing the restaurant with people who are comfortable with hospitality. They are not there just to fix and serve food; they are there “to take care of people,” just as they are next door.

The basic design themes of the bookstore — sea foam, Kilim rugs, light woods and minimalist milling — all have 32 405 HOME FALL 2018

been extended into the kitchen, but with the help of beautiful dishes from Craig Proper on the south wall, and Impressionistic art from the 1930s to the 1980s on the north wall, the space has its own identity … a family resemblance to the bookstore, not a facsimile.

Central to the ethos of the restaurant, if not exactly geographically centered, is the massive quartz and granite common table. The stunning, 2,100-pound piece of furniture is what designer Sara Kate Little calls “the big splurge” for the space. Little selected the stone in Dallas after designing a table that embodied the ideal of a common meal.

“The table represents a melding together of different parts and types,” she says. “The quartz top and granite legs and support beam don’t look as if they go together, but they work together beautifully.”

That, essentially, has been Nockels’ telos from the very beginning: to create spaces in Midtown that bring a diverse community together over their love of the shared staples of books, ideas, wine, food and conversation. The goal, of course, is to create a shared space where ideas and people can be transformed by the interaction of disparate pieces.

The meal metaphor blends seamlessly into this approach – because what is a meal, after all, but diverse ingredients blended to create a delicious whole?

ARTFUL FLIGHTS OF FANCY AT HOME WITH THE JANSENS

BY JILL FARR | PHOTOS BY DON RISI

There’s an adage (taken from a quote attributed to William Morris) that exhorts those decorating their homes to forgo anything that is not useful or beautiful.

Houses designed to promote maximum efficiency in the business of everyday life certainly gain points for practicality; ease of use in your living space can help make your home the respite it should be. Additionally, beautiful decor can provide comfort by enhancing living space and reminding us that aesthetic enjoyment is a quality of life issue, and shouldn’t be relegated to an afterthought.

34 405 HOME FALL 2018

The nook under the stairs is a tribute of sorts to Beth’s grandmother (pictured in the green frame); “She was always dragging us to thrift stores,” Beth says. “And since then, I’ve always had a thing for vintage stuff.” From the Frida Kahlo Barbie to the pink lady glasses to the 8-track player with the Johnny Mathis tape, the tiny shrine’s contents are all vintage.

FALL 2018 405 HOME 35

A pantry bar is a common component of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;70s era Quail Creek homes; the Jansens simply added paint to theirs, along with some vintage glassware and artwork, for a cheery update.

36 405 HOME FALL 2018

W

hen a home is an exquisite example of success in each of these areas, as well as a superlative illustration of how to blend those goals into a harmonious blend of utility and style, the designer has certainly done something amazing.

Especially when the designer isn’t a designer at all.

“I’m not formally trained in design,” homeowner Beth Jansen says, “but I did all the decorating myself.”

Jansen, a photographer, didn’t train formally in photography either — but admits that she has an innate artistic vision that has informed her professional work and the styling of the home she shares with husband Jeremiah, and sons Wesley and Ewan.

“I’ve just always had a knack for color and composition,” Jansen says. “And I’ve photographed a lot of homes. I think I just internalized some elements of design.”

Her love of art has probably also guided her inspiration for the eye-arresting decor throughout the family’s home; from a magnificent mural that dominates the formal dining room to the diminutive origami cranes delicately suspended above one of the fireplaces, the drama and detail of what you see from the minute you walk through the imposing, medieval-looking front door is truly unique and beautiful. Those unique and beautiful minutes don’t stop after you cross the threshold, either — around every corner there’s a singular wallpaper choice, a bold accessory or an off-the-wall-butgorgeous tchotchke with an amazing story behind it.

(From top) Multiple seating areas make a large living space into a series of cozy islands, perfect for tucking in with a book or enjoying a great conversation.

Throughout the home, Beth has created quirky vignettes, like this clever storage piece topped with whimsical items and art.

FALL 2018 405 HOME 37

38 405 HOME FALL 2018

(Above) A climate-controlled wine storage room is no less artfully imagined than the rest of the Jansens’ home.

(Left) The kitchen’s openness is grounded by the stateliness of the quartz bar and flagstone floors.

The cabinets and refrigerator, by Home Design, echo the industrial modernity of the Dakor stainless oven and stove, but a custom gold range hood and fanciful lighting provide pops of color.

The first thing you see when you enter the Jansens’ home is, well, almost everything. Much of the ground level is visible mere steps from the front door; the removal of a wall separating additional living space at the rear of the house from the kitchen area was part of a renovation that included adding a bathroom to the upstairs, but changed little else, structurally.

This serves to accomplish another best-of-both-worlds feat: harnessing the fluidity and functionality of an open floor plan while still retaining the intimacy of room “arrangements” in the home. With a divided living area directly adjacent to the entryway, a breakfast nook off the kitchen and formal dining area and another living area separated into what amounts to three distinct arrangements beyond that, there’s no shortage of space for family members or guests to find a little coziness, while still being open to connection.

“We do a ton of entertaining,” Jansen explains. “I run a nonprofit, so there’s socializing involved with that, and my parents were the kind of people that always had guests on the weekends. We’re not from Oklahoma, so we have a lot of people visiting, as well.”

Conversation pieces abound in the Jansen home. Whether it’s the photographs taken by Beth on her travels with her nonprofit Mother Huggers (motherhuggers.us), or the lady mannequin lamp purchased on a trip to Guatemala (the family took it just weeks after their home burned, but as Jansen says, “We already had it planned. Why wouldn’t we still go?”), almost every piece has meaning.

FALL 2018 405 HOME 39

40 405 HOME FALL 2018

“It may not be everyone’s taste, but it works for us.”

BETH JA NSEN

(Clockwise from left) Beth hired muralist Julie Robertson (@juuriart83) to give depth to the immense walls in the formal dining room; one of several examples of the home’s creative use of both space and statement art.

Beth’s eye for color and shape has been honed by her years spent as a photographer. Her wide-open living space is a magical blend of form and function, with beautiful objects as far as the eye can see.

Vintage curtains in the master bedroom harmonize with a bed that looks as if it’s made of a confection. Symmetrical windows give the space a sense of gravitas, while huge florals on the wall add drama.

The outdoor area surrounding the pool may be the biggest example of the home’s functionality: Artificial turf, not grass, surrounds the large pool, saving swimmers from enduring grassy feet and protecting floors from red Oklahoma mud.

Elevated decking connects the steps from two back doors, and serves as extra seating for outdoor gatherings.

“We’ve put pillows up here during parties so that guests can sit back and relax,” Jansen says. “A comfortable outdoor space was important, as was ease of use and lowering the mess that would come from having our three dogs going in and out a lot.”

Abundant light is the other co-star in the home — the original double-pane windows were changed to singles, allowing unfettered light to fill the space created by high ceilings and the semi-open floor plan.

When addressing the blend of form and function in the home’s design, and the process of fitting a decorative piece into an existing room or letting a space evolve around a treasured find, Beth compared her method with that of her photography.

“It can happen very fast,” she says. “With photography, I’ve always been able to compose quickly and make it look pretty in the end. I think I do the same with houses: I can ping off something, and build on it, and somehow just know that things will work together. It may not be everyone’s taste, but it works for us.”

FALL 2018 405 HOME 41

THROUGH THE

KEYHOLE THE MCCOYSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; MAJESTIC MANSE

BY LILLIE-BETH BRINKMAN PHOTOS BY DON RISI

42 405 HOME FALL 2018

When you get near Susan and Ralph McCoy’s elegant and historic home in Heritage Hills with its unique rounded keyhole entry, there’s a good chance you’ll spot them outside talking to passing neighbors. On occasion, you can catch them for a front-yard croquet match or enjoy a relaxing evening on their porch.

Guests can easily gather in this spacious living room off the home’s main entryway. Of note are the piano, which is not original to the home but was built the same year, the colorful, contemporary painting by Oklahoma City artist Suzanne Mears on the right, the original plaster hearth around the fireplace and the original plaster molding from 1920s that trims the ceiling.

FALL 2018 405 HOME 43

The antique Persian rug in this area off the spacious living room is one of nine sprinkled throughout the house and is one of Susan’s favorites, called “The Hunter.” The room also includes a set of train bookends that were in her parents’ home, vintage fabric pillows on the settee and contemporary sculpture. Such a mix of vintage and contemporary pieces, many imbued with personal meaning, reflect the care that the McCoys put into each nook of their nearly 100-year-old home.

44 405 HOME FALL 2018

The home’s kitchen, remodeled in the 1970s, features blue and white Delft tile and a grand window that looks out into the lovely neighborhood. A pantry off to the side was added in the 1930s and shows how solidly the house was built — it exposed walls that were built 18 inches thick throughout the house. After she moved in, Susan repainted all the grout to give it a fresh look and added some of the hardware.

T

he neighborhood is just one of the things that the McCoys have loved about their home since they moved into it two years ago. They walk to nearby restaurants such as Stella Modern Italian Cuisine, Barrios Fine Mexican Dishes, Hank’s Coffee Shop and 1492 New World Latin Cuisine. They love the sidewalks and the front porches that get neighbors outside and talking to each other.

“The sidewalks are so incredible because it just reminds me of the past. It’s like a wonderful expression of going back to the simple,” Susan says, and added that she loves the community feel.

But just as welcoming as the neighborhood is the historic home they inhabit, with the decorative touches that they have given it. Officially, the home was built in 1923, although the project spanned several years during that time frame.

Its first owner was Ben Barnes, a local entrepreneur, whose vision included the arches, decorative balconies and the keyhole entry ringed with wrought iron that still are part of the front porch today. The architecture, including those features, is considered “Mediterranean with Moorish influences,” according to Heritage Hills history.

Through the years, the home has been a regular stop on the Heritage Hills Historic Homes Tour (October 13-14, 2018); even though the McCoys have only lived in the house the last

two years, they already have welcomed people as an official home tour stop.

“When you’re in these houses – I really feel like we are caretakers of it and we get to live here,” Susan says. “It’s not my house. It has to be everybody’s house.”

Ralph said initially he and his wife were drawn to the iconic architecture of the house from the outside. But once

Ralph and Susan McCoy, holding their Yorkie dogs Bella and Penelope, pose in front of their historic Mediterranean home’s unique keyhole entrance, ringed in wrought iron original to the 1923 home. The arched plaster decorative feature above the doorway is one of many decorative plaster touches throughout the house, and is also original, along with the wrought iron that makes up the front door.

FALL 2018 405 HOME 45

“The house has such a very welcoming, yet a really peaceful, spirit.”

SUSA N McCOY

inside, they also were attracted by the “amazing entry” that is “beautifully featured” in the home’s design.

They both the love the large rooms and the intimate spaces for gathering, and have entertained frequently. Out back, their charming carriage house over the garage, complete with its own kitchen, regularly hosts out-of-town guests of the Oklahoma City Ballet, an organization they support.

46 405 HOME FALL 2018

“The house has such a very welcoming, yet a really peaceful, spirit,” Susan says. “I can’t even explain it.”

During a tour of the home, Susan talks lovingly of its permanent details and the careful thought they gave in decorating it. Their decor and furniture feature a mix of antiques and contemporary pieces, and include lots of color. Many of the house’s original features – including the wrought-iron

(Clockwise from left) A landing at the top of the grand staircase from the front entryway features one of the McCoys’ antique Persian rugs.

front door, the floors, the ornate plaster details on ceilings and fireplace and more — have been preserved.

During Prohibition, the basement was used to hide Scotch sneaked in on a train from Chicago. There’s still a bar down there after the ’90s remodel that gave the space its dark mahogany shelves, though the gold color that originally adorned the ceiling has been relocated to a guest bathroom.

The Heritage Hills home is considered a Mediterranean style with Moorish influences that feature a liberal use of arches. In the formal dining room is another of the McCoys’ many Persian rugs – a hand-knotted Persian Shiraz from the 1930s – and one of the home’s original chandeliers. The sideboard and the small tray table are from the 1800s. Also, note the intricacies of the ornate bas-relief “wedding cake” ceiling, as some historical accounts refer to it, and the contrasts between the different types of marble on the floor in the dining room. Both elements are original to the home.

The Persian rug on the stair landing is a vintage hand-knotted Persian Sarouk from 1910; 19th-century Renaissance-style chair nearby is from the Nichols Hills estate of early OKC philanthropists Frank and Merle Buttram.

FALL 2018 405 HOME 47

The ceiling’s stalactites were removed, too … after a guest hit his head. In a personal update, the basement is now home to a painting of Susan’s family homestead in Noble County, Oklahoma, where her family members were wheat farmers. Her dad’s cousin, Faith Hinkle, was the artist.

Everywhere you look, you see objects that mean something to the McCoys, reflect the home’s nearly 100-year-old heritage or add a splash of contemporary color that draws the eye. The back stairs are striped like a rainbow; the men’s bathroom still has its original marble. The guest bedroom’s wood trim is the same light brown as the home’s original wood, though the wood colors elsewhere have been updated. Throughout the home, Susan has used vintage Persian rugs to add splashes of color, and her garden, featuring flowers, old trees and vegetables, is as colorful and warm as the interior.

In the McCoys’ kitchen, covered in blue and white Delft from a 1980s remodel, Susan shows where a pantry was added to the outside of the home’s footprint in the 1930s. She points out the wall leading to it, once external, and notes that the walls of the entire structure are similarly 18 inches thick. She also enjoys that the tiny hallway is slightly crooked, reflecting the craftsmanship of the hands who did that work so long ago.

Susan said she and Ralph hadn’t planned on moving to Heritage Hills until their daughters, Morgan Murray and Madison Rosser, moved to the area with their husbands. But 48 405 HOME FALL 2018

(From top) The guest bedroom upstairs retains the color of the original wood stain that once decorated the entire house. The blue-and-white wallpaper was added in the 1980s.

While not an antique, the freestanding soaker tub in the woman’s bathroom evokes a vintage feel that matches the home. It sits underneath arched windows indicative of the Mediterranean architecture with Moorish influence.

now they have fully embraced the neighborhood — and the people in it.

“We found that the people in the neighborhood cherish the homes and lifestyle we now enjoy,” Ralph says, “as well as the forethought and amazing skill and detail the craftsmen at the time put into these amazing homes.”

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When it comes to wallpaper, the concept is the same as ever, but modern execution has given homeowners the gift of entire new worlds of visual splendor to explore. Vivid colors, intricate patterns, even hand-drawn artists’ originals — it’s a constantly evolving way for homes to wear creativity. See page 52.

FALL 2018 405 HOME 51

living wall art

WALLPAPER POWER The return of a decorative classic

BY MATT PAYNE | PHOTOS BY SHANNON CORNMAN 52 405 HOME FALL 2018

WALLPAPER IS A COMMITMENT. And largely due to the aggressive floral and paisley patterns of the neurotic ’80s, combined with reminiscences of the musty smell of grandma’s house, wallpaper has been a commitment that most folks, in the last decade or three, have chosen to avoid.

“Wallpaper was so popular in the late ’80s to mid-’90s that it became a discounted commodity,” says Ronnie Ketch, owner of Ketch Design Centre. In 1961, Ketch’s father Ron began a paint and paper store in south Oklahoma City, and it has been the family business ever since. “By 2000, wallpaper sales declined. Faux painting became popular. Designers were decorating houses to look like medieval castles.

Wallpaper was still being sold to more affluent, high-design consumers, but not anything like it had been.”

Now, though, the wallpaper trend has been resurrected like beards on hipsters, and is spreading across the walls of some of the city’s most beautiful homes and offices. Not, however, in the eye-straining way of the ’80s. “Today, contemporary looks and vivid color are what is desired. Whimsical prints and geographic patterns have led the way,” Ketch says. “Social media, bloggers and interior design sites have shown a new generation how wallpapers can drastically create a feel or a mood for a room.”

An application of wallpaper offers homeowners a chance to dramatically change the interior of their home with one decision.

“I have always thought of wallpaper to be the easiest way to pull

Ronnie and Kathleen Ketch, owners of Ketch Design Centre, 4416 N Western

colors and design ideas together in a house,” he says. “A good example would be having a homeowner wanting to change a traditional home into a more contemporary home.”

Ryan Johnson and Cindy Curley are co-owners of Norwalk Furniture and Design, which has been in business in the metro for 20 years, and also passionate wallpaper enthusiasts. “One of my favorite trends is to use a larger scale pattern in a small space, such as a powder bath,” Ryan says. “It gives a lot of impact to the space, and really eliminates the need for many other design elements. The wallpaper packs all the punch. We are seeing a lot of brighter colors: emerald, magenta, navy, orange, turquoise and lime, usually in a combination. There are a lot of popular Ryan Johnson and Cindy Curley, co-owners of Norwalk Furniture in the Shoppes at Northpark, and his French Bulldog Beauregard

FALL 2018 405 HOME 53

living wall art options — and we have options to fit any design theme, from traditional to modern and everything in between.”

Kristen Bohanon and Sarah Geiger, owners of KASA Wallpaper Studio on North Western, always believed that wallpaper would make a comeback. Bohanon, who had been in the interior design business for years, joined up with longtime friend Geiger to open their shop in 2011, and they’ve quickly become part of the wallpaper explosion across the metro. “Wallpaper trends vary because it is such an individual creative choice,” Bohanon says. “Even the oldest types of wallcoverings, such as grasscloths, toiles and damasks, continue to be reinvented with fresh new colors, patterns and scale to create a current look.”

“I think wallpaper is here to stay mainly because of all the new options out there.”

K R ISTEN BOH A NON

“When a client questions the use of wallpaper over paint,” she says, “we like to quote one of our favorite original boutique lines, Flat Vernacular, which says, ‘Paint is boring. Pattern is best!’”

KASA carries many smaller, boutique lines from the east and west coasts, whose designs are truly created by the hands of the artists. They also provide the industry giants. “The more tried-and-true companies, such as Schumacher, Osborne and Little and Pierre Frey, never cease to amaze us with their unique and beautiful wallpapers,” Bohanon says.

And while wallpaper is understandably hot right now, given its slide from the spotlight in the eighties to mothball scented infamy, one can’t help wondering whether the trend may once again fall by the wayside. “I think wallpaper is here to stay mainly because of all the new options out there,” Bohanon says. “So many new techniques with funky textures and textiles.

Wallpaper got a bad rap when it became old and stale, but I don’t see it ever going out of style again. As long as designers keep coming up with fabulous designs, people will keep coming back for more.”

54 405 HOME FALL 2018

Sarah Geiger and Kristen Bohanon, owners of KASA Wallpaper Studio at 6432 N Western

living fika

Owners Mauro Gomez (left) and Kurt Orth linger over coffee and conversation at The Red Cup.

FINDING FIKA Oklahomans adopt Swedish social ritual

BY LILLIE-BETH BRINKMAN | PHOTOS BY SHANNON CORNMAN

TAKE A BREAK TO SLOW DOWN and savor a coffee and pastry, by yourself or with friends. When you do, you’re taking part in a Swedish social ritual known as “fika,” a practice so popular that Swedes spend 227 hours — 9.5 days — a year doing it.

The idea of fika, which is both a noun literally meaning coffee break and a related verb, has caught on beyond Sweden, and goes much deeper than grabbing a cup of java on the run to jump-start your day like many of us do in the United States. Fika is taking the time to enjoy the moment, to connect with others and to think about what’s important.

We know that Swedes spend 9.5 days a year on fika breaks because the 165-year-old Swedish coffee company Gevalia commissioned Cint/Fast Response to conduct an independent study on the practice in 2013. The study looked deeply into who was fika-ing, when they were having fika, how long the breaks were, what people drank and how they felt about them.

Despite the coffee company’s promotion of fika with fun and silly advertising videos and this study, Gevalia doesn’t 56 405 HOME FALL 2018

own the concept. It’s easy to find examples of this Swedish tradition, even in Oklahoma City.

“You can do it alone, you can do it with friends. You can do it at home, in a park or at work. But the essential thing is that you do it, that you make time to take a break: That’s what fika is all about,” wrote author Anna Brones in a blog post at thekitchn.com, quoting the book she co-authored with Johanna Kindvall, Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break.

BREAK WITH BEER

Employees at the OKC-based oil and gas data company Oseberg take their fika break weekly with beer. It’s an important ritual that allows everyone to be mindful and take stock of what’s important to the company, said co-founder and CEO Evan Anderson.

Oseberg founders infused the entire company with meaning that points to their values and their Norwegian ancestry.

The company itself is named after a Viking longship discovered in 1903 in Slagen, Norway, on the Lille Oseberg farm.

They borrowed the tradition of fika from their fellow Scandinavians, the Swedes, when they started the company.

“Fika is a place where, philosophically, the concept is just a coffee break, where people sit around and talk,” Anderson says. “That’s what fika is all about: just taking a break, slowing down.”

During Oseberg’s version of fika, an employee will give a brief presentation on one of the company’s values and how it played out at the company that week. The Oseberg employees enjoy regular fika breaks. group also will field questions, from the silly to the serious, and demonstrate how people are contributing to the company’s mission. cups, the regular customers, the vegan menu and a neighbor“Bringing out the best in others is how we find the best in hood rooster named Coco who hangs out on the front porch. ourselves, and this will be the forum where we will do our most “This place really is the center of my social life,” says courageous thinking together,” Anderson says. regular customer Tony Owens, a Spanish teacher at Belle Isle Enterprise Middle School, while having breakfast and drinking coffee at the restaurant’s red counter, visiting with COMMUNITY BREAKS people he knows. “It’s really hard to put your finger on it.

At The Red Cup, a coffee shop and restaurant at 3122 NW People just naturally start talking and making friends.”

Classen in OKC, the concept of fika is apparent if not named.

In a word, fika. The relationships are apparent throughEverything about the 23-year-old restaurant fosters a sense out the crowded restaurant, even out front, where a group of community and the idea of taking a break from the outside of men — including Gary Barton, J.W. Jones and Dan Lay, world — including the quirky local art often featuring red a stained glass artist who created a Red Cup-inspired self-portrait hanging in one of the coffee shop’s windows — gather regularly to discuss politics, drink coffee and solve the world’s problems.

They all noted The Red Cup’s welcoming atmosphere and connectedness among patrons, no matter what your political views are.

When someone asked owner Kurt Orth years ago what he was really selling beyond the coffee and the food, he didn’t even have to think about it.

“It’s community,” he said. “The Red Cup has its own personality.”

A DIFFERENT KIND OF BREAK

Coffee and Coco: Customers chill on The Red Cup patio.

Other metro coffee shops have their personalities and their own ways of encouraging their guests to slow down and savor the moment. Step into the modern-looking Elemental Coffee, 815 N Hudson, to pair your coffee with an elegant avocado toast garnished with radishes, cilantro, sesame seeds and lemon zest, or one of the restaurant’s pastries or quiches. You can sit at one of the bench tables or the wooden bar and enjoy a view of crepe myrtles out front, or take your coffee break on the shop’s front porch.

Elemental easily accommodates pairs or small groups, but many go alone, sometimes to work, taking a brief interlude for coffee.

When choosing whether to grab your coffee to go in a hurry or to fika, choose fika. Slow down. Savor it. Spend time with your loved ones, or use your alone time with coffee to reflect. And the next time you go for coffee, be mindful. You’ll be enjoying a little bit of Sweden in Oklahoma City.

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living mantles

THE CROWNING TOUCH At the heart of holiday decor

BY STEVE GILL | PHOTO BY DON RISI

THE MANTEL is a prime decorating spot all year long — it’s a sturdy horizontal surface at just about eye level above the natural focal point of the fireplace — but especially as Christmas approaches, when it cries out to be festooned with lights and tinsel and garlands of greenery, with stockings dangling below. And if that’s true for your house, why shouldn’t it apply to the people’s house, as well?

Though fall is just beginning, J. Mark Taylor, a registered interior designer with Traditions Fine Furniture and Design in Edmond, is already preparing to bring the Christmas spirit to the Oklahoma Governor’s Mansion for the ninth year. Before they finish, the team of 10 designers, decorators and assistants will unpack, organize, set up and fully deck between nine and 12 large Christmas trees, 30 wreaths on the exterior gates, 10 accent areas, the railing of the immense circular staircase (all three floors of it) … and six mantels throughout the mansion. The labor takes a surprisingly short five days, but the results impress throughout the holidays.

“The inspiration for all we do in the mansion is the history evident throughout each room, and its furnishings and decor,” says Taylor. For example, he mentioned that in the Oklahoma Room, which is centered around the state seal woven into its wool rug, they draw color inspiration from the state flag via blue poinsettias, gold berries and yellow and white ribbon.

“We incorporate those same elements into the mantel décor — created by hand each year with an ever-changing flow of materials,” he continues. “This mantel is completed by 58 405 HOME FALL 2018

the three one-of-a-kind embroidered stockings: One features the state seal; another features the state bird, the Scissortail Flycatcher; and the third features a sprig of mistletoe, the state’s official floral emblem.”

When their work is done, it’s time to show off the results; visitors are welcome during an open house hosted during the first week of December arranged by the Friends of the Mansion, a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation and improvement of the residence and its grounds. Weekly tours will follow, with reservations strongly recommended — for more information, call 405.528.2020 or visit fomok.org/tours, and add some visual sparkle to your Christmas season.

living remodeled

60 405 HOME FALL 2018

A LAIR EXTRAORDINAIRE The Elliotts’ intentional retreat

BY CHRISTINE EDDINGTON | PHOTOS BY SCOTT MCDONALD, GRAY CITY STUDIOS

IT’S IRONIC that Jeannette and Rand Elliott, two of Oklahoma’s most prolific and recognizable creative geniuses, spend much of their time literally on the down low — in their basement, which they have turned into a subterranean lair extraordinaire.

They moved into Heritage Hills in 1988. Their home was built in 1920 by Robert Bell, and its style is a mixture of Italian Villa and Italianate architecture, with graceful archways, wide eaves and a stucco exterior, which was painted baby blue at the time. Now a calmer shade of ivory, the home is adorned with plaster angel ornaments, a wedding-cake ceiling in the dining room and delicate bells carved into the fronts and backs of every door. The Elliotts’ minimal aesthetic allows the home’s beauty, and its charming detail, to speak for itself.

“Three years ago, the basement flooded,” says Jeannette.

She holds the post of executive vice president and creative director for Oklahoma City-based Ackerman McQueen, a venerable firm known for its creative advertising work.

Rand, whose architecture firm Elliott+Associates is responsible for some of the most beautiful and useful structures in Oklahoma, unsurprisingly saw the demise of FALL 2018 405 HOME 61

living remodeled

their excellent wine cellar as a chance to create something more thoughtful. “We saw an opportunity to house our book collection in one place, different from the rest of the house.

Our books were all over the house,” he says.

The couple’s collection ranges from architecture — obviously — to philosophy, fashion, Native American studies, art and more. But before the vast collection could be consolidated, to paraphrase Carole King, the earth had to move.

“We lowered the floor of the basement by eight inches,” Rand says. “It was removed by hand, thousands of five-gallon bucket loads were carried out.” The space was also thoroughly waterproofed, and a Plexiglas panel was installed in the basement ceiling, which is also the first floor’s floor. This allows a little light to pass between the two, and makes the basement space into a fun art installation when viewed from above, like a giant diorama.

The couple knew that they wanted their basement to serve multiple purposes: library, storm shelter, cozy nap spot, entertaining space, creativity incubator and music room. “We wanted to accommodate all of that and do it with personality and surprise,” Rand says. “We created a system of frosted slat blinds, which enable you to hide the books, see some of them, or raise the blinds and peruse all of them.”

There is a piano, which was brought down in pieces, and a great big couch. These are both nods to the past. Jeannette grew up in a home with a piano, and when the couple was first married and living on NW 42nd, they had a gigantic, but

terribly ugly, couch. “We could each sit at one end and read, and our feet could touch in the middle,” Jeannette says. The new couch is simple, stylish and cozy, and Jeannette loves to spend time reading, napping and riding out Oklahoma storms there.

The space is a collaborative effort between the two.

Rand, the architect, designed the basement … and then 62 405 HOME FALL 2018

came Jeannette’s part. She organized the library. “I was highly motivated,” she says. “We had so many books stacked in an upstairs room they almost obscured the windows. I sorted them into bins, and now they are alphabetized by subject. I learned a lot about Rand during the process: He uses his books well, highlighting passages he likes or that speak to him.”

Rand enjoys the idea of spending time surrounded by words and ideas, sort of marinating in the thoughts and ideas of the authors and their subjects. “It is a place of respite. I can commune with the books, and maybe they are off-gassing creativity,” he says.

While the space is very clean and elegant, Rand was careful to retain interesting bits of the home’s past lives.

In particular, a giant old boiler, circa 1920, peers playfully from behind one section of the blinds. Its doors and chutes are arranged in a way that makes it look like a face, a friendly character waiting to say hello. The couple has dubbed the boiler a ‘he,’ and enjoy introducing guests to its cast-iron visage.

The basement has become an important space in the Elliott home. “I believe that the spaces we inhabit are very important, and that each space should have a purpose,” Rand says. “One should shift within a residence in an intentional way.”

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64 405 HOME FALL 2018

ALFRESCO

ENHANCING YOUR CORNER OF THE GREAT OUTDOORS

LET THERE BE LIFE

CARLI ECONOMY

Even once the days begin growing shorter and the temperature dips a bit, the great outdoors can still be a great setting for a party. With a little planning, the right supplies and the expert advice on page 66, fall might well be the perfect time to take your event outside.

FALL 2018 405 HOME 65

alfresco events

The sky’s the limit, as far as what you can do outdoors …

K INDT STE V EN M Y ERS

66 405 HOME FALL 2018

GET OUT. SERIOUSLY. Making the most of the outdoors all year

IN OKLAHOMA, the arrival of cooler weather is sometimes enough of an event on its own to warrant celebration after a long, hot summer.

However, the advent of fall and first chill of winter also make great times to celebrate other events, and holiday parties both small and large can often benefit from an alfresco venue.

Whether it’s an open house, cocktail hour, dinner party or family gathering, taking it outside can be a logistical practicality if indoor space is an issue, but it can also offer a crispness to the atmosphere — figuratively and literally.

September temperatures in Oklahoma can still easily be as high as 85 degrees during the hottest part of the day, and drop to the low 60s at night, or on especially cool days. You can expect about a 10-degree drop in both high and low points in each successive month, until December. Depending on your guest list and their comfort levels, fall and even early winter can be fantastic months for outdoor entertaining.

As the president and creative director for Kindt Events, Kindt Steven Myers has organized a variety of events through the seasons, and he insists that cooler weather does not have to mean keeping your revelry indoors.

“The sky’s the limit, as far as what you can do outdoors, with the right budget,” he says. “You can climate control, you can tent — we just take into consideration the type of event; a strolling cocktail party is different and has different needs than a formal, sit-down dinner.”

Some things to consider, when entertaining in the open air, and some Oklahoma-specific advice, to boot: THE WEATHER. Always have a Plan B in case of acts of God, and in Oklahoma, always remember the wind. (As if you could forget it.) Try to organize your get-together in a spot with windbreaks; in the autumn months, the wind in Oklahoma typically comes from the south or southeast, changing to alternate north and south winds in winter. If you can’t creatively anchor tablecloths, go without. It can be tempting to go disposable when entertaining outdoors, but the weight of actual tableware can be helpful in keeping things where they belong. It also adds gravitas to your setting which, when paired with a natural environment, makes for a unique and luxurious ambience.

THE GUESTS. The number one priority of a host is the guests.

Plan on your company having a range of comfort levels with varying temperatures, and try to provide areas with differing amounts of exposure, if possible. An area with a fire pit, if you have access, would be good for those who tend to be chilled

easily, and seating in more open air could be a boon to those who don’t mind, or even enjoy, a breeze. Depending on how far into the cool season your party is, you may want citronella candles as part of your lighting scheme. Nothing ruins a party like mosquitos. A common drawback for outdoor entertaining can be losing that casual ease that homes provide for extended interaction; taking some of your cushier seating out with you, or renting from an event coordinator, can provide living area-comfort for conversation.

“We like to utilize mixed-use seating,” Myers says. “We bring in couch lounges and soft seating, along with more standard chairs.”

THE FOOD. If you opt for having your event catered, there’s really nothing that can’t be served outside just as well as inside.

Match your meal or hors d’oeuvres to your setting, and go as casual or formal as you’d like. One outdoor caveat: You’re not in a climate-controlled space. Careful attention should be paid to the temperatures of both the food you serve and the outdoor air. Be sure everything that needs to be hot is kept hot, and that your situation for chilled food is kept, well … chill.

“An easy solution for managing refreshment is to have food inside and the bar outside,” Myers says. “It allows for easier food temperature maintenance and also keeps guests moving, which livens the party up.”

Moving a gathering outdoors takes advantage of the actual atmosphere to help create one. No matter how indoorsy someone is, if the mood, meal and assemblage are right, an outdoor party can be more than just a marking of your individual event, it can be a celebration of nature itself, and a reminder of how sweet the air outside can be.

BY JILL FARR | PHOTOS BY CARLI ECONOMY FALL 2018 405 HOME 67

alfresco greenery

LIVING YOUR BEST LEAF Pro tips for making your greenery tops

BY JILL FARR | PHOTOS BY CHARLIE NEUENSCHWANDER

PLANTS ARE TOO OFTEN an afterthought in a home’s interior, or a reflection of the homeowner’s personal affection for a particular look or species. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, there is something to be said for purposefully choosing plants so that they complement the space itself, as well as your other design choices.

Oklahoma City metro denizens can rely on Calvert’s Plant Interiors — a company that offers multiple services for a variety of indoor plant needs, both commercial and residential — for expert leadership when consideration for the plant element of design is taken to the next level.

A trip to the nursery or local plant place for the do-ityourselfer can be either confusing or fun, depending on your appetite for researching plants and deciding what will look good where. However, even if you’re knowledgeable about types and what you like, it can benefit your project to enlist the help of experts.

68 405 HOME FALL 2018

Calvert’s absolutely qualifies for that role. For more than 30 years, they’ve provided guidance on interior, and exterior, plant choice, installation and care … and they have over 10,000 square feet of showroom and greenhouse space. Lack of plant variety or volume are not issues their customers have to face.

If you’re thinking about the green side of your upcoming decor for new digs, adding to what you already have in place, or giving the interior of your home a total plant life makeover, here are a few principles that could guide your plan: Go Big. Trees are a dramatic addition to indoor spaces.

While they aren’t for everyone, if you have a recurring dream about a cute citrus tree by your living room window, or a dramatic cactus standing guard in the kitchen … you may want to take the plunge.

Calvert’s says: Take a good look at the space available to you. Trees – and hearty green plants that grow to the size of

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FALL 2018 405 HOME 69

alfresco greenery what we might call “trees” — need room. They also need light, and some species need it in abundance; if you have a great south-facing window, but live in an older neighborhood with lots of shade trees, your plants’ sun may be obscured. Making sure that trees can be moved is a good precaution for success.

If your only vision when you hear “indoor tree” is the scraggly ficus, famously fickle and frequently dropping leaves when stressed, have no fear; several varieties of ficus exist, as well as palms and cacti that can get immense. Calvert’s can offer container counseling — as well as the containers themselves – and even maintenance services, if you want someone to do all of the thinking and legwork for you.

Calvert’s suggests: varieties of Dracena; (top left) Ficus benjamina, Kentia palm.

Go Bold. You can make a serious statement with unusual plants — thinking outside the box can bring interest to your living decor and provide an additional artistic touch.

Calvert’s says: Succulents and cacti can add textural variety, and a number of plants can provide a splash of color, to either complement decor or act as a visual piece all their own.

Calvert’s suggests: Bromeliads, cacti — Euphorbia tirucalli or “Sticks on Fire (below left),” particularly — or for a more delicate exoticism, orchids.

Go Up. If your space is limited, you can still make waves with your plant decor, by taking it vertical.

Green walls are integrated plant housings that cover a wall, with the result being both a practical and aesthetic marvel; it brings a home or office design scheme to life in a way that traditional container-based greenery cannot, and can also provide some sound diffusion in certain cases. Small, street-adjacent domiciles that are Kentia palm almost perfect could get a little closer to paradise, with a vertical plant installation that can both beautify the surroundings … and muffle car noise.

Calvert’s says: For a high-level project such as a green wall, consult with an expert.

Calvert’s suggests: If paying for or managing routine maintenance for something such as a green wall seems like too much, but you love the idea, green walls can also be made from replica plants. (Yes, Calvert’s will advise you on artificial plant choices, as well.)

The options for the green side of your home’s decor may not be limitless, but the limits can certainly be challenged. If you’re trying to give your interior a little more life, some creative and professional direction can help your home’s plants serve their highest purpose.

70 405 HOME FALL 2018

Anytime. Anywhere.

Any day ...

Gary Baccus, Agent

16145 N. May Avenue Edmond, OK 73013 Bus: 405-844-6300 www.garybaccus.com

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Ask Gary Baccus Question: How can I lower the cost of my homeowners insurance?

Answer: The easiest thing to do is to get a comprehensive review of your policy with your local agent. Here are the top four things I would suggest to help lower the cost of your homeowners insurance: 1. You need to have your home and auto insurance with the same company.

2. Add a security system.

3. Increase your deductible.

4. If replacing your roof, consider getting a Class 4 wind and hail resistant shingle.

I know price is important, but more important is making sure your homeowners policy provides the coverage that you need. All homeowners policies are not the same. If you want the protection and peace of mind you deserve, give me a call today.

FALL 2018 405 HOME 71

looking ahead

APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS

BY CHRISTINE EDDINGTON | PHOTO BY CARLI ECONOMY

SPRING IN OKLAHOMA is a season of high contrast. On the one hand, Mother Nature spends her late afternoons conjuring weather so intense most of us either have our own basements or shelters, or know where the five closest ones are at all times.

On the other hand, spring brings blooms of every description. Sweet forsythia is among the first to arrive, followed in turn by daffodils and tulips, iris, dogwood and the brilliant summer stalwart, the one and only zinnia.

In our next issue, we will teach you how to shop your own garden for striking — and personal — arrangements for your home.

We’ll delight you with spring and summer dishes based on Oklahoma-grown products and we’ll tour a magnificent home or two!

Until then, friends, stay cozy.

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