LIFE IN NATIVE AMERICA

Celebration of SPRING

Kelly “Kritter” Deere of Bristow got a jump start on selling onions this season. He’s already had heavy demand from buyers of his $25 gallon bags.

MICHAEL NOBLE JR., TULSA WORLD MAGAZINE

Wild onions mark season’s arrival

Eric Bailey

Tulsa World Magazine M y only hope was my Facebook Messenger account wasn’t being monitored too closely by legal authorities.

Me: Is it cut? Is it clean? What size bag? I’ll be driving through that side of town and can pick it up. How much?

This wasn’t a script for a drug deal, I promise. It was a conversation with my friend about how to purchase wild onions, a Native American delicacy that bonds a culture each spring.

My friend Kendall Bread came through for me a few years ago with two gallon-sized bags of fresh, clean, cut wild onions. Each gallon was $20 and well worth the price.

When the grass greens up each spring, it is wild onion season. The harvest begins with the picking process, continues with cleaning, cutting and — my favorite part — eating. With a March 12 birthday, my mom always tried to have a wild onion meal ready for me.

It’s not only the family table that is bonded by wild onions. There are Native American churches across the state that offer Saturday dinners that are important fundraisers.

Kelly “Kritter” Deere of Bristow got a jump start on selling onions this season. He’s already had heavy demand from buyers of his $25 gallon bags. He’s already reserved 50 bundles at a discounted price to a local church’s sale.

Deere, a member of the Creek tribe, has eaten wild onions “as long as I can remember.” He has friends in the Eufaula area who pick and bag them. The group shares in the profit from sales.

“This is the first time that the onions came out early, and everyone is saying they taste better than (the spring onions),” Deere said.

Wild onions are part of the allium plant family. Their growth begins in early spring.

Picking onions isn’t easy work. The best place to harvest sometimes comes from the dampest, muddiest places. Onions can also be found alongside roads. When I was a little boy, I remember going to Mohawk Park and looking for them with family.

Like a good angler with the perfect fishing hole, some who annually harvest onions do not share their favorite spots.

Britteny Cuevas (Creek/Quapaw) of Muskogee began picking onions a few years ago after learning of a secret spot from her uncle William Briggs.

Cuevas said out of respect for the land that she picks, the owner is provided some of the onions that they harvest.

“The cleaning is dirty,” Cuevas said, laughing. “You have to mess with all the mud.”

Cuevas gives plenty of her onions away, she said, to “share what the Creator has given us.”

Her goal this spring is to have an “Indigenous diet,” which will include onions and fresh fish exclusively.

Wild onions are part of the native history, Cuevas said. “They followed us here, and they are a part of our spirit as our food and

Scrambled eggs with wild onions is the most popular way to serve the spring crop.

JOSEPH RUSHMORE, FOR TULSA WORLD MAGAZINE

medicine.”

The cleaning can be messy. There’s plenty of dirt to be scraped off the onions, but it must be done tenderly so as not to destroy the onions.

Sunrise Ross (Creek/OtoeMissouria) is the pastor of New Hope Indian United Methodist Church in Dewey. Her home church — Haikey Chapel United Methodist Church in south Tulsa — had numerous wild onion dinners in the past.

Ross said funds from dinners pay monthly bills, apportionments and necessary repairs to the churches.

“Unfortunately, the economics of our native churches just aren’t what some of the other churches are, so the wild onion dinners/Indian taco sales help greatly, plus, as you know, it helps to keep our family ties to the church as families go back to either help with the fundraiser or to support the fundraiser,” Ross said.

Peeling the dirt and grime off the raw wild onions can be time consuming. A few hours is usually designated for a few gallons. With a church fundraiser, it takes manpower and patience.

“It’s a lot of work, but, man, I sure enjoyed doing it and gathering up my family to come out and help (in hopes that they would keep that family connection to the church),” Ross said. “So much goes into getting these events off the ground, and it truly does take everyone pulling together to get that onion supplier lined up or getting church/family to go dig onions, plus who will go shopping for paper products, who will contact all the cooks to come out and then who are the servers?”

The recipes for cooking wild onions differ. A standard recipe includes cutting them into 1-inch pieces and boiling them until soft. Mix the onions with scrambled eggs and the feast is on.

Bread has eaten wild onions her entire life. She laughed when she said she dislikes all other onions. She doesn’t like them on any food. When growing up, she painstakingly took each onion out of the meals her mother would cook.

“To eat a raw onion, oh no. But wild onions, I love the flavor of them and I’ll eat those,” Bread said.

Like a steak needs a baked potato, there needs to be side dishes for wild onions. Bread suggests salt pork, beans and “fry bread, of course.”

Much like Thanksgiving dinner, this isn’t just an everyday meal. It’s a cultural celebration.

“You can’t just cook just a little bit (of wild onions),” she said. “I’m waiting for my family to get together.”

ABOVE: Wild onions resemble commercial green onions that are available for purchase in grocery stores, but they are smaller and have a slightly different taste.

TULSA WORLD FILE LEFT: Kelly “Kritter” Deere harvests and bags wild onions to sell.

MICHAEL NOBLE JR., TULSA WORLD MAGAZINE

retreats sweet

Home improvement peaks amid the pandemic, trends continue into 2021

Nicole Marshall Middleton Tulsa World Magazine

Home remodeling contractors and interior designers agree, 2020 was unlike any other year for their industry.

The world paused to absorb the realities of COVID-19 in March and then began to adapt. Calls from homeowners eager to remodel and renew rushed in like a tidal wave starting in April as we all began collectively nesting, local renovation experts said.

Outdoor spaces in particular got a lot of love last year as they became refuges for meeting with friends and family whom we hadn’t seen for months.

Spring is the prime renovation season; however, the increased demand for home redesigns and projects are expected to continue throughout 2021.

Tired of staring at the same color wall? Paint it. Ceiling feeling a little low and closed in? Raise it. Kitchen appliances can’t keep up with increased use? Replace them. Need a new work-from-home space? Design it.

Patios, pergolas, pools and putting greens ... those are just some of the outdoor projects homeowners are clamoring for as they continue to bring resort life home amid the pandemic.

Industry professionals talked with us about the spike in demand last year and shared trends and tips for homeowners, too. We’ve even got a great DIY project that will make a big statement in your home but is adaptable for all budgets.

Drive to redesign

Home is where the heart is. And in 2020, it’s pretty much where everything else was too. Work from home, eat at home, play at home, school at home. You know the drill. So it’s no surprise that so many decided to pull the trigger grew 22.8%, going from 3,080 in “I really think this is as busy as I on improvement 2019 to 3,783 in 2020, according to have seen it since the time I got in Wiggs projects that had Tulsa-based New Orders Weekly. this business in the ‘80s,” said Brian long been shuffled to That total is the highest since 4,303 Wiggs, owner of Brian D. Wiggs “some day” on to-do lists. starts were recorded in 2007. In Homes. Wiggs is a past president of

And it wasn’t just remodeling January, area home construction the Home Builders Association of projects. New home construction increased 37.4%, according to the Greater Tulsa, a top Tulsa builder spiked too. Home Builders Association of and remodeler.

Housing starts for the Tulsa area Greater Tulsa. The industry had to adapt quickly

COURTESY, BRIAN D. WIGGS HOMES A kitchen is seen before (above) and after (at top) an extensive remodel.

I think the entire marketplace is much more sophisticated, more educated today than ever before. They are more prepared to talk about remodeling. There may be some who are doing more themselves too, but they can’t do the big projects.”

- BRIAN D. WIGGS

TOM GILBERT, TULSA WORLD MAGAZINE Housing starts for the Tulsa area grew 22.8%, going from 3,080 in 2019 to 3,783 in 2020, according to Tulsa-based New Orders Weekly. That total is the highest since 4,303 starts were recorded in 2007.

to the consumer demands, said Dixie Moseley of Joie de Vie Interiors.

“Everything changed, none of us knew what to expect, it just came on so quickly. There was quarantine, then there was the question out there of what everything was going to look like moving forward. We had a sense that people are going to be spending more time at home and they are going to be looking around and taking stock. I have been blessed beyond hope as far as how our business has turned out in all of this,” she said.

The Home Builders Association hosts many events throughout the year that are helpful to homeowners who are looking for remodeling contractors. The pandemic shutdown happened right in the middle of the Greater Tulsa Home & Garden Show in March 2020 so the event closed early. But it was clear even then, Wiggs said, the people who arrived before it closed were there to do business, asking thoughtful questions and for quotes.

“I think the entire marketplace is much more sophisticated, more educated today than ever before. They are more prepared to talk about remodeling. There may be some who are doing more themselves too, but they can’t do the big projects,” Wiggs said.

Then in the fall, the HBA’s Home Remodeling Showcase was held and, again, attendees came focused, ready and raring to remodel. Virtual tours were also available for this event.

This year, the Greater Tulsa Home & Garden Show was back, running March 11-14, and there’s still the Home Remodeling Showcase to look forward to Sept. 25-26.

So what sort of projects were homeowners interested in?

“Maybe they were thinking about a new kitchen, maybe they were thinking about updating the master bathroom ... They had more time at home last year to watch those home remodeling programs and they were able to make more phone calls to remodelers,” Wiggs said.

Enhancing entertainment options at home became a high priority, too, he said.

“I think technology continues to drive how people operate their homes, large-screen TVs, full surround sound ... With people not going out as much, they are wanting enhanced viewing capacity and more people are putting in wireless, too,” Wiggs said.

Demand spiked last year for outdoor living projects, such as swimming pools, outdoor kitchen projects and pergolas, “things people can get to make their homes more resort like,” Wiggs said.

ABOVE: Several trends are making outdoor kitchens a part of daily life.

MATT BARNARD, TULSA WORLD MAGAZINE

LEFT: A outdoor living area in Broken Arrow done by Everything Outdoors of Tulsa.

TOM GILBERT, TULSA WORLD MAGAZINE

Living the club life

Want to make your staycation dreams come true? Pools and putting greens are popular projects that offer new entertainment options at home. Here’s some information from local experts.

POOLS

“Pools went from something that was already in high demand in our region, because how hot it can get here, to a whole other level,” said Luke Fiveash, designer and sales representative for Baker Pools, 1817 N. Elm St., Jenks.

The spike in new construction last year added more demand for pools too, he said.

“From April on, literally every month last year was a record month,” Fiveash said.

Don’t hesitate if you are considering a new pool for your backyard, experts cautioned. While builders and remodelers still have connections to contractors to get the pools built despite demand, individual homeowners will have a harder time getting on the ever-growing lists.

Now, Baker Pools is booking projects to start construction in the fall, but at the current pace, they will soon be booking projects for 2022 and beyond.

“We are a small local business, but we are a really big small business,” Fiveash said, with Baker Pools averaging about 120 pools a year.

Trends in pool construction mirror the rest of the industry, he said, with a continued demand for the “farmhouse style, with contemporary materials and flair.”

“We are doing a lot more geometric-style pools, such as rectangles, but using natural stone to tie them together,” Fiveash said.

At Baker Pools, customers can see what the pool and surrounding landscape will look like with 3-D technology that creates a video rendering of the space.

“We can literally walk around the landscape together. People have always told me, ‘I’m a visual person, if you don’t show me what you are talking about, I won’t get it.’ Now, I can literally show you,” he said.

ABOVE: Curvy pools with fun waterfalls have been a popular trend. This finished pool was designed using 3-D design technology seen in the photos to the left. LEFT: State-of-the-art 3-D design drawings and videos can help you visualize your new outdoor living space from all angles.

PHOTOS COURTESY, BAKER POOLS

Synthetic grass projects, such as putting greens and play areas, are increasing in popularity as people strive to bring resort life home.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY FOREVERLAWN TULSA, CREDIT NICK WHITAKER, D2 BRANDING.

CREATIVE USES FOR SYNTHETIC TURF IN YOUR YARD

• Landscaping in high traffic areas • Shaded areas where grass won’t grow • Creating pathways • Outdoor carpeting in carpeting • Recreational and play areas • Putting greens • Soft surface surrounding a pool • Bocce ball courts • Pet areas and runs - Covered seating - Creative wall covering - Sports fields

BACKYARD SPACES

New options for artificial turf lawn projects continue to expand, with putting greens, for example, popping up throughout residential areas. ForeverLawn Tulsa has been doing business here for more than six years and continues to grow every year, said Ross Spencer, CEO of ForeverLawn Tulsa.

“ForeverLawn Tulsa offers many different product lines to accommodate different residential and commercial spaces. Everything from their GolfGreens products for your very own putting green, their Landscape Grass for different backyard entertainment and pool-surround spaces, their PlaygroundGrass for children’s play spaces, their K9Grass for pet-heavy areas and many more,” Spencer said.

The artificial turf completely transforms spaces aesthetically and functionally, he said. And demand for these projects increased last year too.

“We definitely saw an increase in projects, both commercial and residential last year, and definitely had a lot more phone calls for things like putting greens, backyard spaces and pool areas,” Spencer said. “We heard from a lot of customers who always wanted a putting green and never had the time to think about it. This gave them the time to think about it and pull the trigger.

“It was the perfect time to go all out in the backyard. Make it an entertaining space,” he said.

BEFORE

Cy Murry’s 1970s ranch-style home needed an upgrade. She started out wanting to do the kitchen but decided to update the entire house.

COURTESY PHOTOS, JOIE DE VIE INTERIORS

AFTER

From refresh to fabulous

Cy Murray wanted to update her kitchen, but nine months later, she ended up with an entirely new home.

The ideas pitched by her interior design team, headed by Dixie Moseley of Joie de Vie Interiors, were just that good.

“I gave her carte blanche because she was pretty much on the top of her game,” Murray said. “When I heard her ideas, I told her to just knock everything out.”

The 1970s ranch-style home in the Holiday Hills subdivision near 61st Street and Harvard Avenue that Murray bought six years ago needed a refresh. It was fi lled with dark colors and woods and dated fl ooring, surfaces and spaces.

The good news: Murray wisely had a feeling the neighborhood was ripe for revival and she was primed to lead the way.

Murray moved out of her house at the end of 2019 to let Moseley “do her thing.” But the bulk of her renovations occurred during a unique time in the world — smack dab in the middle of a global pandemic.

Murray saw only positives from the timing, especially when her family settled into a freshly remodeled home in August 2020.

“It was actually perfect because I’m self-employed, so I generated my own little home o ce,” Murray said describing her WFM space in the house she bought a block away as an investment and to live in during the renovations.

“Then to return, it was like a safe haven and so beautiful and refreshing. There was not a better time. During the pandemic, there was not much to do anymore. I had plenty of time for meetings about the progress and to check on the house. Otherwise, I would not have had as much time to do it so easily. It gave us time to focus on the remodel, as well as come back after the remodel and enjoy the house,” Murray said.

Renovating the house all at once made sense to Murray, and she would recommend it.

“I think one mistake that homeowners make is going room to room as they have time and the budget rather than saving and doing the entire house. Then, you are not living in dust all the time and it all blends together nicely,” Murray said.

Moseley showed Murray pictures based on the style she was seeking. They focused on light, earthy elements for the Scandinavian-inspired design.

“I think everybody who comes here, they are just blown away by the kitchen and living room and they all want to move into the master bath,” which she said has a wet bar, co ee area and a beautiful stone wall by the bathtub.

“When I bought this house, I knew the neighborhood would be the next big thing. As soon I started remodeling, I saw the storage containers pop up in front of other homes too. They were doing the same thing. The neighborhood is changing sooner than later,”

MIKE SIMONS PHOTOS, TULSA WORLD MAGAZINE Dixie Moseley, owner of Joie de Vie Interiors, and homeowner Cy Murray in Murray’s home in which Moseley designed the remodel. The new light and airy kitchen has plenty of workspace for cooking.

“I think everybody who comes here, they are just blown away by the kitchen and living room and they all want to move into the master bath,” which Murray said has a wet bar, co ee area and a beautiful stone wall by the bathtub.

MIKE SIMONS, TULSA WORLD MAGAZINE

Murray said.

Moseley, who headquarters out of the Joie de Vie Interiors storefront at 4224 S. Peoria Ave., said the project was immensely rewarding.

“You would absolutely not recognize it being the same house. There is not a surface we did not change, and it was a fabulous end result,” Moseley said.

Historically, Moseley has found that homeowners primarily seek improvements to kitchens and bathroom suites for the master bedroom.

“That has largely been because it has the greatest return on investment, and I think with people being at home last year, it just amplified all of that. People are spending far more time at home and seeking their entertainment there too,” Moseley said.

Creating a bedroom space that is a peaceful retreat has been another popular trend, she said.

“And as far as the home office trend, people are wanting built-in cabinetry in their office space. We are also getting more calls from people wanting to upgrade a space, maybe it was not an office to begin with but they are wanting to convert a dining room or perhaps a bedroom into a formal office,” Moseley said.

The whole redesign process starts with a conversation to hone in on the homeowner’s needs, lifestyle and dreams for the home.

“It really is not just about creating pretty space. Functional comes first and aesthetics are secondary to that,” Moseley said. “It is a very personal thing, and we don’t take it lightly. We realize it is a great level of trust a family is placing with us to be in their home, to impact their life ... that is really what drives us.”

For those looking to quickly create a fresh look for their home, a trend that is popular in interior design is wall coverings, Moseley said.

“There are all types of wall coverings, not just the wall papers of the ‘80s and ‘90s. We are doing more wall coverings in select areas to add texture. Grass cloth has been real fun. We have incorporated that into multiple rooms, some real, some faux. When you are doing a monochromatic room, texture is very important to keep it interesting and add dimension. Florals and even murals are coming to the forefront,” Moseley said

New wall coverings can even incorporate glass, metals or gilding to make the room appear, “glamorous, textural, warm and cozy.”

ABOVE: The ceiling in Cy Murray’s living room used to be 8 feet high. The vaulted ceiling makes a big difference in her remodeled home.

MIKE SIMONS, TULSA WORLD MAGAZINE

COURTESY JOIE DE VIE INTERIORS, PHOTO BY SARAH BAKER PHOTOGRAPHY The master bathroom is a sanctuary complete with wet bar and coffee service.

Appliance upgrade

Homeowners had time to reevaluate their appliances during quarantine in 2020 and many opted for upgrades, said Tarah Duncan, assistant general manager with Metro Appliances and More, 5313 S. Mingo Road.

“We noticed that people were using their kitchens more, cooking at home more, and they thought, ‘Oh, my gosh. Look at this junk.’ They paid more attention to the old appliances they were cooking with and decided it was time for something new,” Duncan said.

New appliances are a fast way to upgrade a kitchen if you aren’t ready for a remodel.

“Metro never stopped doing

Customization meets ultimate cooking performance in the new CAFÉ 48” Dual Fuel Commercial Style Range, in the new CAFÉ 48” Dual Fuel Commercial Style Range, releasing in April. Available in a sophisticated matte black, trend-setting pearlized matte white and classic stainless steel.

COURTESY, GE, IMAGE CREATED BY THE POWER AGENCY

COURTESY, KITCHEN AID

Stainless steel isn’t the only option. Many home owners are choosing colorful appliances.

business last year; the showroom was closed for a few weeks, but we were still receiving and delivering product. We opened the showroom back up and were full-steam ahead in sales,” Duncan said.

So if you are feeling the itch to ditch your outdated appliances, don’t wait too long. Demand is high and wait lists can be long.

“Demand is just crazy. The manufacturers are backordered, you defi nitely need a much longer lead time. They have had to do social distancing and take more precautions in the facilities, so that puts a strain on production,” Duncan said.

Those looking to mix it up in the kitchen are bringing back color, Duncan explained.

“For so long it was nothing but stainless, but people are going back to color. White is a new-old trend because everything is cyclical. We are seeing a lot of white kitchens with white appliances. We are even seeing kitchens with avocado cream appliances, which was obviously a trend from decades ago,” Duncan said.

LG o ers freezers that can make craft ice for the cocktail connoisseur, and GE CAFE put a built-in Keurig on the door of a refrigerator to save counter space.

Technology is taking over in the appliances world. Some cool new features that have come out include air fryers inside ovens and remote access to turn ovens on to preheat while you are away. Remote access cameras also let you see inside your fridge and save a trip home to see if you need to pick up some milk.

“Also, with that technology, if you have something wrong with your appliance, the service tech can diagnose it without coming out so they can order the part fi rst. Or you can diagnose it with an app on your phone and save a step,” she said.

LG o ers freezers that can make craft ice for the cocktail connoisseur.

COURTESY, LG

Retro colors are popular again in the appliance world, such as this Avocado Cream range. The GE Cafe refrigerator features a Keurig in the door.

COURTESY, GE

Can projects improve a home’s resale value?

MICHAEL OVERALL Tulsa World Magazine

Home buyers tend to watch a lot of HGTV, even more so now that COVID-19 has been keeping people in front of the television. And the network sets high expectations when people start looking at real estate listings.

“Everyone wants a house that looks like the last three minutes of the show,” says Marty Newman at Walter & Associates, one of Tulsa’s premier independent real estate firms

Of course, that can make a seller feel pressured to fix up a house before putting it on the market. But slow down, Newman says. Think twice.

“Never spend money to make money,” he tells clients. “It just doesn’t work.”

Certain types of home improvement projects might help a house sell faster, he says. But projects rarely improve the bottom line. Some can even become a profit drain.

In the average house, only two rooms will probably let a home seller recoup the costs of remodeling — kitchens and master baths, he says. Even there, it’s a one-to-one return, increasing a home’s value roughly $1 for every $1 spent on the project. Don’t expect a profit.

“A new kitchen or master bath will tend to move a house off the market faster, but homes aren’t staying on the market very long right now anyway,” Newman says, explaining that Tulsa has a seller’s market right now thanks to ultralow mortgage rates.

Anywhere else in a house, improvements aren’t likely to break even, according to Newman. Remodeled living rooms, bedrooms and smaller bathrooms will increase a home’s value but not as much as the projects cost, in his opinion.

Does that mean you shouldn’t make home improvements? Of course, you should.

“Do the projects that are going to make you like your house more,” Newman says. “Do it for yourself. Do it for your own comfort, but only if you’re going to be staying in your house for a while. If you’re getting ready to sell, it’s probably better to hold on to your money.”

Even professional home flippers, who know how to control costs, lose money sometimes. It’s a risky business, Newman says.

“Let the new buyers make the improvements they want to make, and save your money to spend on the house you’re moving into. That way, everybody gets what they want.”

That does not, however, mean that sellers should sit back and do nothing before listing a home. To maximize profit, focus on projects you can do yourself, Newman recommends. Put up a fresh coat of paint. Clean the carpets. De-clutter. And keep the house spotless.

“When people come to look at your house,” he says, “they want to see that you’ve been a reasonably good steward of the property, that you’re going to hand it on to them in reasonably good shape. They might see a bathroom that needs to be updated or a kitchen that needs work. OK, they expect that.”

But if the potential buyer sees a stain on the carpet? Or a dirty sink?

“They start to wonder if maybe there’s a problem with the plumbing that you haven’t taken care of. They start to think that you’ve been putting things off.”

Clean the house you’re selling. Make the home improvements on the house you’re buying.

Tips for finding, hiring a contractor

MICHAEL OVERALL Tulsa World Magazine

Homeowners should put as much thought into a home-improvement contractor as they put into choosing the home itself, according to Tulsa experts.

“We are always happy to have people reach out to us, and come to out events, it helps them get started on their projects,” said Hali Mayfield with the Home Builders Association of Greater Tulsa

Here’s some advice from the Home Builders Association for finding the right people to do the job. „ Check if the contractor belongs to the HBA to ensure the company carries the proper insurance and has agreed to abide by the association’s code of business ethics. Then check the Better Business Bureau to see any complaints about the contractor. „ Confirm that the contractor has a verifiable mailing address for his or her business. „ Don’t just ask a contractor for references. Actually contact those references. „ What to ask references: Are you happy with the project? If you had any problems, were they fixed promptly and properly? Would you use the same contractor again? „ Questions to ask a contractor: How long has the company been in business? Who handles customer service after the project is finished? Who would be responsible for correcting any problems that arise? „ Don’t get pressured into signing a contract before you’re ready. Reputable companies won’t suggest that prices will suddenly go up if you don’t agree to a deal right away. „ Be cautious, however, if anyone suggests that “a contract won’t be necessary.” Insist on a complete and clearly written contract signed by you and the contractor. „ Deposits of 20% to 50% are common, but you should not be asked to pay in full in advance. Insist that the final payment not be due until the job is completely finished and you are fully satisfied with it. „ If any of the work requires city or county inspections, make sure that is done before you make the final payment.

For more advice on finding a reliable contractor, visit tulsahba.com.

Tableau treasures of

Simple tips to creating decorative DIY gallery walls

There has never been a better time to decorate or update your décor, what with all of the time we’re all spending in the safest place to be right now — home.

And what better timeless trend to tackle than one that maximizes the use of happy memories of people and places we love or items we treasure?

ANDREA EGER

Tulsa World Magazine

This gallery wall in a local home office gets its uniform look with wide-cut mats and the use of black and white frames.

MICHAEL NOBLE JR., TULSA WORLD MAGAZINE

MICHAEL NOBLE JR PHOTOS., TULSA WORLD MAGAZINE This gallery wall helps distract from a large TV in a Tulsa family’s multipurpose room. Lisa Wakefield, owner of local home furnishings store Jenkins & Co., is working on the layout for a future gallery wall in her home’s entryway.

This gallery wall includes a light feature in the mix of wall hangings to help illuminate a windowless, interior hallway in a midtown Tulsa home.

Gallery walls are so popular because they’re so versatile and also because they’re so accessible.

You don’t need to be a creative genius to create a sophisticated gallery wall that wows or a more basic collection that comforts. You just need to think about what style you like and what best suits your particular wall space.

Lisa Wakefield, owner of Jenkins and Co., a home goods store at 1335 E. 11th St., is seeing greater interest from Tulsans looking to spruce up their interiors since distance learning and remote working has become a new norm for so many.

She already has a couple of photo galleries in her own home, and now, she is working on the layout of a different, more dramatic kind of gallery to fill a big, blank white wall in her two-story-tall entryway that is open to a stairwell.

So far, she has rounded up a couple of pieces from local artists, vintage art she has collected and even an antique rug.

“I also have a vintage Japanese wood carving that I might use. I already have some brass frames and the rug is framed in a box with light wood, so I plan on doing a mix of brass and woods for the frames,” Wakefield said. “I’m hoping to achieve a clean look that compliments our mid-century home but still keeping it interesting and a little quirky. “

Sarah Vespasian’s home gallery wall was created with an ulterior motive — to distract the eye from the big flat-screen television in a casual room in her home where her family hangs out the most.

“We have our TV on a great vintage file cabinet, but the idea of that (TV) being the main focus of the room is just not it for me,” Vespasian said. “My goal for the wall is to be fun, flexible and colorful.”

As a distracting backdrop for the TV, her gallery wall mixes and matches items collected from travel to Greece, Mexico, Alaska and Los Angeles and from garage sales with family pieces, a custom painting of her family’s previous home and a treasured painting her mother-in-law made of her old dog Ricardo.

“I purposely made this wall a mix of frame types, textiles — one of these is a rug sample from my work that was just too pretty to sit in my garage — canvas paintings and prints, so I can easily swap things out as we change the room layout or TV size,” she said. “We did both recently, which prompted a re-hang of the whole thing, or as we get new pieces we want to add.”

Here are some pointers before you get started

 CHOOSE YOUR STYLE

Mix and match framed photos, photo canvases, art sketches and paintings and even objects. Or a matchy-matchy look can be achieved in a variety of ways.

Think photo frames in different sizes and shapes in a uniform color — which can be achieved with paint, if necessary — or even a set of identical color, size and shape frames. Another way to achieve super cohesive looks is by framing a variety of photos with similar-sized mats or all printed in black and white or sepia-toned prints, or by using photos of the same subject matter.  LOOK FOR AFFORDABLE FRAMING

For a custom look on a tight budget, buy frames inexpensively at vintage and thrift stores, estate sales, buy-oneget-one-free sales at retail stores, and even dollar stores, then let the pros at a local framing counter or online company custom cut your photo mats. Matboardcenter.com does great work at affordable prices.  INVEST IN GOOD QUALITY PHOTO PRINTS

They cost more than drugstore prints, but if you order during a sale or with a coupon code, it’s not that much more for professional grade. Explore the wider variety of finishes and print types, including deep matte, metallic printing, which offers a unique depth of color, or Giclee prints for ultradetailed image resolution.

The pros I know order customer prints from mpix.com, a lab that just happens to be located not far from Tulsa in southeastern Kansas.  IF YOU LIKE TO UPDATE FROM TIME TO TIME

Stick to standard sizes, like 5-by-7, 8-by-10 or 16-by-20, so every few years, you can simply swap out photos for new or different shots. Don’t forget, you can also order newly cut mats for putting different-sized photos in your frames, update the look of frames with new paint color and add or subtract objects.  OR DON’T INVEST IN GOOD QUALITY PHOTO PRINTS

For short-term rentals, dorm rooms or teen bedrooms, consider an easily expandable and removable gallery wall of instant camera photos or inexpensive photo prints off of an Instagram feed.  USE OBJECTS

Flat basket gallery walls are all the rage right now like plate collections were a decade ago, but with a shadow box, or a little creativity and maybe some hardware store help, you could mount any number of objects that strike your fancy to a gallery wall.

Think musical instruments, vintage signs, old newspaper front pages, magazine or vinyl record covers, children’s crafts and artwork, fishing rods, collections of collectible patches, buttons, coins or ticket stubs, trophies, model cars or airplanes, vacation mementos, baseball bats, skateboards, hockey sticks and antique bicycles. I have a friend who once mounted an antique lobster trap on a wall as part of her coastal-themed decor, so think outside the box about what has personal meaning for you and your family and your space.

 THINK OUTSIDE THE LIVING ROOM OR DEN

Hallways, stairwells, dining rooms, home offices, breakfast nooks, guest rooms, baby nurseries and children’s playrooms also make great backdrops for a gallery wall.  TEST IT OUT

Create a dry run of the layout on a big table or on the floor, either using the items themselves or by using tracing paper to create cut-outs of all of the items you want to hang on your gallery wall.  PLACEMENT IS KEY

Think about the function of the space. If it’s going to be in a family room or dining room where people sit, the horizontal center of your gallery wall should be lower. In a hallway or a space with extra-high ceilings, you can hang items higher.  IMBALANCE IS BETTER

Don’t obsess over symmetry if you’re creating a mix-and-match gallery wall. They actually look better if you don’t line up the corners of your frames or space every item evenly apart.  KEEP IT STRAIGHT

Avoid a crooked mess by using adhesive strips that are easily removable to secure the bottom corners of your gallery wall hangings so that you don’t have to constantly straighten shifting items.

Mix-and-match gallery walls are a great way to display an array of art and photos and to make a dramatic statement in rooms with large walls or tall ceilings.

Farm to Family

Swan Bros. Dairy diversifi es to survive nearly 100 years in state

Rhett Morgan // Tulsa World Magazine

CLAREMORE — While courting his future wife about a decade ago, Zach Hollingsworth decided to lend a hand at her family’s dairy farm.

“I came one time to help make cheese and they said, ‘Hey, you want to come help do something else?’ It kind of snowballed,” said Hollingsworth, a 2016 animal science graduate from Oklahoma State University.

Today, Hollingsworth spends his time hoofi ng it alongside Holstein and Jersey cows, making sure every drop of natural goodness is milked from the herd. Together with his brother-in-law, Jason Williamson, and Zach’s veterinarian wife, Ashley, he is part of a fourth-generation legacy at Swan Bros. Dairy, which is closing in on its 100th anniversary.

“Every now and then, one of us will get to take o ,” said dairy co-owner Diane Williamson, Hollingsworth’s mother-in-law. “… My son (Jason) is pretty much here every day because he takes care of the baby calves and the dry cows and calving them in.

“Twenty-four-seven, 365 days a year, somebody has to be either here or on call in case the electric goes down and we have to get the generator started to