Luxiere - Oklahoma Lifestyle & Real Estate // Edition 46

THE CUR ATED LIFE of

CH R ISTOPH ER M U R PH Y

46

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EDITION 46

CONTENTS

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THE AUDROSE EFFECT Her painfully sensitive skin made products problematic, so Justine Nichole left a nursing career to research, develop and market her own beauty brand — to international success.

STO RY BY A L E X A NDR A B O H A NN O N

28 NATURE OR NURTURE While lab-cultivated stones may seem appealing, BC Clark President Coleman Clark believes that for lasting value and romantic appeal, there’s no match for natural diamonds.

STO RY BY CHR ISTINE EDDIN GTO N

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40

FOCUS ON THE FARM Every bite is a story at Fryed House, Luke and Tylyn Fry’s culinary concept for supporting Oklahoma farmers. The result isn’t a local restaurant; it’s a delicious education.

STO RY BY G R EG H O RTO N

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ON THE COVER: MURPHY'S LAWS Christopher Murphy is a designer and then some; an expert par excellence at crafting boutique environments and experiences for clients. He reflects on a few of the highlights in his creative journey so far, and offers us some deluxe pointers for what indulgences to include on our future globe-hopping travels.

STO RY BY CHR ISTINE EDDIN GTO N

KEEPER OF THE STORY Glassblowing artist Preston Singletary channels years of effort and tales from his Tlingit heritage into the mesmerizing exhibition “Raven and the Box of Daylight” at the OKCMOA. STO RY BY MI CH A EL K INNE Y

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TO SEE IL SEME With Italian cuisine expertly crafted by Chef Lisa Becklund using ingredients sourced in Oklahoma and rotated by season, each trip to Tulsa destination Il Seme is a new adventure.

STO RY BY G R EG H O RTO N

1 6 Woman of Influence: Teena Belcik | 3 4 A Life More Legendary | 5 4 A Tale of Tokens | 6 0 Taking Yoga off the Mat | 7 9 Luxiere Property Portfolio

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46 EDITION

FROM THE PUBLISHER

It’s a season for sentiment, and during this busy time of year, we wish you gratitude, joy, beauty and wonder. In fact, we’ve filled our Edition 46 with a heady mix of these life-affirming emotions and the people and places powerful enough to evoke them — and we’re eager to share it all with you.

Join us as we meet Oklahomans (and ex-pats) whose lives and passions inspire and delight us. Christopher Murphy literally creates perfect, individualized worlds for his design clients, but then a sort of alchemy occurs: He finds himself immersed in their lives in an ongoing capacity, as a sort of spiritual guide for taste and style.

Norman couple Chef Luke and Tylyn Fry, farm-to-table evangelists and proprietors of Fryed House, are storytellers, nurturers and the hosts of extraordinary food events — you’ll love their commitment to quality, sustainability and local farmers. Philosophically, it’s lovely, and practically, it’s delicious.

Oklahoma ex-pat Justine Nichole, founder and CEO of Audrose Beauty, is steadily building an international skincare and beauty brand whose undeniable results are unimpeachably clinically proven. She’s an up-and-coming entrepreneur who might just change the beauty industry as we know it.

We also spoke with Coleman Clark, the man at the helm of his family’s legacy company, BC Clark, about that rarest of rare beauties: the natural diamond. You may have noticed, and even been curious about, the spate of lab-grown gems proliferating. BC Clark has, too — for the second time in a century, in fact. We’ll explain the difference between the two, and why it’s worth understanding.

But back to our wish for you: At Luxiere, we believe that gratitude is the most powerful component of a life well lived. Rather than a possession, gratitude is a practice, one

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whose influence in our lives becomes stronger as we engage with it. It’s a perspective — a choice — and something that grows when we share it with others. Happiness can be fleeting, but joy is an ever-present emotion we can choose to carry with us. Joy is subtler and steadier, sparking pleasure in our daily interactions and deepening their meaning.

Beauty, one of our very favorite things to experience and share, allows us to immerse ourselves in the extraordinary richness of our surroundings. Sensing it is like having a visa to our inner selves, the rest of the world and the entirety of the universe, all at once. The thing we find most interesting about beauty is that there is simply no downside to it: It can only enhance our lives. Finally, a feeling of wonder is a sense of awe, amazement and admiration. A lightness, a spark as important to the human condition as anything could be.

May your days be forever filled with these precious resources.

Until next time,

STAC Y D. JOHNSON

Publisher, Owner

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EDITION 46

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITION NO. 46

M ICH A E L KI N N E Y

A L E X A N DR A BOHA N N ON

CH R ISTI N E E D DI N G TO N

Writer

Writer

Writer

STACY D. JOHNSON owner/publisher

DESIGN | nvsble studio ON THE COVER | Tulsa designer Christopher Murphy Photograph by Tony Li

CONTRIBUTORS Special thanks to all of our Luxiere partners for your contribution of time and talent to make this extraordinary resource.

LUXIERE MAGAZINE CORPORATE OFFICE K ATI HA N NA

Writer

JO R DA N CL A R K

Photographer

G R EG HO R TO N

Writer

2123 N Classen Blvd Oklahoma City, OK 73106 info@luxiere.co www.luxiere.co

Luxiere Oklahoma is published bimonthly, direct-mailed to a curated readership and distributed at select retail locations free of charge for individual use. To request copies, please contact the publisher. For more information, visit www.luxiere.co.

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Advertising claims and the views expressed in this magazine by writers do not necessarily represent those of Luxiere Magazine. No responsibility is assumed for unsolicited materials. Originals of manuscripts, photographs, artwork or other materials should not be sent to Luxiere Magazine unless specifically requested to do so in writing. Luxiere Magazine is not responsible for the return of any manuscripts, photographs, artwork or other materials submitted. Luxiere Magazine shall have no liability for errors, omissions or inadequacies in the information contained herein or for interpretations thereof. Luxiere Magazine shall have no liability for any infringement of copyright or other arising out of publication thereof. Luxiere Magazine reserves the right to edit submissions before publication. Reproduction in any form without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. All requests for permission and reprints must be made in writing to Luxiere Magazine, c/o Legal, 2123 N Classen Blvd Oklahoma City, OK 73106.

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WOMAN OF INFLUENCE

TEENA BELCIK

BY CHRISTINE EDDINGTON

T

eena Belcik is living proof that life loves to laugh at our bestlaid plans, like Belcik’s roadmap for her first 100 days as president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County. She submitted her meticulous plan to her board in February 2020, only to turn around and toss it in the bin when the world shut down on March 16. Then, Belcik and team jumped into action — and they’re still running.

“From March until the first of June of 2020, we were open 13plus hours a day. The governor had reached out and asked if we would be willing to be emergency childcare for first responders and hospital workers. We did that in conjunction with the YMCA,” Belcik says. “We put all kinds of safety protocols in place, working with the Oklahoma City County Health Department, the CDC and the State Health Department. And so, because most hospital staff work 12-hour shifts from seven to seven, we were open from 6:30 in the morning until 7:30 at night, and sometimes later if parents were late getting off of a shift.”

Like most of us, Belcik is really ready to put the pandemic in the rearview mirror. However, it’s impossible to really understand the changes and growth Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County continues to experience without examining the role of COVID-19.

Our heroine joined the Boys & Girls Clubs as a consultant at first. She knew a little about the organization because one of her clients, Oklahoma City University, had done outreach with it.

Belcik adds, “I had also known their previous CEO Jane Sutter, and just thought so highly of the difference they were making for youth.” Sutter invited Belcik aboard, with the idea that it would be a short-term gig. But the minute Belcik walked through the door, she was hooked. “Working with youth has always been a passion of mine. And this is an organization that does an

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awful lot of good for an awful lot of kids. And it really felt like an opportunity to make a difference in our community.”

Most of Belcik’s background is in the for-profit realm. She holds an MBA in finance and strategic planning, plus spent time working in the high-stakes corporate world of mergers and acquisitions on Wall Street in the global and corporate finance group for Chemical Bank (now JP Morgan Chase). All of this turned out to be precisely the background she needed to manage the exponential explosion of need the BGCOKC grappled with during the pandemic: expanding from four Clubs pre-pandemic to the current 18, and offering wrap-around services for children and families. It became clear that those additional Clubs cannot close, as they’re too important for the kids who rely on them.

“I was very grateful for that foundation and that background.

When we hit that big bump in the road, it felt like our budget went from $2.5 million to over $7 million overnight, and having to look at cash flow models and do things like that to make sure we were being fiscally responsible was a lot. It was challenging.

And I was very grateful to have felt grounded in that knowledge that ‘Okay, I know how to analyze this.’”

She laughs because this was exactly the kind of rapid growth she’d have advised against in her Wall Street life. “I’ve had many clients who I’ve advised against growing too quickly, for all the pitfalls that come along. And here we were doing that very thing, but with the full knowledge and support of our board and in a fiscally responsible way.” She pauses, and says, eyes welling, “If you had seen some of what we were seeing, the kids in need, ‘no’ was not an option.”

Boys & Girls Clubs has always offered many more services than you might think. “I think most people when they think

of Boys & Girls Clubs know that it’s a great, safe, fun place for kids to go after school and when school is out, and that kids have a snack and play in the gym and have a good time and make friends. It is absolutely all of those things. But it’s just so much more. We are a youth development program that focuses on the whole child,” Belcik says.

Specifically, there are three top-priority outcomes. “The first one is academic success, which is graduating from high school, with a plan for the future,” Belcik says. To support this, each afternoon starts with a hearty snack. Mondays are a big hit; they’re Uncrustables days. Plus carrot sticks. Other snacks might be chicken strips, vegetables and fruit. Next comes the Power Hour, which is homework help and tutoring, followed by academic enrichment activities. Kids enjoy traditional after-school activities like playing sports, learning karate, doing art projects, taking music lessons and more, beginning in kindergarten.

“The older kids, in middle school and high school, get a little bit more flexibility and choice with what they do with their time,” Belcik says. “There are creative writing and journaling activities, photography and innovation labs where kids can learn graphic design or fly drones. They also get free-play time.”

The second big kahuna is instilling healthy lifestyles. “It’s teaching about good nutrition. We try to make sure our kids get 60 minutes of exercise three times a week, at least. But it’s also about addressing any of the mental health issues that we are seeing. We run preventative programs that help keep kids away from drugs and alcohol. It’s about making wise choices about what you do and don’t put in your body and the friends you do and don’t keep.” Belcik says there’s also a gang-prevention component to this piece.

The third is strong character and leadership. “We have leadership programs for all ages — elementary, middle and high school — that are really wonderful, fun programs. They really do get the kids engaged and thinking about how they can give back in their community, which we love.” All of the kids, at some point during the school year, do some type of age-appropriate community service. “This is something we’ve been doing for a long time that we feel like is important, just to make sure everybody knows they’re a part of a community of something bigger than themselves,” Belcik says. “And that there are all different kinds of ways that all of us can contribute to our community. It may be your talent, it may be your treasures, it may be your time. But everybody has a way to give back.”

The plan is working. For the past 11 years, 100% of the high school seniors attending Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County have graduated high school and 85% of the kids reported feeling a connection to their community last year, which is a big deal.

Other significant stats include 73% less drug use and 42% less alcohol use among the Boys & Girls Clubs cohort.

Maybe the most important piece of this puzzle is that Belcik and her team love these children. Says she: “They are all great, amazing, talented, smart, wonderful kids. Hopefully when they come through our doors, they have a way to explore all kinds of different activities, find their passion, find something that motivates them that they love.”•

LUXIERE’s Woman of Influence is presented by First National Bank of Oklahoma Member FDIC

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Audrose Beauty founder and CEO Justine Nichole

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THE AUDROSE EFFECT

Justine Nichole’s skincare line proves how beautiful science can be

BY ALEXANDRA BOHANNON

J

ustine Nichole, founder and CEO of Audrose Beauty, didn’t set out to build an international skincare and beauty brand. She just wanted a product that actually worked for her extremely sensitive skin.

After being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at 21 during what was then her

career as a cardiovascular nurse, she started various prescriptions to control her condition. The problem was that while they helped her auto-immune disease, they wreaked havoc on her skin.

“I remember working the night shift [at the hospital]. This sweet woman would open her clinic up and work on my face at 7 a.m. because I’d worked all night long on this 12-hour shift,” recalls Nichole. “I was so desperate to find relief for my skin and was so self-conscious.”

So began her journey to developing Audrose Beauty.

LUXI E R E 21

ARRIVING WHERE SHE STARTED Nichole’s auto-immune disease gave rise to her years-long search for answers. She knew it was possible to have it all: a professional-grade skincare system designed for sensitive skin that offered an alternative to prescriptions and other prestige lines on the market.

She soon began meeting with chemists and scientists around the country, visiting labs and seeking the right active ingredients and botanicals that would calm her inflamed skin. But her worldwide search actually landed her at a lab in Texas, where she resided.

Working with an expert chemist, her team developed eight different formulas. The winner was the progenitor to Audrose’s Phyto-Molecular Skin Science™ — a top-secret formula so effective it has been patented in the U.S. with Canadian and EU patents underway. The formula isn’t just an active ingredient; it’s also a delivery system.

“It doesn’t just sit on your face. You can actually feel the absorption penetrate deep into the skin,” says Nichole. “And you can feel it that it locks in the benefits: the absorption, the hydration protection and calming effects for over 24 hours.”

After finding success with this formula, it was paired with another product (the activator) to form what Nichole calls the Audrose Protocol.

The activator, which readies the skin, contains a primary active ingredient of orchid stem cells, which, as Nichole explained, communicate with human skin cells to prime them for the serum concentrate, which contains the Phyto-Molecular Skin Science™ in addition to six other potent, active anti-inflammatory ingredients.

Unsurprisingly considering her background, Nichole wanted consumers to use the product but also be assured that it was scientifically effective. So after the formulas for the Audrose activator and serum concentrate were set, she sought rigorous clinical testing of her product line.

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GOING BEYOND ‘BACKED BY SCIENCE’ A beauty brand claiming to be “backed by science” is often now considered a hoary cliche by the hyper-educated, eternally online consumer. Considering that cosmetics and skincare products are designed to be human-safe chemicals for use on the skin and body, in theory, all cosmetics could affix the term to a brand and call it square.

That’s why some savvy consumers are starting to call the bluff of major skincare and cosmetics manufacturers. In fact, as of this year, several major players in the cosmetics industry, including Sephora and L’Oreal, are being sued for misleading marketing claims about their products, according to reporting by Women’s Wear Daily.

In contrast, Nichole’s brand Audrose can confidently claim that it delivers “proven results” without fear of backlash, because of the several clinical trials its core skincare system has undergone.

Results were measured not only by participant feedback — a common metric in beauty studies — but also through use of a VISIA multi-point imaging system. VISIA skin analysis is a method of imaging often used in dermatologists’ offices and med spas that allows for the recording and measuring of surface and subsurface skin conditions of the face. Red channel views specifically allow the camera to capture “sub-surface melanin and vascular conditions” for all skin tones, according to VISIA’s website.

In a study performed over a 30- to 90-day period, participants used the two core products in the Audrose Protocol (the activator and the serum concentrate) each day. Researchers performed VISIA and red channel imaging before the participants used the products, at specific milestones throughout the trial and after the trial was over.

Dr. Ellen Turner, double board-certified dermatologist and lead researcher on this clinical trial, wrote: “My patients with the most sensitive skin saw proven results in as little as two weeks when using the Audrose activator and Audrose serum concentrate.”

For the 90-day study participants, Dr. Turner measured the

effectiveness of the product by performing another round of imaging.

The product maintained its efficacy at the three-month point.

“With my clinical background, believing in science, [I know] that it’s not good enough just to say, ‘Okay, we have something that is supposed to be good,’” says Nichole. “No, we have to take the step and prove it. We need that actually prove that what we’re doing matters and works.”

In a third-party Swiss study specifically targeting the PhytoMolecular Skin Science™ compound, the researchers concluded that this formula contained “special wound healing properties and anti-inflammatory properties.” Nichole said that many providers of radiofrequency (RF) microneedling procedures now provide the Audrose Protocol as aftercare to their RF patients, as it speeds patient recovery time.

Additionally, while the brand can’t make medical claims about how the product has treated skin conditions, Nichole noted that there are positive anecdotal observations and customer reviews from Dr. Turner’s patients. Individuals with conditions ranging from rosacea to psoriasis, as well as individuals using Accutane and undergoing radiation, were finding success with the Audrose Protocol.

“Her facial psoriasis patients were waiting for their insurance to kick in on their biologics, the medications she’s prescribing them for their diagnosis, but in the meantime, she was sending them home on the Audrose Protocol,” says Nichole. “And by the time the insurance came back, she was finding a lot of these patients were saying, ‘You know what, the Audrose is actually taking care of my skin, so we’re not going to go on the biologics,’ which was incredible.”

Along with the clinical evidence and consumer studies to support Audrose’s claims, Nichole also points to consumer behavior as an indicator of efficacy.

“We have not had any returns from people saying they can’t tolerate the formula, which is amazing,” she says.

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DO NO HARM Audrose Beauty’s commitment to caring also extends beyond the individual to the level of community.

For starters, the product is only packaged in glass bottles. While the components of the products are attractive, this choice goes beyond aesthetics; the aim is to protect the consumer and the environment alike. In a first-of-its-kind consumer study performed by the Plastic Soup Foundation, researchers found that 9 out of 10 cosmetics products sampled in the study contained microplastics.

When products containing microplastics are used by humans, there are two destinations where these particles can go: the water supply or the human body.

When microplastics enter the water supply, wastewater treatment plants are incapable of filtering them. That means the treated water returns to larger waterways, home to aquatic animals and used for future drinking water. Additionally, a wastewater facility’s runoff sludge is then used to fertilize agricultural products.

The other alternative to sloughing microplastics into the water supply is that they’re absorbed into the human body. The human immune system is incapable of processing microplastics, which can lead to hormone-disruption and disregulation and chronic inflammation.

Nichole wasn’t about to put her inflammation-fighting skincare line into packaging that could counteract what it was intended to accomplish. As she explained, it truly matters what formulas are contained in, especially for the 70% of people globally who report they have sensitive skin.

“We know now that we should not be eating food out of plastic because it’s soaked up through our food and ingested,” says Nichole.

“So why are we going to do that with our skincare, where we’re literally putting it on the largest organ of our body every single day?”

Additionally, Audrose’s packaging seeks to mitigate the damage done to the environment by the larger cosmetics industry. According to reporting by The Guardian, the global cosmetics industry creates 120 billion units of packaging annually — and most of it is unrecyclable.

Knowing that the Audrose bottles would not contribute to that insurmountable level of pollution was a huge decision factor for Nichole, even though it was more expensive to package the product in glass.

“When you start a company, it kind of dawns on you like, ‘Oh, wow, if this really goes well, we’re going to be pumping out a lot of bottles into our environment. Where are they all going to end up?’” says Nichole.

“So it was important to go with glass and also make it recyclable.”

Audrose’s components are recyclable if cleaned well and deposited into the correct receptacle. But even if the bottle is unable to be recycled for whatever reason, the packaging at least won’t contribute to any microplastics leeching into the groundwater from a landfill.

Additionally, all Audrose products are produced in factories 100% powered by solar energy. They’re also vegan and cruelty-free, as well as free from common allergens and chemicals like gluten, sulfates, paraben and paraffin. The botanicals and active ingredients within the formulas are also all harvested sustainably.

“It’s a daunting thing to think about. You are going to ultimately be putting a lot of stuff into the environment. What is your imprint going to be? What is your carbon footprint really going to be?” asks Nichole.

“Obviously, as we grow, we want to continue to explore how to best do that and balance it out with our environment. We’re definitely very conscientious of that.”

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WHAT’S NEXT The future looks bright for Nichole and her small and mighty team, with buzz regarding the brand growing. In 2021, she collaborated with Vogue in New York City on Audrose’s official launch event, which was covered by the magazine with top beauty editors in attendance. Not too long after, the brand received coverage in Harper’s Bazaar Brazil.

Currently, the brand is in the U.S., Canada and Europe, but hasn’t gained a prominent foothold in South America — yet. Nichole hopes to change that.

She is also in the process of expanding past just the Audrose activator and serum concentrate, hoping to roll out a complete skincare line in the next few months.

At this point, Nichole has fully arrived to do the fulfilling work of combining her passions of science and caregiving into an art.

“I always felt like I was going to do something meaningful. I didn’t know what it was going to be,” says Nichole. “I definitely feel like I’ve hit my stride with Audrose, founding the company and going through this journey.” •

Follow Audrose Beauty on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, or visit the brand’s website at audrosebeauty.com.

The Audrose Protocol is available on Amazon and Audrose Beauty’s website, as well as selected dermatologists and med-spas nationwide. Contact your favorite skincare provider to see if it carries Audrose Beauty.

LUXI E R E 25

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NATURE OR NURTURE? The diamond of all questions

BY CHRISTINE EDDINGTON

P

erhaps this holiday season you’ve decided you want to buy a diamond for someone you love – like yourself! First of all, you absolutely should – who doesn’t need a little sparkle?

You’ve probably also determined about how much you’d like to spend on your diamond. Now comes another decision. Do you prefer larger and lab grown or perhaps a little smaller and natural when it comes to your precious gems? Strictly speaking, there’s no wrong answer, but for BC Clark President Coleman Clark, the answer is as clear as an internally flawless diamond: natural.

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As Clark begins to talk about diamonds, he weaves story after fascinating story about natural diamonds, how they form, how they’re discovered, their rarity and their value. There are only about 30 active diamond mines in the world. “Diamonds form 75 miles or more under the surface of the earth. That’s how much pressure and heat it takes … they don’t form anywhere closer to the surface,” Clark says. That’s far too deep to mine, and part of what makes diamonds so rare. Most natural diamonds have been brought closer to the surface by volcanoes, via volcanic pipes, in a rock called Kimberlite, which is what miners look for when they want to find diamonds.

“Sometimes those volcanoes do reach the surface and diamonds actually would come out,” Clark says. Diamonds brought to the surface this way are found in streams and rivers. “Those are called alluvial diamonds, and they can even be washed down to the ocean floor. There are diamonds that are on the floor of the ocean near Namibia, Africa.”

Imagine that: snorkeling above a sparkling sea bed dotted with diamonds!

Clark, the natural diamond team captain that he is, also firmly punctuates his conversation with assurances: he’s absolutely not here to bash anyone who sells (or prefers to wear or give) a lab-grown diamond, and he feels strongly that they have a place in the market. Just not at his family’s eponymous shops, the first of which was founded before statehood. He simply wants people to understand the facts and make the best choice for their individual situations.

This isn’t the first time the BC Clark team has grappled philosophically with whether to carry lab-created bling. About a hundred years ago, the new gems on the block were lab-grown sapphires and rubies. “Labgrown colored stones like sapphires and rubies have been on the market for over 100 years. When they first became popular in the 1920s and ‘30s, there were a lot sold.” Clark says people still bring in ruby rings they’ve inherited and are shocked to learn that they’re not real.

Back then, the leadership at BC Clark made the same determination not to sell lab-grown gemstones for the same reasons Clark says drove the company’s policy on lab-grown diamonds. “We feel like we owe it to our customers to guide them in a direction that is long term. We make our decisions focused and based on the long term, because we know we’re going to be here for a long time. And so we can’t make decisions that are based on short sightedness. And we try to guide our customers that way.”

Clark acknowledges that the diamond industry has not been without its problems, and is pleased with the progress made, the jobs created and the schools, water wells and other good works of his industry around the world. Further, today, ethical sourcing of natural diamonds is all but guaranteed. As legacy issues within the diamond mining industry came to light in the latter part of the 20th century, a movement within the industry took hold and ethical and conflict-free sourcing became codified and mandated under the Kimberley Process (KP), which became operational in 2003. Now, only rough diamonds with KP certification can be legally traded. More than 80 countries participate in the process, and conflict diamonds account for less than 1% of recorded rough diamond trade, down from its high of 4 to 15% in the 1990s.

Also worth thinking about before purchasing? A natural diamond will retain value; a lab-grown will not. Just a few years ago, a threecarat, lab-grown diamond cost between $5,000 and $8,000. Today you’ll easily find them for about $3,000. “We’ve told people that as they become more prevalent, and as more factories start making them, it’s only natural that the prices would come down, just in a competitive marketplace.” Clark says. Not only that, but the lab-grown stone you bought five years ago is now worth less than what you paid for it.

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BC Clark President Coleman Clark

Clark says his family’s stores essentially guarantee the value of natural diamonds purchased from them. “We will allow someone to bring in a center stone back in at a future time to trade back in and get at least what they paid for [it]. That’s our policy as far as the trade value,” Clark says.

For those folks concerned with sustainability, Clark says that estate diamonds, or trade-ins, are a terrific sustainable option. “We’ll repurpose diamonds; we have them recut and resell them.” Whether or not lab diamonds are more ecologically friendly, as some advertising might imply, is as yet unknown. “That really has not been substantiated. And I don’t think there’s any way to make a comfortable claim that they are sustainable.

More than 60% of them are made in China and India, where 75% of their energy comes from coal. And making these diamonds takes an immense amount of heat and pressure, 1,500 degrees Celsius, so there’s a lot of debate in the industry, whether which one’s considered more sustainable or more green.

“The other big thing to me is, you know, when you’re buying a gift, say an engagement ring or anniversary gift, or whatever it may be, that holds a lot of emotion and love,” Clark says. “That’s kind of driving that purchase. It just seems like a diamond that was formed millions or billions of years ago, deep in the earth, that has had such a journey to even get mined just holds a much more romantic story.”

And for Clark, that’s what it’s all about. •

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A LIFE MORE LEGENDARY

Steph Simon and Tulsa’s Dreamland Festival

BY MICHAEL KINNEY

W

hen Steph Simon thinks about it today, it still feels surreal.

The moment came in 2017, when Simon was following his daily routine of hopping on the metro bus in Tulsa before attempting

to zone out to his music while he rode to his job at a DirecTV call center. It was a normal start to what he envisioned would be a normal, mundane workday.

That is, until Simon noticed something was different.

“I was on the front page (of the newspaper), me and my best friend Keenan

Lane, we were on the front page of the paper,” says Simon. “I was riding a bus to work and I’m just looking out the bus and the papers are in the bus; people were reading it, and I’m just on my way to work and I’m seeing the little kiosks on each corner — and this is me on every corner. I’m like, ‘Dang, this is crazy.’”

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P H O TO G R A P H BY RYA N CA S S

Steph Simon

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St. Domonick

Kendra Mars

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Simon found himself staring at his face on the front page of his hometown paper. In the same paper he used to read about artists, athletes and celebrities, people were reading about him.

The founder of the Dreamland Festival knew at that moment his life was heading in the right direction.

“Just to see my face on every corner, on every paper kiosk, it was a surreal feeling,” Simon says. “That’s one of the feelings I’m probably never going to forget. And being in the paper so many times after that, I think that specific one was really a gamechanging, defining moment for me that I’m always going to remember. Because I was sitting next to people on the bus that were reading it and I’m like, ‘Man, this is me.’”

Tulsa’s Dreamland Festival is a celebration of music, art and film. It features local artists and musicians from around the country. It was originally established as the World Culture Music Festival, but in 2022, Simon changed the name to honor a piece of his city’s history.

“The Dreamland Festival is a festival inspired by the Williams’ Dreamland Theater. That was a prominent theater and Black space on Greenwood during the best times of Black Wall Street,” Simon explains. “In that era, it was burned down during the massacre and was later rebuilt in the ’50s, and then it was removed in the ’60s through urban renewal after the city put a highway through Greenwood, right where the Dreamland Theater sat.”

More than the building itself, Simon was inspired by what it meant to the community.

“Dreamland just always stuck out to me in the city,” he says.

“It’s a city of dreams. You would think there’s not much here. So all we can do, really, is dream and come up with ideas, and that leads to amazing music and musicians. We have a strong hip-hop culture and Black culture and film culture because of Black Wall Street. So, I wanted to tie all that in.”

When Simon appeared in the newspaper for the first time, he was heading into the third year of hosting Dreamland Festival.

Since then, the festival has been held annually—except for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But Simon made up for that by holding two festivals in 2021.

Even though Simon has created a successful festival that pays homage to his city’s past, that was not his original goal. As a struggling hip-hop artist, he was just looking for a place where he could play his own music. Those options were limited in Tulsa, so he decided to create his own space.

“Throwing the festival was not the goal,” Simon remembers.

“I’m an artist that wasn’t getting heard and out of desperation and wanting to get heard I said, ‘I’m going to create something that you can’t deny in Tulsa. I’m going to put my name at the top of it, whether you know who I am or not, and I’m going to perform. And the same with my friends that perform out here.’

That was the goal.”

P H O TO G R A P H BY E R I CA S TO K E S

P H O TO G R A P H BY RYA N CA S S

It was that goal that was implanted in Simon’s mind as he trudged to and from work each day at various call centers around the city. From selling satellite TV service to home security, he had to learn how to be a pitchman for things he couldn’t care less about.

“I created the festival in a call center telemarketing place … and we would cold-call people and just try to sell security blindly to anybody that will answer,” says Simon. “I was one of those people probably making like $7 an hour. If you sell anything, that’s how you get paid. And you’re just calling people, telemarketing all day. All day in the sweatshop of a room. And I sat there one day and just was like, ‘Man, if I could sell this, I can sell hip-hop or a show.’”

But looking back on those times, Simon said they helped him become the entrepreneur that he is today. Even as he watched those around him succeed in their chosen professions while he was cold-calling people at dinnertime, Simon was confident it was only temporary.

“Watching my friends become established professionals out here was probably the hardest part. Watching my best friends and peers that don’t do music just grow in their professions and congratulating them on the way, knowing I’m doing something —

Chris the God McCain

you can’t even really see it,” Simon says. “I know what I’m saying needs to be heard. I’m going to do whatever I’ve got to do to get it heard and create for me. I had to create a space for it to exist because this is Tulsa. It’s not L.A., it’s not Atlanta, it’s not New York, it’s not Chicago, it’s not Texas. I had to create a space.”

Since that day on the bus, Simon has created that space for himself and others looking for the same opportunities. He also teaches a course at Tulsa’s McLain High School, where he has built a studio that teaches kids how to make music and mentors them on how to be artists, how to roll out music, how to shoot videos and how to navigate the ins and outs of the music industry. He plans to expand the class throughout Tulsa Public Schools, and turn it into a college course as well.

When Simon first started on his journey, all he wanted was to be able to play his music. Now the 36-year-old believes he was meant for more.

“When my grandma passed, I was 9 years old, and for her funeral, they needed a bigger church,” Simon remembers. “It was so many people there. I didn’t know who she was to the community until her funeral. She was just my grandma to me. But to Tulsa, she was a legend. And I’m just like, ‘Wow. I want to be a legend like that one day.’” •

Find albums by Steph Simon on Spotify, including Born On Black Wall Street, Diamonds From The Tisdale, Poe-Tential and more.

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P H O TO G R A P H BY TO N Y L I

Christopher Murphy

MURPHY’S LAWS

Secret stashes, Singapore Saturdays and ski chalets with designer Christopher Murphy

BY CHRISTINE EDDINGTON

“

I

have always said that nothing happens in my work by accident. Everything is there for a reason, whether it is recognizable or not. It’s just the way

my brain works.” Christopher Murphy makes this proclamation, which

happens to be quite true, while giving a small wave of his bangle-laden arm for emphasis. This is a man who once used more than 43 shades of paint in a

single home, yet the result was seamless and impeccable. This is also a man who has top-secret caches of antiquities and homewares from around the globe scattered around Tulsa. No, you cannot see them. They’re for him to know and you to find out about, when they become part of a project.

LUXI E R E 41

ABOVE & BELOW: Large, public spaces like the Tulsa Performing Arts Center give Murphy room to expound: Playful, elegant and comfortable.

Christopher Murphy Designs, based in Tulsa, arrived via a circuitous route: extended time spent in Nebraska (Lincoln where he grew up, then later Omaha), Arizona (undergrad) and California (Los Angeles for grad school) sprinkled with far-flung travel since he was a child. “As a kid, I got to experience a lot of America: New York, and San Francisco and Los Angeles, but also the mountains in Colorado. We spent a lot of time out there. I think my first trip to Europe was at 12. And to see London and Paris, as a 12-year-old, was amazing to me.” You can hear him time travel a bit as he speaks. “It was, you know, the height of ’70s and ’80s excess. So creative, you know, London was just coming into its own and Paris was before it was so Americanized … I loved it.”

The family spent time in museums everywhere they went — it was their thing. Murphy says his mother was stylish, but not purposely so.

“She was not couture aware or anything like that. But she had taste and she had style. My father was an executive. And she was the consummate hostess.” So Murphy learned by osmosis things like how to properly throw a party. “People don’t know how to do that today. To see those kinds of things, from the flowers to the food to the table settings, was exciting for me.” His parents traveled on their own, too, which is how Murphy, a lover of excellent meals, learned to cook — really cook — on his own. “It was all part of the kind of creative world that I lived in. It was just who we were. It’s how we lived.”

After studying architecture at Arizona State for a couple of years and working for an architectural firm in the summers, Murphy realized architecture was less I.M. Pei or even Mike Brady, and much more a technical field. “It was not what I thought it would be. I loved the experience I had working for the firm and seeing things and learning that I didn’t want to be an architect.”

Equipped with a liberal arts degree and unsure of what he really wanted to be, Murphy moved to sunny Los Angeles to figure it out. And to come out. “I was not out to my parents. When I came out, my dad said, you know, ‘I don’t want to be stereotypical, but I want you to be happy.

And I want you to be in a profession where you are not challenged by horrible people.’ And then he goes, ‘I don’t, again, mean to stereotype you guys, but our designers have always been gay.’ And so I went back to grad school at UCLA, and studied interior environmental design there.”

At design school, all of Los Angeles became his classroom. “We would have these weekend study tours of an architect or a designer and learn about something on a Friday night and on a Saturday get to go to private homes or businesses that were never open to the public, to see their works, but also how these other people were living, too.” They’d walk in and see a Degas in the bathroom or a Lichtenstein in the gym.

“It was super, super inspirational for me,” he says.

Murphy’s always been entrepreneurial, and had an antique store in Beverly Hills while he was going to school. Definitely a precursor to his secret Tulsa caches. “Most of my work is much more contemporary, but I like to throw in a mix of old and new at times,” he says. “My shop was called Luxe.”

42 LUXI E R E

Christopher Murphy-designed interiors are sleek but never stark. Layers of subtle texture and exuberant bursts of color are two hallmarks of his style.

Los Angeles, magical as it is, was tumultuous in the early 1990s. Logistics required that Murphy overnight toilets from Italy. “I Murphy witnessed the earthquake, the violent protests around the rose to the occasion; I did it and got the job, which was amazing.” beating of Rodney King and the insanity around the O.J. Simpson This client, a friend of Elton John’s, went on to commission an murder trial. It was time to leave. “I also knew that to stay in Los 1,800-piece Chihuly chandelier. “We put Elton John’s white concert Angeles was to be a little fish in a big pond. I had an opportunity to grand underneath it in the entryway,” Murphy says. “I got to create move back to Nebraska.” His parents had decided to return to their a whole kind of very fantasy world for somebody that was very eccentric and very wonderful.” home state and build their dream home.

Murphy’s ability to create bespoke worlds for his clients is his “They charged me with kind of designing it, and it grew and it became much more than they ever thought it could be. They sent superpower. “I want to get to know the client, I want to get to know me all over the world to collect parts and pieces. They trusted me to how you live. And I want to give you something that is for you. That just create. I knew that what I was creating was going to be difficult has worked really beautifully for me, and to be able to have clients to oversee, so to speak, from a distance. And so I really made that trust me to create things for them. Most of my projects are large hard decision to move back to Nebraska, to get my career started, projects where we are either [from the] ground up or complete to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond, so I moved back to Omaha renovations. The art, the linens, the table settings — it’s turnkey, versus Lincoln.” That home turned out to be the perfect launch. in a way. It’s lifestyle,” he says.

So much so that clients quickly come to rely on him for all “It was open to the public for events and my parents were very charitable. So lots of people saw it, and I got lots of wonderful manner of decisions. “I have clients that will say, you know, ‘I need a birthday gift for my wife or an anniversary gift. Can you get me a referrals and projects from it.”

Many of his subsequent projects were — and are — less Birkin? Can you get me a Kelly? Can you get me a Patek?” Of course like designing a space and more like creating a fully immersive he can. He can also tell you what color car to buy, the best dress experience for clients, one of which came with a sort of rite of for an event, where to eat in Paris or where to stay in Singapore. passage. “I worked on a 37,000-square-foot house where the private “It’s super exciting. It’s also a lot of responsibility. But it’s really assistant had challenged me, to get the job, to redesign the client’s fun. And you know, from planning menus to planning parties to master bath in a weekend.” He was granted some planning time, planning whatever, it’s really about creating a whole environment but literally had two days to install it while the client was in Vegas. for them that’s beyond just their home. And I love that.” •

LUXI E R E 43

ABOUT THAT SKI CHALET Christopher Murphy had a client text him on Christmas Day a couple of years ago. “She said, ‘Guess what I got for Christmas?’ I said, ‘I don’t know, a ski house?’” Yep. And she had carte blanche to transform it into a dream getaway for her family, so off Murphy and his client went to Utah’s Deer Valley to take a look. “I said, ‘Well, nothing really can stay.’ And she goes, ‘Okay, I agree.’” Murphy’s task? To have it ready for the family to gather by the following Christmas. Which of course he did — and as you can see, it’s brilliant.

Her husband, a quiet man, had just one request. Altitude triggers this gentleman’s anxiety, and he wanted Murphy to see what he could do about that. “After doing some research, we found we could add an oxygen system to the house and bring it to sea level. It’s his favorite thing. He said it’s the best night of sleep he’s ever had in the mountains.”

Wooden flooring in the chalet came from Spain, but not without a little drama. “They were not going to be ready to make the boat to be here in time,” Murphy says. The contractor suggested they use carpet, temporarily. To that, Murphy said, “No, just put it on a plane. Just overnight it.” They did. And they overnighted the sofas from Paris.

“The kitchen came from Italy. And again, it was a short timeframe, but we were able to get it here.” Or so he thought.

“The contractor received it and, I kid you not, said they’d opened the crates for the kitchen, but it’s purses.” Murphy pauses. “And I’m like, ‘Were they good purses?’ No, they’re sh***y purses from China.” Ten days went by and nobody could locate the kitchen. “At certain point, I had to tell the client that we may have a problem. So I said, ‘The kitchen came and it was actually purses.’ And she literally goes, ‘Well, were they good purses?’”

44 LUXI E R E

For a client’s ski chalet, Murphy found a kernel of inspiration in the Disney movie “Frozen,” ran it through his impeccable filter, elevated it and voila!

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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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T H E LU X I E R E L I S T

WORLD IN A WEEKEND Christopher Murphy’s husband Ben Stewart, senior program officer and managing director at the George Kaiser Family Foundation, also manages a nonstop schedule. Murphy, an early riser, and Stewart, who attends many evening events for his job, find their schedules at odds. The work-around they’ve come up with is genius, with a splash of madness.

“We found that sometimes the best thing to do is what we would call Saturdays in Singapore or Saturdays in Shanghai. We get on a flight, you know, on a Friday in Dallas, and we would arrive in Singapore, Shanghai or Auckland on a Saturday morning. And power through the whole weekend, leave on a Sunday and be back in the U.S. at the same time we left.”

The couple experiences wonderful food, inspiration, time together and, importantly to Murphy, time on a plane. “I get to really disconnect and catch up on some sleep and spend some time. I get to have dinner with my husband.”

FAVORITE AIRPORT AND AIRPORT LOUNGE My favorite airport is in Doha, Qatar. The Hamad International Airport is both spectacular in its design, but so interesting in its public art installations as well. Oddly, my favorite airport lounge is located within this airport. The Al Mourjan Business lounge for Qatar Airways is so chic with its B & B Italia and Knoll furniture.

Spacious, yet intimate. But if we happen to be flying first class, the Al Safwa lounge is the best. Very few travelers, large open spaces with a huge reflecting pool in a space that is entirely covered in limestone. It is like being in a museum. The private dining area is truly like a fine restaurant and amazing food.

MUST-DO IN AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND The city reminds me of San Francisco 30 years ago. From its physical similarities of being on the water and many hilly areas, to its Victorian neighborhoods, it is an easy city just to walk and explore. Ponsonby Street is a must with galleries, great design shops, chic and easy cafes. Just wander and take your time to enjoy.

Go into the old Ponsonby Hotel for dinner or a drink.

MUST-DO IN SINGAPORE Several musts!!! You must go to the National Orchid House in the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Located in the middle of the bustling city, the cool house contains over 1,000 examples of the most gorgeous plants and blooms. Wander the gardens too, then exit right into the city. Go to the street food halls and experience the best Singapore noodles and try everything. There is even a Michelin-starred vendor there. If you can, stay at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel; the infinity pool runs the entire length of the rooftop and is 57 stories above Singapore overlooking the entire city. Spectacular, and great people-watching.

BEST CITY IN THE WORLD This is such a hard one, but I have always felt that Rio de Janeiro is the best. The physical beauty of the city, how it is nestled at the bottom of Sugarloaf Mountain, right on the Atlantic Ocean, is dramatic. But it is also the brutalist and colonial architecture of the hotels and neighborhoods that create a special juxtaposition.

From the hustle and bustle of the Copacabana to the quiet and chic Ipanema neighborhood. The food is amazing, the tropical colors vibrant, the men and women gorgeous, the heat intoxicating.

I spent one of my most memorable New Year’s Eves there. Seven million people on the strip lining Copacabana beach, fireworks in

the bay, with Christ the Redeemer watching over all of it was quite an experience! Tradition says that one wears all white for purity, and sends out offerings of flowers into the ocean and, at midnight, hops seven waves for good luck. Magical.

FAVORITE BREAKFAST Easy: the fabulous dining room at the Plaza Athene hotel in Paris. The room is traditional Parisian with its 18th century feel, yet has been updated with modern banquettes and lighting. The croissants are sublime, as is all of the breadbasket delivered to the table, but it is the scrambled eggs with fresh black truffles all over the top that makes me know that I am in Paris. I have two special memories there in that room: We had our honeymoon breakfast there, and another time we took our moms to Paris, and seeing how much they loved the food and space was amazing, but it was the special memory of getting to spend that time with them that helps to make it my favorite.

MOST BEAUTIFUL HOTEL The Aman Tokyo. Hands down. It is located high above the craziness that is Tokyo. The lobby space is filled with the most amazing bonsai and flowers, towering ceilings, yet intimate at the same time. The spa and pool are true Zen. But it is the rooms that are the most chic. Simple and elegant furnishings fill the hinokipaneled walls. But the best is the bathroom. There is a Japanese soaking tub that they fill with oranges and eucalyptus leaves to create the most heady experience, all while 35 stories above the neon of the city.

BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER RECOMMENDATIONS So this is hard as we have experienced so many amazing places for each all over the world, from the high to the low. But, for breakfast, honestly I love a hotel breakfast, but a great memory was leftover foie gras fried rice from the night before in Singapore at the Raffles Hotel. We had the butler heat it up and add two poached eggs to it. Pure indulgence. As we say now, “just put an egg on it.”

For lunch, Chez Monsieur in Paris, traditional French bistro near all the great shopping. Small and delicious, everything. And I think I have had it all!

Dinner, Don Julio in Buenos Aires. The best steaks. The best of all. True gaucho dining experience that has not changed in the 15 years we have been going.

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FOCUS ON THE FARM

The Frys work to build connections with and through food

BY GREG HORTON

C

hef Luke and Tylyn Fry decided that the best way to do a farm-to-table dinner is to go to the actual farm. The idea isn’t unique in the sense of serving a meal at its source;

chefs have a long history of pop-ups on area farms and ranches, but the Frys have a multifaceted approach that is farmer-centric, not restaurant forward, as is typical.

Under the banner of Fryed House, the Norman-based couple hosts events at area farmers markets, sponsors classes and takes the show on the road, so to speak — to serve food produced locally on the farm where it was produced.

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“With the dinners, we’re basically doing what I’ve been doing with banquets for years,” Luke says. “It just adds the two components of being in the place where the food was grown and the educational aspect. Our goal is to support local farmers by using their products at their place and at our other events.”

The tagline of Fryed House tells the goal succinctly: “Where every bite is a story.” The couple’s vision includes an intentional antagonism to commodification — the tendency to strip all products of their story, package them thoroughly and sell them to eager consumers.

Where do oranges come from? Bananas? Beef? Who grew them, took them to slaughter, killed the cow, plowed the fields? What are their lives like, their bills, obligations, family structures? At each of their events, the Frys tell these stories as a way of honoring the work and reconnecting the food to the land, and us to the process.

Luke is from Norman; Tylyn grew up in Crescent, Oklahoma, and Panama City, Florida. At 21, she moved back to Oklahoma. They met when she worked at Coffee Slingers.

“I was at Red (PrimeSteak) at the time,” Luke says. “I rode my bike to the restaurant, and if I saw her through the window, I’d stop and get coffee; if not, I just went on to Red.” He had landed the gig at Red after a culinary journey that began at Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago, progressed through a role at a Wolfgang Puck concept, an externship at Legends in Norman and Nonna’s in OKC, where he’d been promoted from grill cook to executive chef in two years. There were other stops along the way, including hotels, CBD sales and even luxury automobile sales, but food was always home base, as is Norman now.

They married in 2014, and now with their three boys (ages 5, 7 and 9), they call Norman home. They live close to the boys’ maternal grandmother, and are focused on building a mobile chef service that is firmly grounded in a specific place with its own stories.

“I walk my kids to the same school using the same route I took when I was their age,” Luke says. “Being a chef is about a connection to food and place, and we give back so we can help farmers, the people who produce the food we make our living with.”

Luke spent some time at a well-known farm-to-table concept in Oklahoma City, but that only pointed out one of the realities of modern restaurants: “No matter how badly a restaurant or chef wants to be farm-to-fork, there are investors who are trying to maximize profits, and that comes at the expense of doing things the right way — supporting local farmers and supporting the community,” he says.

With Fryed House, they have a chance to do things differently.

For the farm-based events, dishes are presented along with the story of the farm and farmer, as well as encouragement to support sustainable, local agriculture and the benefits associated. It’s a comprehensive bottom-to-top or origin-to-end process that decommodifies the process of preparing and serving food.

Luke Fry plating a dish on location in true farm-to-table fashion.

At their cooking classes, private dinners and farmers market events, they feature food from local farms and talk about sourcing, food preparation and the ways in which words like “organic” aren’t at all helpful to local agriculture.

“Most farmers are trying to farm properly already,” Luke explains. “The ‘organic’ designation just gives the USDA the ability to charge farmers for things they’re already doing. Building an event around that reality enables us to explain the process of producing high-quality, nutritious, flavorful food. Everything we do is centered on education.”

The Frys have two “long-term” plans, a three-year and five-year version. The three-year includes a mobile transit van stocked with the proper equipment to pull up to a farm and do a 50-person dinner. The five-year plan involves the family land where Luke’s mother now lives, and he sees a homestead with a farm, educational resources and, yes, a culinary establishment — but one that fosters community building not solo dining. They are, after all, proponents of connection. • Information about Fryed House, tickets for events, a schedule of offerings and Tylyn’s writing about food and agriculture can be found at FryedHouse.com.

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A TALE OF TOKENS

The couple at the heart of OKC-made custom jewelry creations

BY GREG HORTON PHOTOGRAPHY BY KENNON BRYCE

S

tories have entry points; you shouldn’t necessarily start at the beginning every time, because sometimes the beginning isn’t the best part. So let’s say Love Tokens begins on a park bench in Santa Monica where former

standout NFL defensive lineman Rosey Grier taught Stacey DeGraffenreid how

to crochet. Along with her husband Chris, she’s half the ownership team of Love Tokens, the Oklahoma City-based custom jewelry manufacturer with a client list that includes Kemo Sabe and Lucchese Bootmaker.

DeGraffenreid started making jewelry in 1990, and her story could have been that of just another person picking up a fun hobby, but for Grier, Michael Milken and Julia Roberts — yes, those are entry points.

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Stacey already knew how to make jewelry when she met Grier, randomly, on that park bench. Her first pieces went to clients at the salon she owned at the time, but then Love Tokens was still 15 years in the future: 2005. “(Former State Secretary of Education) Sandy Garrett got Stacey on Michael Milken’s board,” Chris says. “Through those connections, Julia Roberts saw her jewelry, and liked it well enough to buy one of the first pieces.”

Chris’ mother died in 2003, and Stacey, who was already better than a novice at making jewelry by then, inherited a large collection of Catholicthemed jewelry that Chris’ family did not want.

“I’ve always been obsessed with antique jewelry,” Stacey says, “and she had a huge collection of rosaries, medallions and other religious jewelry, much of it antique. I deconstructed many of the pieces to use in my own jewelry.”

Grier would help add the other element that makes Love Tokens distinctive: fabric work. In fact, the hand-crocheted chain he taught her is still in regular use on some designs.

The company is headquartered on Stacey’s family land between NW Oklahoma City and Piedmont, and the workshop is adjacent to Okie NoName 11, one of a series of lakes built in the 1950s by the Army Corps of Engineers as a flood abatement resource. The couple live in Stacey’s grandparents’ old house, and other relatives live on the property, making it a proper family compound.

Both are native and lifelong Oklahoma City residents: He went to Putnam City Original, and she went to PC North. Chris attended OU, where he studied public administration with an eye toward going into politics in some capacity. They met there and married in 1989. He started a screenprinting company while still in college, and it took off, but as the jewelry business continued to grow, it was apparent that his life was taking a different direction. In 2005, they had to decide what to call the rapidly expanding company.

“A love token is a real piece of jewelry,” Chris says. “A coin, really, but it was engraved on both sides, and offered as a sign of affection. Stacey had collected a bunch of them, and we both liked the name.”

The success of the business created a pivot point not long after the formal launch. “I had been doing all antique jewelry for years,” Stacey says, “but we started to run out of pieces I could repurpose or deconstruct.”

An obvious problem, yes, but one most people wouldn’t anticipate given how much jewelry you find at estate sales and other events. The popularity of her products brought the problem to the forefront much faster than they expected, so the process of creating their own pieces from scratch, so to speak, seemed the only option.

“We just ran out of stuff,” Chris says. “So we taught ourselves how to cast. Now, 90% of our jewelry is a cast product. Roughly 80% is silver, but we use American turquoise, bronze, gold, bone and other products as well.”

To make the process work, Love Tokens has 11 employees, including the DeGraffenreids’ adult children Demi and Dylan. The bulk of the work is done in a kiln room and workshop, where employees take each piece through the necessary steps: design, 3D printing (when necessary), wax mold, cast, cut and clean, assembly, tarnish and finish.

The kiln room has a high-tech crucible, as well as a kiln for pieces that need the temperature dialed in. Industry outsiders might think temperatures approaching 1800 degrees Fahrenheit would do the trick without much tweaking, but silversmith Ethan Hall said sometimes they need more control of temperatures, even between 1800 and 1900 degrees.

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Love Tokens owners Chris and Stacey DeGraffenreid

Hall has three apprentices, and all the current employees are at Love Tokens due to referrals from other employees. “We work with UCO, too,” Chris says. “They have a jewelry design program. One of our people graduated from the program, and a few have been in it in some capacity.”

Aspen-based Kemo Sabe is the company’s number one client, according to Chris. “We manufacture hat bands for their custom hats, slides and pins, and they carry our custom designs in all five stores. It’s been a tremendously beneficial relationship for us.”

Locally, Love Tokens pieces can also be found at Lucchese Bootmaker in the First National Center, and at Wohali on N. Western, a custom hatmaker and design studio owned by Cealy Fawn Mills.

“Creating a custom hat is incredibly personal,” Mills says. “We are lucky to have the creatives at Love Tokens right here in Oklahoma City.

Having them locally allows us to work closely in creating personalized pieces for our clients, in addition to the options we carry in our studio.

It’s an important part of our process. They are always up for the challenge; it’s their passion. We are always just as excited as the client to see the final vision come to life.”

Demi DeGraffenreid said the short-term plan for Love Tokens is to get its products in as many states as possible, and in front of as many people as possible. The goal is to have Love Tokens become a household name where jewelry is concerned. Given the company’s client list and story, it’s on the right track. •

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Katie Kanak demonstrates Third Position Ardha Uttanasana

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TAKING YOGA OFF THE MAT

Katie Kanak brings Ashtanga to Oklahoma City

BY ALEXANDRA BOHANNON PHOTOGRAPHY BY VALENTINA GUTIÉRREZ

T

he journey within is never without twists and turns. No one is more aware of that than Katie Kanak, owner and lead teacher of Ashtanga Yoga Shala OKC — Oklahoma City’s first Ashtangaonly yoga studio.

Given that position, it might come as a surprise that despite her current dedication to teaching Ashtanga yoga full-time, the first few yoga classes she attended in 2011 didn’t fully draw her into the practice.

“At first,” admits Kanak, “I was like, ‘I don’t want to go sit on a mat and stretch with people. But there’s got to be something to it.’”

She explains that over time, she could see past the physical postures and dive into the breathwork, giving her “the mind-body connection” that she had been perpetually craving (but not getting) from running.

After moving to Oklahoma from Wichita, Kansas, Kanak looked for a studio that would allow her to deepen her understanding of her yoga practice. Her search brought her to her first Ashtanga yoga class in Norman, where she fell in love with the approach this particular practice offers. “I drove down there one day after work, took Primary Series, and no music, just breath. Very traditional,” remembers Kanak.

“And after class, I was like, ‘What was that? This is it. This is exactly what I’m looking for.’”

After one month of practicing yoga with Andrew Eppler, Kanak signed up for yoga teacher training to learn the Primary Series, the first sequence of poses in Ashtanga. And despite expressing to Eppler that she wasn’t planning to teach afterward, this choice to join the teacher training changed her path forever.

WOVEN TOGETHER To understand Ashtanga yoga is to understand that what Western exercise culture has popularized as yoga is merely one piece of yogic philosophy. While many individuals may only interact with the physical practice of asanas (body postures) and call that yoga, Ashtanga is one approach that seeks to integrate all of the philosophical principles ofand yoga Luke Tylyninto Fry one physical, mental and spiritual practice to take on and off the mat.

These principles — called the eight limbs of yoga — include moral teachings (restraints and observances), breathwork, concentration, sense withdrawal, meditation, higher concentration and participating in set postures. In fact, the word ashtanga is derived from two Sanskrit words: ashta meaning eight and anga meaning limb. All the limbs of yoga weave together in Ashtanga to allow the practitioner to develop crucial, deep inner strength while simultaneously building outer strength.

Additionally, in contrast to some yoga classes, Ashtanga practitioners traditionally work on a set series of postures established in a fixed, unchanging order. Only mastery of each posture will allow practitioners to progress from the Primary Series (where everyone starts) to the Intermediate and Advanced Series. In an Ashtanga session, there is no music, just focus on breath, energy, concentration and postures.

FROM OKLAHOMA TO INDIA Even after receiving her 200-hour yoga teacher certification in Ashtanga yoga in 2013, Kanak didn’t immediately begin teaching Ashtanga. As Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga share a common lineage, she taught other classes at studios across the metro and in her living room.

Her path took a new direction when she met her teacher David Garrigues in 2016. Garrigues is one of the few American teachers ever certified by the founder of Ashtanga in India. Their relationship started with workshops, which turned into weeklong intensives, culminating with Kanak traveling to India to train at the Ashtanga Yoga School of Mysore in Kovalam, India, from 2017 to 2019.

“While I was there, it was like starting from scratch,” says Kanak.

“My practice deepened so much just from having a daily morning Mysore practice and being around others — their energy and their passion to learn and practice.”

After coming back to the U.S., Kanak began to offer a daily Mysore practice in her living room for a handful of eager practitioners, and continues to do so at her Ashtanga shala (Sanskrit for space or home, the term for an Ashtanga studio) that opened in August of this year.

Mysore sessions, named after the city in India where Ashtanga was

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Kanak demonstrates Janu Sirsasana

“I’ve seen older people in their 50s and 60s with the most amazing practices, doing things that 20-year-olds and 30-year-olds still have a hard time doing,” says Kanak. She explained that older practitioners often have more success in Ashtanga, because “you just stop caring as much about what other people think, or your own expectations. And it’s just freeing.”

Three days a week at Ashtanga Yoga Shala OKC, Kanak offers led classes, which are structured more like a traditional class in which individuals are led through poses in the Primary series. She also hosts occasional workshops such as her upcoming Womb and Tantra Retreat on Dec. 12, which offers practitioners the opportunity to embrace their “feminine energy more fully” through meditation, breathwork and APPROACHING THE JOURNEY OF THE SELF Considering the background and requirements of an Ashtanga energy healing.

Thanks to her permanent location out of the OneHealthyBod practice and its lineage, it’s unsurprising that this approach has developed a reputation that can alienate potential practitioners. complex in Edmond, she offers people a community that can transform Pose modifications and props like blocks, straps and blankets are not practitioners.

“A lot of healing, I feel, is done in private,” says Kanak. “When found in Ashtanga in India.

But at Kanak’s Ashtanga shala, she prioritizes accessibility and you’re in a community and there’s that safe, loving space being held, modifications to the practice. This runs counter to many perspectives I look around, I’m like ‘They’re doing it, too.’ To be seen, it speeds up on traditional Ashtanga practice, and comes from a new movement — the healing process that much more.” • which was started by her teacher Garrigues — to make Ashtanga more approachable and welcome practitioners of all shapes, sizes and ages.

Kanak finds Ashtanga’s approach to a set series of postures offers a foundation for a practice that only gets better with age. Since the sequence is unchanging, practitioners can consistently engage with To learn more about Ashtanga Yoga Shala OKC or to register for the Womb poses that challenge them and see how their practice evolves as they and Tantra Retreat on Dec. 12, visit aysokc.com. You can also follow Katie Kanak on Facebook at Katie Kanak - Yoga or Instagram at kanakkatiemarie. return to their mat and breathe each day.

founded, are structured differently than an average class. In Mysore, there are windows of arrival where the student is expected to stay for 90 minutes each day. Instead of an instructor leading the class, the student begins to work through the set postures in the series with which they’re working. The instructor observing the session will walk from student to student to offer insight, individualized teaching and physical adjustments.

“I feel like it’s an empowering practice because the practitioner, the student, they get to learn how to be their own teacher,” says Kanak.

“The Ashtanga yoga practice [allows] you to tailor it to what you need.”

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KEEPER OF THE STORY Preston Singletary’s tale in glass

BY MICHAEL KINNEY PHOTOGRAPHY BY KRYSTAL CAVALLO

G

rowing up in Seattle, Preston Kochéin Singletary pretty much had one goal. Like many in the Pacific Northwest in the 1970s and ’80s, he wanted to just write and play his music, and thought that was

going to be his life’s work.

More than four decades later, 60-year-old Singletary is a world-renowned artist, but not in music — his work with glass has not only changed the perception of what Native American art is but is also making sure people do not forget they “are still here.”

The direction his life took is one Singletary did not see coming until he was already on the path to being a Keeper of the Story.

OPPOSITE: Ch’áak’ Káa (Eagle Man)

by Preston Singletary

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“I had no clue that I would be so connected to the culture and the material when I started; because, to be honest, I wanted to be a musician, and that was my main goal,” Singletary says — he still makes music on the side. “But this sort of drew me in such a way that it became such a compelling experience and very unique, I think.”

Beyond anything else he does, the title “Keeper of the Story” defines Singletary’s life and career.

“Once you become a keeper of cultural knowledge, it becomes like a responsibility, is the way I look at it,” Singletary says. “And so that is something that I take very seriously now that I’m getting a lot of attention from my work, and I’m trying to give a real honest and accurate sort of depiction, the way I interpret the culture.”

The story Singletary has been keeping and sharing for the past five years revolves around a Tlingit legend titled “Raven and the Box of Daylight.” The multi-sensory exhibit has been on tour across the United States since 2019, and is currently on display at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art through April 28, 2024.

Being able to bring the story of Raven to Oklahomans and to the rest of America is something Singletary, who is part Tlingit, sees as his responsibility. Before landing at the OKCMOA, the exhibit made stops in Tacoma, Washington; Wichita, Kansas; Norfolk, Virginia; and Washington, D.C. “I feel like this is a real opportunity for me to share the culture, cultural art and the story and the perspectives with a much broader audience,” Singletary says. “The fact that it’s been traveling around the country since 2019 — a lot of people have seen it. For me, it’s a real honor to be able to share it with just so many people.”

This was not always his mindset. Even after he began to slide into glassblowing, he was just fulfilling some internal need.

“It became something that I wanted, to honor both the material itself and bring new objects into the world,” Singletary says. “But also when I was able to tether it with my cultural background, it became even that much more meaningful. So I have a real sense of purpose with what I’m doing today.”

Part of that purpose is to shine a light on Native American art and the fact that it comes in varying forms and mediums. That includes glassblowing.

“It really did give me a bit of a niche in terms of a unique perspective, and so I started getting attention for what I was doing almost prematurely,” Singletary says. “I hadn’t really developed my ability to draw these designs out in a real strong way, but people were excited. I think that people saw the work that I did before was more about European decorative arts, vases and bowls and things like that. But when I started to do this work, I think people responded to it immediately. In the first show that I had in Seattle, I basically sold every piece. And so I think that people recognize that there’s something more personal going on, and so that worked in my favor and with the popularity that I was gaining at that time.”

Everything Singletary had done during his past has culminated in the “Raven and the Box of Daylight” exhibition. With some 60 handmade pieces, it is his biggest project ever, and the last of this scale.

The idea, which was sparked by his mentor Walter Porter, took years to put together as he worked on each piece individually and gave them their own unique look.

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ABOVE: “Xáat (Salmon)”

by Preston Singletary OPPOSITE TOP: “American Tlingit”

by Preston Singletary OPPOSITE BOTTOM: “K’anashgidéi Yáx Koowdzitee (Humble Birth)”

by Preston Singletary

“Walter shared with me lots of the information and details about the story.

And so I tried to evoke those elements or those feelings within the story in this exhibition,” Singletary says. “So many years of developing my skills as a designer in the Northwest Coast style. And it took about three years to put this exhibition together. So I would make a few pieces and then I’d put them in storage. And then over a three-year period, I finally had all the elements for the story.”

Singletary uses dozens of glass sculptures that he created, along with projections and audio, throughout an exhibition that spans multiple rooms at the OKCMOA. Each item is meticulously placed along a path in order to retell the Tlingit origin story of Raven and how light was brought to the world by releasing the stars, moon and sun.

“Everything I do is based on the cultural connections and stories and symbolism behind Tlingit art and culture. Raven is a big figure within that, because there are lots of stories about the things that Raven did to sort of bring order to the world,” Singletary explains. “And one of the things he did is he got the sun from this old man who is hoarding these objects in his clan house. And so the whole story … kind of talks about how Raven has powers of transformation.”

The story itself has been passed down from generation to generation.

Singletary’s use of glass has taken it down a new path, but toward the same destination.

“I’m sort of continuing the culture in this new material,” he says. “So obviously glass is not a traditional medium, but I contend that the more I work with it, the more traditional it can become. So the fact is that maybe an anthropological point of view might say this was never done before, so it becomes ‘It’s not as valid as the older objects.’ But the fact is that we have the ability to progress and work with new materials.”

Besides the distinctive look glass can give when formed in Singletary’s style, he knows it will help prolong the storytelling aspect.

“Glass has the potential to last for a millennium, but it can also break in a heartbeat,” Singletary says. “So that’s really an interesting juxtaposition because that’s how I’ve come to feel about the material. We have examples of Egyptian glass going back 2,000 years, and so the potential for these objects to live for a good long time is really there. So that’s where I see my role as kind of trying out new materials and bringing it in a formidable way into the cultural art perspective.” • To learn more about “Raven and the Box of Daylight” at the OKC Museum of Art, visit okcmoa.com.

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TO SEE IL SEME

Italian cuisine with Oklahoma ingredients makes a Tulsa destination

BY GREG HORTON PHOTOGRAPHY BY VALERIE WEI-HAAS

A

fter the fire last year at Farm Bar in Tulsa, owners Linda Ford and Chef Lisa Becklund watched anxiously as the target date to reopen kept receding into the distance. The

damage was too great to do a quick turnaround, and so the couple

— they are married — opted to pivot for three important reasons.

“We wanted to retain our staff and ensure they were compensated, keep a little revenue coming in for ourselves, and we eventually grew enamored of the space,” Ford says.

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Linda Ford and Chef Lisa Becklund

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The space she is referencing is now Il Seme (pronounced eel saymay), but at the time it was a defunct restaurant that had been left with all equipment and fixtures intact by a previous owner who couldn’t make it work.

“We were looking at what was essentially a turnkey situation,” Ford says. “Lisa and I realized we’d never be able to get a new restaurant at the same price, so we said yes.”

Becklund and Ford also own Living Kitchen Farm & Dairy in Depew, Oklahoma, which received a James Beard nomination for Outstanding Restaurant in 2022. Becklund was nominated for Best Chef — Southwest in 2023 by the same organization, but her career until Living Kitchen was largely centered in Italian restaurants. With Il Seme, the couple had a chance to do something unique in Oklahoma: regional Italian food.

“Most of what you see in Oklahoma is the New York City-Americanized style where the focus is on the sauces, not the taste and texture of the pasta,” Ford said. “By regional, though, we don’t mean Italian regions; we mean our region.”

Il Seme imports pasta flour and tomato sauces from Italy, but roughly 70% of its ingredients are sourced in Oklahoma. Proteins, for example, come from BF Farms (Enid), Grassroots Ranch (Porter) and Prairie Creek Farm (Kellyville). Produce comes from its own farm, as well as producers like Resilient Growers in Skiatook.

The pastas, with rare exceptions (gluten-free, for example) are made in house, and the menu is overseen by Chef Jordan Hawley. Becklund sets the tone and style, as well as some of the recipes like marinara and bolognese, but Hawley is free to tweak as necessary. The menu is heavy on pasta, but these are not necessarily heavy dishes. In fact, it has a wide selection of antipasti and salads, as well as 10-inch pizzas, and daily specials featuring beef, pork and fish. It’s a compact menu that changes hyper-seasonally.

“We have a base menu, but the ingredients in it change based on seasonal availability,” Ford says. “Not just the four big seasonal changes, but the month or few-week period when something is ready for harvest.

So the gnocchi will be on the menu regularly, but the mushrooms in the dish will change.”

The approach, along with an excellent selection of Italian wines from small producers, makes each trip to Il Seme a new adventure. The dishes are comfortable and familiar, but their compositions vary slightly, so pairings change, and the flavor profile shifts a bit. Farmers like Becklund and Ford wouldn’t have it any other way.

“We’re looking to expand into the space next door,” Ford says. “It will allow us to expand our bar program, and give us space to buy new equipment to make some of the more complex pastas in-house.”

For diners, the expansion means more delicious choices, and even more adventures in learning how farming and food pair beautifully irrespective of the cuisine.•

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Find Il Seme at 15 W. 5th Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma Reserve a seat at the table at www.ilsemetulsa.com

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Wishing You a Joyful Holiday As the holiday season arrives, I wanted to send my warmest wishes for a time filled with joy. Here at Cherrywood Real Estate, we’re all about making your dreams of luxurious living come true, whatever the definition of luxury is to you.

As we wrap up another year, I’m excited for what the future holds — more incredible homes and endless possibilities.

Wishing you a fantastic holiday season and a new year filled with success.

cherrywoodre.com B U Y | S E L L | R E N T | P R O P E R T Y M A N AG E M E N T

Lauren Toppins 78 LUXI E R E

Founder | Broker | Realtor

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$3,225,000 | 14925 Gaillardia Lane

$1,950,000 | 125 Lower Greenway

$1,795,000 | 15004 Gaillardia Lane

$1,700,000 | 117 Lower Greenway

$1,695,000 | 11800 SW 104th Street

$1,650,000 | 30 Redbud Street

$1,425,000 | 3624 Winding Lake Circle

$1,400,000 | 104 Sandstone Drive

www.OKLuxuryHomes.com

www.OKLuxuryHomes.com

www.CarltonLandingRealty.com

www.CarltonLandingRealty.com

www.OKLuxuryHomes.com

www.OKLuxuryHomes.com

www.CarltonLandingRealty.com

www.CarltonLandingRealty.com

LISTED BY:

Wyatt Poindexter, Keller Williams Elite 405-417-5466 OKLuxuryHomes.com 5629 N. Classen Blvd | Oklahoma City, OK 80 LUXI E R E

RECORD BREAKING $156,538,639 CLOSED IN 2022

$1,350,500 | 33 Park Street

$1,190,000 | 45 Boardwalk

$1,095,000 | 10300 S Czech Hall Road

$1,087,000 | 38 Hill Street

$999,000 | 65 Boardwalk Street

$949,000 | 6320 Buena Vista Court

$949,000 | 65 Lower Greenway

$935,000 | 225 W First Street #138 & 139

$735,000 | 115071 S 4278 Road

$699,000 | 23921 N Pennsylvania Ave

$550,000 | 225 W First Street #125

$415,000 | N Sugar Hill Drive

$325,000 | 11837 Mill Hollow Court

$325,000 | 9708 Farmhouse Lane

$159,000 | 60 N Center Lane

$99,900 | 68 Hill Street

www.CarltonLandingRealty.com

www.CarltonLandingRealty.com

www.OKLuxuryHomes.com

www.OKLuxuryHomes.com

www.CarltonLandingRealty.com

www.OKLuxuryHomes.com

www.OKLuxuryHomes.com

www.OKLuxuryHomes.com

www.OKLuxuryHomes.com

www.OKLuxuryHomes.com

www.CarltonLandingRealty.com

www.OKLuxuryHomes.com

www.CarltonLandingRealty.com

www.CarltonLandingRealty.com

www.OKLuxuryHomes.com

www.CarltonLandingRealty.com

LISTED BY:

Wyatt Poindexter, Keller Williams Elite 405-417-5466 OKLuxuryHomes.com 5629 N. Classen Blvd | Oklahoma City, OK LUXI E R E 81

B R A D R E E S E R R E A L E S TAT E T E A M

BRADREESER.COM

|

405-990-8262

153 1 6 STONE Y SPRING ROAD FA I RV I E W FA R M S , E D M O N D 3 B E D S | 3 F U L L & 2 H A L F B AT H S LIBR ARY | SUNROOM 5,437 SQFT

$895,000

L I S T ED B Y:

Brad Reeser Real Estate Team 405-990-8262 BradReeser.com 10 E. Campbell | Edmond, OK 82 LUXI E R E

LOTS STARTING AS LOW AS $149,900

WWW.FORESTCREEKEDMOND.COM

Welcome to Forest Creek 1 TO 2+ ACRE LOTS | GATED COMMUNITY EAST OF I-35 15 ACRE NATURE PRESERVE | EDMOND, OKLAHOMA

The natural beauty of Forest Creek Estates will inspire you to dream big. This is an environmentally friendly gated community, with a 5-acre lake, 15-acre nature preserve and acreage lots, designed for people who wish to create a uniquely distinctive home.

Wyatt Poindexter, Keller Williams Elite 405-417-5466 | OKLuxuryHomes.com 5629 N . Classen Blvd | Oklahoma City

AVAILABLE

2802 OAKHILL CIRCLE, ENID $895,000 | 4 BD | 5 BA | 5,046 SQ FT www.2802OakhillCircle.info

AVAILABLE

SOLD

1212 MULBERRY LANE, NICHOLS HILLS $839,000 | 3 BD | 3 BA | 2,654 SQ FT www.1212Mulberry.info

2909 CUMBERLAND DRIVE, EDMOND $785,000 | 4 BD | 3.1 BA | 3,462 SQ FT www.2909Cumberland.info

OKL AHOMA REGIONAL AMBA SSADOR 5629 N CLASSEN BLVD, OKC 73118 405.948.7500

S I M O N S H I N G L E TO N 405HOUSEANDHOME.COM • 405.633.3611

LIVE. WORK. PLAY

MODERN URBAN LIVING 24 Custom Single Family Gated Homes | Executive Garden Offices from 3,000+ SF Gated Executive Garage Condos | Walking Trails, Ponds, Fountains, Parks “74” Full Service Restaurant

DAVI D BO HAN O N J D, D E VE LO P E R - B RO K E R D BO HAN O N @ B L ACKSTO N ECO M .CO M 405 . 8 50.09 87

NW 72nd & N Classen Blvd East of Nichols Hills WilshirePoint.com

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DAVID OLIVER HOMES NOTABLE PENDING AND CLOSED SALES IN 2023

11301 East Memorial Road, Jones | PENDING | $4,500,000 Buyer and Seller Represented

6713 Northwest Grand B, Nichols Hills | SOLD | $2,600,000 Buyer Represented

2433 Grand Circle, Nichols Hills | SOLD | $1,700,000 Seller Represented

1608 Saratoga Way, Saratoga Farms | SOLD | $1,665,567 Buyer and Seller Represented

1624 Westminster Place, Nichols Hills | SOLD | $1,635,000 Seller Represented

6706 Avondale Drive, Nichols Hills | SOLD | $1,200,000 Buyer and Seller Represented

3517 Quail Creek Road, Quail Creek | SOLD | $1,185,000 Buyer and Seller Represented

1200 Classen Drive #201, Villa Teresa | SOLD | $1,075,000 Seller Represented

© 2023 Sage Sotheby’s International Realty. All rights reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty Logo are service marks licensed to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC and used with permission. Sage Sotheby’s International Realty fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated. Any services or products provided by independently owned and operated franchisees are not provided by, affiliated with or related to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC nor any of its affiliated companies.

Nothing Compares to Esperanza Ranch The wild beauty of Oklahoma meets the charm of the unexpected just 15 minutes from Edmond near historic Route 66 in Luther, Oklahoma. With millions invested to create a one-of-a-kind sanctuary, this 245-acre ranch provides an 19th-century handhewn 2,800 sqft barn, juxtaposing rustic elegance with state-of-the-art amenities to serve as a venue for truly memorable events.

This true turnkey operation, complete with a 4,000sqft luxury farmhouse was designed to escape the hustle of daily life, complete with a tranquil pond and cascading waterfall bathing in the warm glow of a setting sun. It’s time to call this paradise home.

23400 North Luther Rd, Luther, OK 245-AC R E R A N C H | 4,000 SQ F T LU X U RY FA R M H O U S E 2 ,800 SQ F T H A N D - H E W N B A R N | P O N D W IT H WAT E R FA L L

$6,500,000 For more details, visit OklahomaFieldOfDreams.com

David G. Oliver 6430 N. Western Avenue, Oklahoma City 73116 405.532.3800 | david @ davidoliverhomes.com DavidOliverHomes.com LUXI E R E 87

T HE

JOY BA R ESEL P ORTFOLIO OF FINE HOMES

2530 W WILSHIRE BLVD, OKLAHOMA CITY $2,500,000 | ACTIVE

1831 DRAKESTONE AVE, NICHOLS HILLS $1,500,000 | SOLD

5016 WATER OAK WAY, EDMOND $1,236,100 | ACTIVE

1121 NW 42ND ST, OKLAHOMA CITY $799,900 | ACTIVE

1125 NW 42ND ST, OKLAHOMA CITY $799,900 | ACTIVE

312 CROWN COLONY LN, EDMOND $599,900 | ACTIVE

Joy Baresel / CEO

joy.baresel@evrealestate.com

Private Office Real Estate Advisor, Broker

joybaresel.evrealestate.com

+1 405-826-7465

Instagram: @joybaresel

1309 Redbud Hollow | Edmond 3 BED | 4 BATHS | 6,067 SQ FT

$1,150,000

2825 Guilford Lane | Oklahoma City 6 BED | 6.5 BATHS | 875 SQ FT GARAGE STUDIO WITH 1 FULL BATH | 7,000 SQ FT

$3,000,000

©2023 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

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90 LUXI E R E