Joy & convenience

Couple finds perfect home for downsizing

Stephanie and Mike Plant had long imagined downsizing as their children finished school and left them with an almost-empty nest.

When the youngest became a senior, they began seriously considering selling their five-bedroom, three-bath home on the south side of Muskogee and purchasing a smaller home.

“We were looking in Muskogee, but we’d also driven around this area over the years and looked at houses and dreamed,” Stephanie said. “I looked at this house just to get an idea of what I’d really like to have.”

By Wendy Burton • Photos by Shane Keeter

It turned out to be exactly what she wanted, and they bought the house in the rural outskirts of Fort Gibson in October 2022.

“Five minutes after I left, I called Mike and said I loved it,” she said. “I really didn’t expect to fall in love with it.”

Stephanie said the previous owner had decorated beautifully, and it appealed to her sense of style.

The 2,500-square-foot modern farmhouse was updated before it was listed for sale, including fresh paint throughout and all new lighting.

Stephanie and Mike said they didn’t have to and wouldn’t have wanted to change a thing. In fact, their former residence, a traditional farmhouse style, Stephanie said, was already furnished in a seamlessly matching look.

The only slight inconvenience of keeping all their existing furniture is the size of the newer sectional they brought with them, they said.

“It’s a little large for the space, but we’d shopped for that couch for over a year,” Mike said.

So they kept it, and it does provide ample lounging space for visiting family members. With seven mostly grown children and a few grandkids between them, they need the seats.

The open floor plan was a selling point for the same reason.

“Our old house was bigger, but it was closed off, so when we’d have family over, they’d all be in separate rooms,” Stephanie said. “We really wanted an open floor plan like this so everyone could be together.”

The journey from traditional farmhouse to modern farmhouse followed a bit of a rough path for the family, though.

“Our old house sold fast, just a week after it was listed,” Mike said. “We weren’t ready.”

The family stayed in a hotel for a short time, then moved into a vacant house owned by Stephanie’s parents that was being renovated at the time.

“Oh, it was awful. We moved into a house with no floors, just concrete slabs, drywall dust everywhere, one bathroom,” Stephanie said.

Consequently, their appreciation for the move-in readiness was elevated to new heights.

“I told them it would make them really appreciate whatever new house we bought,” Mike said, laughing. “But our old house always seemed to have something that needed to be worked on, too. So it’s nice to come home to a place where we don’t have to fix anything.”

Perhaps that’s one reason Stephanie is especially delighted with the flooring throughout their home.

Porcelain wood-look tile covers the main living areas, giving the splendid look of traditional hardwoods with the hardiness of more durable porcelain.

“You can get it wet, and it doesn’t ruin it. The dogs can run across it and not scratch it,” Stephanie said, then laughed. “And when you have a house full of visitors tracking stuff around, you can’t even tell it’s dirty.”

The carpet in the bedrooms is a slightly higher pile than average, giving it a soft, luxurious feel. The multi-hued, neutral color scheme fits everything well.

The updated paint throughout was already in just the right shade of gray, something Stephanie knows well.

“You have to be careful with gray paint. If you get the wrong one it looks blue,” she said. “I learned to go to Sherwin-Williams to get the best shade. I’m sure this is their Repose Gray, but Dovetail Gray is a good color, too.”

With light cream doors, trim, and cabinets throughout the house, it’s a bright, airy space. All the doors from the entry to the exit and in-between are 8-feet-tall, making the spaces seem roomier, Mike said.

Stephanie likes a clean, clutter-free, peaceful environment, she said. And while she lamented the lack of closets outside of the four smaller bedrooms in their new home, she loves the vast number of cabinets in nearly every room.

The bathrooms, a pullman-style master and Jack-and-Jill style second bathroom, both feature room-length, double vanities, and tall, roomy cabinets. The master has a massive center drawer for hiding away grooming tools and other manner of things usually cluttering up counters.

ABOVE: The master bath features a perfectly organized walk-in closet.

LEFT: The kitchen island separating the kitchen and living room has two leather barstools .

The kitchen has the same style cabinetry, all in cream with neutral speckled granite countertops, leaving her cooking space spic and span with everything tucked away. A “butler’s pantry” of sorts off to the side hides the microwave, more cabinetry, and food storage from view.

The large kitchen island separating the kitchen from the living room has two leather barstools and plenty of storage.

Black matte, industrial or farm-style light fixtures, door handles, and drawer pulls bring a small sense of old-fashioned farmstyle décor to the space.

The small mud room just outside the kitchen and next to the laundry room features a built-in bench with baskets underneath for any number of easily hidden items. The coat hooks above it, though, are not really for hanging anything on, Mike and Stephanie said, laughing about Stephanie’s tendency to remove anything hung there and tuck it away.

Continuing their personal preference for unburdened surfaces, the master bedroom is orderly from the décor to the floor. Also smaller than their previous home, the couple said the coziness suited them well.

The master bath also features a sizable soaking tub, perfectly organized walk-in closet, a toilet area separated by a sliding barn-style door (the only one in the house, surprisingly), and a separate shower with subway tile at one end.

The carpet in the bedrooms is a slightly higher pile than average, giving it a soft, luxurious feel.

Again, the light fixtures are slightly industrial, matte black finish, including the chandelier over the tub.

Upstairs is one bedroom and a walk-in closet—the youngest’s room for now, but perhaps a game room later. Stephanie said she can picture a perfect play area with storage space for their three grandbabies to enjoy some day.

The room is dormered, with a few nooks and crannies for storage here and there. Tall, white bedroom furniture and a stylish heavy-wood vanity with mirror storage and plenty of drawers round out the décor.

Stephanie said much of their furniture came from Mathis Brothers, one of their favorite furniture stores, though she enjoys shopping for pieces online.

In fact, back downstairs, the rustic-look dining table that seats eight was found online, and the industrial metal chairs, painted cream, came from a different online store, she said.

The last big reason the couple chose their new place is the exterior amenities. Nearly two acres of land, partially privacy fenced with an elegant, covered porch that is roomy enough for a large outdoor sectional and dining table, give them a place to enjoy spending time together.

Stephanie said she plans to put in a pool. Mike said he doesn’t. They laughed and said they’ll figure it out someday. In the meantime, they’ll enjoy their pretty, peaceful palace just the way it is — clearly designed just for them.

Features

» Price: $299,000.

» Size: 5 bedroom, 2 bath, 2,416 square feet.

» Windows: Vinyl

» Interior: Granite counters, vaulted ceilings, ceiling fans.

» Flooring, carpet, tile, wood.

» Heating: Central — gas.

» Appliances (included): Dishwasher, disposal, microwave oven, electric oven and range, gas water heater, plumbed for ice maker.

» Laundry: Washer hookup, electric dryer hookup.

» Fireplace: Wood burning.