405 HOME Fall 2021

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Once Upon A Story Where we live. What we love. Who we are.

Design/Build by Monarch Properties Photo by Sarah Strunk Photography

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features 36

Labor of Love History enthusiast Amber Brown Matlack made all her dreams come true when she renovated her 1935 Edgemere home.

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Southern Charm

EMILY HART

Charleston native Laura Hilgenfeld brought her love of the South home – to Norman – through distinct architecture and design. (Pictured)

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departments G A L L E RY 1 6 WA R M I N G U P

Fall presents a golden opportunity to incorporate warm colors and cozy patterns into interiors.

1 8 G O O D H O S P I TA L I T Y

Capturing the spirit of one California maître d’ makes Andrea and John Ridley feel right at home.

MAKERS 2 2 H O U S E O F C L AY

John Frank molded Frankoma Pottery into a nationally beloved brand.

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Katherine Cobbs grabs pantry staples to concoct cocktail recipes.

2 6 B U T T E R F LY E F F E C T

Metal artist Christie Hackler shares how her “Migratory Experiment” began.

L I V I NG 30 R AMBLE ON

Discover a Denver hotel steeped in intrigue and luxury.

3 2 H AV E A S E AT

One hundred modern chairs on display, courtesy of architect Russell Megee.

3 4 AW E A N D O R D E R

Transforming a cluttered mess into an organized prize, with a little help.

G AT H E R I NG S 8 2 C O M F O R TA B LY S E T

Creating a new look for familiar place settings.

8 4 S U N N Y D I S P O S I T I O N

This year, sunflowers get their chance to shine.

I N E V E RY I S SU E 1 2 F R O M T H E E D I TO R

This issue serves as a celebration of stories—the projects and passions that define us—including that of our own Sara Gae Waters.

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ON THE COVER Photographer Emily Hart set this storybook scene: Estee, the Matlack family’s standard poodle, in the girls’ pale pink bedroom, complete with dreamy rattan daybeds and starry Kelly Wearstler Paper.

CARLI ECONOMY

The freshness of spring provides ideal timing for change. 405HOME writers, editors and photographers anticipate great things to come.

New this year a VIRTUAL kitchen tour plus bonus homes!

PUBLISHER

Kaley Regas kaley@hilltopmediagroup.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Sara Gae Waters saragae.waters@405magazine.com Editorial MANAGING EDITOR

Evie Klopp Holzer COPY EDITOR

Steve Gill CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Greg Horton, Adi McCasland, Lillie-Beth Sanger Brinkman, Melissa Mercer Howell Art ART DIRECTOR

Christopher Lee

Oklahoma County Medical Society Alliance - INVITES YOU Inside some of the most beautiful homes in northwest Oklahoma City

JOINus

2021 Alliance Kitchen Tour in the Nichols Hills area

Sunday, 11am–4pm

OCT. 24

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Carli Economy, Emily Hart, Rachel Maucieri, Charlie Neuenschwander, Don Risi

Advertising ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Cynthia Whitaker-Attalla cynthia.whitakerhill@405magazine.com Drew Smith drew.smith@405magazine.com Jack Ellis jack.ellis@405magazine.com

STORY IDEAS AND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Your views and opinions are welcome.

Include your full name, address, daytime phone number and email to editor@405magazine.com. Letters sent to 405HOME Magazine become the magazine’s property, and it owns all rights to their use. 405HOME Magazine reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and length.

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©2021 Hilltop Media Group. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of 405Home content, in whole or part by any means, without the express written consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited. 405Home is not responsible for the care of and/or return of unsolicited materials. 405Home reserves the right to refuse advertising deemed detrimental to the community’s best interest or in questionable taste. Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of ownership or management.

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Subscription Customer Service: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. CST. 405 Magazine, P.O. Box 16765, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6765, Phone 818.286.3160, Fax 800.869.0040, subscriptions@405magazine.com, 405magazine.com/subscribe

C O U P L E S T H E R A PY Relationships can get a little messy. So do shared closets. If you’re ready to achieve blissful organization, the experts at Wilshire Closets are ready to help. Our highly specialized designers take the time to learn your individual lifestyle needs and will transform your closet space so you both can begin and end your days in a calm, soothing environment. With dozens of finish options, plus a full line of innovative accessories and tailored lighting, our customized systems complement your design aesthetic as well as your budget.

Call for your free in-home consultation or visit our OKC Gallery or Norman Annex location and experience the Wilshire difference...where inspiration is always fun, fresh and lively.

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F R O M

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The Story of Home

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here at 405 is working on taking HOME in new directions, including publishing seasonally four issues a year. We are really excited to share more details with you in 2022. (Our “Looking Ahead” offers a sneak peek on page 88.) For now, though, take a seat in your favorite chair, and enjoy the stories we want to tell – from our “HOME” to yours.

SARA GAE WATERS

Editor-in-Chief

CARLI ECONOMY

I T M AY B E a bold statement, but I believe home design is mostly about storytelling. Though they may or may not be intentional, our places of residence have stories to tell. They might be steeped in the histories of the people who lived there before, or in purposeful designs that satisfy the homeowners’ personal needs, wants and dreams.

Our homes evolve with us as we age, children come and go, floors develop creaks … or perhaps they were always there.

A house becomes a home when we breathe life into it, adding our personal style, touch and feel. It’s a symbiotic relationship at its best. The narrative is fluid, changing as our lives do. The same could be said for many things: our vocations, hobbies, collections, the places we travel. All these things tell stories about who we are.

In this fall issue, our team has put together a wide selection of intriguing stories. The writers’ words and photographers’ pictures tell something collectively beautiful. Melissa Mercer Howell shares the history of Frankoma Pottery, a familiar brand to so many of us. Lillie-Beth Sanger Brinkman takes us inside two gorgeous homes. Greg Horton entertains us with a review of Oklahoman Katherine Cobbs’ new book on cocktails. Adi McCasland tells us an inspiring story of a local metal artist, while Evie Klopp Holzer sits down with architect and avid chair collector Russell Megee.

You will also find practical advice for organizing and table setting in this issue – and much more.

On a personal note, this is my first issue as editor-in-chief. I am thrilled to be here. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the women who mentored me along the way: Elizabeth Beard, Mia Blake, Heidi Rambo Centrella, Melissa Mercer Howell and, most recently, Christine Eddington.

They are a part of my story, and I’m thankful for all I learned from them.

405HOME has its own story and, like all of these other things, it continues to grow. The team

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G A L L E RY Fascinating ideas and fanciful objects for the home

Homebody Toddy

CARLI ECONOMY

Like Andrea and John Ridley, you may find the most hospitable cocktail lounge this fall is your own. Page 18

Glassware by BC Clark

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G A L L E R Y

M O O D

B OA R D

Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.”

– JIM BISHOP

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Warmth in Color FA LL P R E S E NTS A G O LD E N O PP O RTU N IT Y F O R COZ Y I NT E R I O RS

BY S A R A G A E WATERS PHOTO BY C A R LI ECONOM Y

A S T H E S H A D O W S get longer and the air temperature dips, our attention turns toward the trees and the leaves that will soon be turning. Fall is upon us. Patterns and textures, layered together in warm tones, are here to inspire you to bring similar beauty into your home. Warm up your tablescape, furnishings or home accents, and settle in for the season.

Samples courtesy of Pastiche Studios

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The Face of Hospitality A N L . A . M A ÎT R E D’ S E RV E S A S V I S UA L I N S PI R ATI O N I N T H E R I D LE YS’ O KC H O M E

BY GR EG HORTON PHOTO BY C A R LI ECONOM Y

A S S U M E YO U H AV E N U M B E R E D prints by Chagall, Miró and Picasso, and assume you are trying to decide which piece of art you will use as the focal point for your den—the room that contains your beautiful home bar. Andrea and John Ridley have the prints, including Miró’s colorful, whimsical, explosively geometric “Exhibition ‘XXII Salon de Mai’” in the den, but their choice to anchor the room and have the place of prominence over the bar fell to a very different 20th-century figure.

“Dimitri Dimitrov was the maître d’ at Sunset Tower Hotel in Los Angeles for many years,” John Ridley said. “It was a frequent haunt of mine when I lived there. Dimitri is world-renowned The Ridleys’ impressive art collection includes this abstract work by Joan Miró.

A framed print of Dimitri Dimitrov hangs over the Baker bar.

for his hospitality, and I thought he was appropriate to build the room and bar around.”

In the Ridleys’ den, Dimitrov stares without apparent focus at a point in the room behind and to the right of the viewer. His gold Les Clefs d’Or pin and Tom Ford-esque eyewear are the only notable distractions from his impossible-to-read expression in the framed print of a Robert Landau photograph.

“I had seen the photograph years ago, and I thought it captured Dimitri well, so I tracked down the photographer and bought a print,” John said. The Ridleys displayed him in a gilded frame, an excellent complement to the room’s warm woods and brass fixtures and accents.

The room is bounded by beautiful raised paneling, but it’s saved from being too dark by well-placed splashes of brilliant colors: a beautiful spindle back chair to anchor the Miró, cerulean tufted leather wingback chairs in an eclectic grouping that also features an antique table with turned spindle legs and the open bar itself that cleverly leaves the colorful bottle labels exposed.

All of the beautiful touches aside, Dimitrov is the central focus—not just because he has what people would call an interesting face, but because his presence there immediately inspires the question: Who is that? What sort of 18

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maître d’ inspires Tom Ford to write a name on a napkin and pass it to Sunset Tower Hotel owner Jeff Klein who had complained about the difficulty of staffing his hotel? What makes the Macedonian-born Dimitrov so special?

“He has a very calming presence,” John Ridley said. “He knows everyone by name, and he knows details about our lives and our projects. He is faultlessly polite—he’ll always get the last ‘Thank you.’ He has a very gentle way, and he always knows what his guests need.”

Ridley isn’t alone in his admiration of Dimitrov. The man has inspired many articles that seem to wonder aloud at his impact on the A-list scene in L.A. In the Ridley house, though, he is totem and emblem, an embodiment of hospitality worthy of aspiration.

How a print of a famous maître d’ “fits” into the Ridley house isn’t really a concern from an aesthetic perspective, though (even though it does work), because the collection is very eclectic by design.

“Much of our home is John’s world,” Andrea Ridley said. “The art, however, is collaborative. It’s a lot of his collection mixed with pieces we’ve both found, and the collection includes everything from vintage to fine art. We look for pieces that create an emotional connection for us.”

The bar—a Baker found in Kohler, Wisconsin—moved from room to room before finding its final home in the den.

It’s used for entertaining, not family happy hour. The crystal decanter from Bebe’s in Nichols Hills Plaza is a lovely, functional touch, even as Andrea describes their approach as more decorative than functional. It shows, inasmuch as the Ridleys seem to be more intuitive than intentional decorators; given the diversity of the collection, it’s probably a solid choice in methodology. John talks about editing the collection, and splitting it between home and offices helps, but he describes himself as someone “who loves stuff on the walls.” Given that, the diversity and profusion is likely to be an ongoing factor.

“When Dimitri landed over the bar, it just felt right,” Andrea said.

The Ridleys’ den is more than just the bar space; it’s a warm and comfortable room perfect for entertaining.

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M A K E R S People who make life a little lovelier

Metal Maven

RACHEL MAUCIERI

Christie Hackler’s butterfly-inspired art sends tender hearts aflutter (as does her dog Ouisie). Page 26

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House of Clay H OW O K L A H O M A’ S F R A N KO M A P OT TE RY WO N TH E H E A RTS O F S E R I O US CO LLEC TO RS

BY MELISS A MERCER HOW ELL

Pioneer Woman launched her line of cookware and Oklahoma City’s Chef John Bennett famously flew in Kaiser’s ice cream for the wedding of Julia Child’s niece, Frankoma pottery was in kitchens and on tables across America.

Best known for its dinnerware coated in prairie-colored glazes, Sapulpa-based Frankoma Pottery’s wares have become highly collectible in recent years, ranging in price from $5 for a popular mug to $10,000 for a rare, early piece.

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This photograph of Frankoma Pottery in Oklahoma City, circa 1965, shows a thriving enterprise.

A Piece of Oklahoma Some collectors of Frankoma pottery are drawn to its southwest flavor.

Colors such as Desert Gold, Redbud, Sky Blue and Prairie Green provide a palette inspired by regional landscapes. The colors are punctuated by molds created with Western motifs such as wagon wheels, buffalo and American Indian figures.

But for serious connoisseurs such as Jeanne Taylor of Vinita and Randy McFarlin of Ada, collecting is more a devotion to the soul of Frankoma.

“I live in Ada and have been going to the (Frankoma plant) since 1962,” said McFarlin, who is president of the Frankoma Family Collectors Association. “You put a piece of Frankoma pottery in your hand and it speaks to you. I understand that. It tells you a story.”

Taylor agrees.

“I see it as celebrating my roots, literally – I mean, the fact that it’s made from Oklahoma clay. When I give it as a gift, I say very honestly, ‘Here’s a little piece of Oklahoma,’” she said.

What to Look For The value of a piece of Frankoma Pottery is determined by the mold, clay and glaze used. The rarer, the more expensive. Lighter clay extracted from the Ada location is more valuable than the darker Sapulpa clay because of

PHOTO COURTESY OF OKLAHOMA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

The State’s First Pottery Business Frankoma was the brainchild of John Frank, a graduate of the Chicago School of Art, who was invited in 1927 to come to the University of Oklahoma and establish a ceramics program. In 1933, he launched Frank Potteries, Oklahoma’s first commercial pottery enterprise, which he renamed Frankoma Pottery in 1934. In 1936, Frank left full-time teaching and devoted himself solely to the business.

With the help of local geologists, Frank found light clay suitable for his pottery near Ada. Two years later, Frank moved to Sapulpa with his wife, Grace Lee, and daughters Donna and Joniece. They built a factory there on Route 66, but continued to transport clay from Ada. Unfortunately, the business languished through the Depression years.

“Norman didn’t particularly want us,” Grace Lee Frank told the Tulsa World in 1983. “John was so in love with his work that he thought everybody was crazy for it. But they weren’t. His biggest ambition was to create beautiful things that the average person could afford.”

Eventually, demand for Frankoma pottery grew and began to flourish in the 1950s. Frank discovered another clay deposit near Sapulpa and began extracting it from Sugar Loaf Hill in 1954. Building on the success of his traditional pieces, Frank also began to utilize his marketing acumen and developed an entirely new line of commemorative pieces, which have also become sought-after collectibles.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE OKLAHOMAN

I see it as celebrating my roots, literally – I mean, the fact that it’s made from Oklahoma clay.

When I give it as a gift, I say very honestly, ‘Here’s a little piece of Oklahoma.’ ” – J E A N N E TAY LO R

ABOVE: Visitors from three states give Joniece Frank, right, their attention during this 1956 tour, as she explains the processes by which pottery is made.

RIGHT: Frankoma employees trim pottery in this 1956 photo.

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The Frank home entry features ceramics glazed in Prairie Green and hand-painted by John and Grace Lee Frank.

THE HOUSE THAT FRANKOMA BUILT Bruce Goff design reflects legacy of ceramic art

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In this 1956 photo, Lewis Side, right, is making a pot lid on the jigger wheel, which is a mechanical and electrical improvement on the old-fashioned pottery wheel.

its rarity. Glazes used only for a short time increase the value of a piece. The same goes for molds.

Building a Frankoma collection can range from affordable to pricey, with pieces that appeal to a variety of collectors.

“Most collectors have favorite glazes and finishes. And pay attention to the clay. Ada clay is a beautiful pale, beige or ecru clay. Sapulpa clay is much more traditional – a terra cotta clay, pinkish to dark red. You can turn a piece over and look at the bottom,” Taylor said. “They have this numbering system for their molds. Most have mold numbers that go into the 500s. This will tell you what Frankoma called the piece and will tell you the value of the piece.”

And collectors are as varied as the pieces they buy, McFarlin said.

“You have people who like certain vases, others who just collect the dishes. There are different pieces for different interests. There’s something for everybody,” he said. “We have people who come (to our annual meeting) from California, Nebraska, Florida – just about every state. Folks come from great distances. It’s retained its popularity.”

Frankoma in the 21st Century Following John Frank’s death in 1973, his daughter Joniece took over operations until 1991. The business changed hands three times from the 1990s to the 2000s. Current owner Dennis Glascock bought the molds and trademark in 2012, but the Sapulpa factory was sold to another manufacturer.

Frankoma continues to produce pottery in small batches, but Glascock says he is planning to expand as early as next year. “(In June) we started construction on a new building in Glenpool at 171st Street and Highway 75. So, in this building we’re going to have manufacturing, a retail store and an office with it. That’s kind of where we stand today,” he said. “The important thing I think with Frankoma is that it is kept in the state. I am now a Texas resident, but I do recognize how important Frankoma is in the state of Oklahoma. To me, Frankoma is a part, or at least recognized as a part of Oklahoma just as much as Will Rogers. You can’t separate those, in my mind.”

BRUCE GOFF HOME: PROVIDED; FRANKOMA: PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OKLAHOMAN

John and Grace Lee Frank, in 1955, asked renowned architect Bruce Goff to design a home that would reflect their life’s work and the legacy of Frankoma Pottery.

Goff, then chairman of the School of Architecture at The University of Oklahoma, designed a house that spoke the Franks’ language of ceramic art and echoed the sweeping lines found in many of Frank’s art pieces.

Made of thousands of hand-glazed tiles and bricks – painted by the Franks themselves – each room features a remnant of Frankoma Pottery, organically balanced with natural materials and ornamental fixtures. The centerpiece is a tiled fireplace, constructed in a shape reminiscent of an ancient pottery kiln.

“They wanted their house to be ‘Frankoma,’” said Kandy Steeples, a longtime friend of the Frank family and current owner of the house. “Even the bricks that line the driveway, inside the kitchen, all around the oven – those are all glazed in Frankoma glazes. Every aspect of that house has Frankoma in it.”

The home also features a swimming pool and a ceramic studio where Steeples continues to produce Frankoma Pottery in small quantities.

Held in Frank family hands until the death of Joniece Frank in 2015 and Donna Frank in 2020, Steeples says it’s hard to separate the home from Frankoma and Frankoma from Oklahoma. Each has a piece in the other.

“It is part of Oklahoma. He (John Frank) was always involved in Oklahoma and promoting it, as well as Frankoma.”

The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Home Cocktail Concoctions I N S PI R AT I O N A N D E X PE R I M E NTATI O N F RO M K AT H E R I N E CO B B S

BY GR EG HORTON | ILLUSTR ATION BY M AYA METZ LOGUE

I N P R E PA R I N G T H E list of recipes that would be included in her new book Pantry Cocktails, Katherine Cobbs actually attempted to make a cocktail utilizing Kewpie mayonnaise, the condiment loved by Chef Roy Choi and called “the best mayonnaise in the world”

by Momofuku founder Chef David Chang.

“I approached the book as if nothing was off-limits,” Cobbs said. “I put out a call for ideas using Kewpie to the many bartenders who contributed to my previous books, and I got some pretty interesting ideas about ways to incorporate it—but none of them proved very tasty when put to the test, in my opinion.”

The goal of Pantry Cocktails is to help home bartenders use what they have on hand to make delicious drinks. The idea came up last year when everyone was stuck at home with favorite haunts closed due to COVID. Cobbs, who grew up in OKC and now lives in Birmingham, Alabama, was working on a three-book deal with Simon & Schuster that included Cookies & Cocktails and Tequila & Tacos.

“People don’t really tinker with cocktails like they do with food,” Cobbs said. “There’s a level of fear there, based partly on the cost of alcohol and partly on unfamiliarity. The latter can be overcome by playing around like we do with food recipes. It requires trial and error, and we all know what we like based on a lifetime of eating and drinking. We should trust our instincts.”

The beautifully illustrated book contains more than 50 cocktail recipes cooked up by Cobbs, as well as hacks on making “cheater” ingredients for things you don’t have on hand, and some basic food recipes for delicious accompaniments and pairings. It’s a gorgeous guide with helpful tips, and more than anything, it encourages the kind of fun you can only have by concocting your own recipes—and tasting along the way.

As for where to get started—who reads “cookbooks” front to back?—Cobbs recommends doing what you love first.

“I’d say pick a recipe based on what you love from a flavor standpoint, look at the ingredients you have on hand and go from there, or simply use a recipe as a jumping-off point and improvise,” she suggested. “I’m a big believer that a recipe is like a roadmap, and there are multiple ways to get to where you want to be.”

The “nothing off limits” approach to the book means you’ll find some surprises along the way, including dijon mustard. Yes, dijon mustard. In a cocktail.

“I first tasted mustard in a mezcal cocktail while researching my previous book, Tequila & Tacos, and it was surprisingly delicious,” Cobbs said, “so I asked my bartender pals about this unlikely ingredient. While hardly commonplace, it has been showing up in cocktails lately.

So I knew I wanted to play around with it in this book to see how its flavor and texture could complement other cocktail ingredients.”

The genius of the book lies in Cobbs’ approach to using common items to mimic ingredients you’d find in good bars everywhere.

No créme de cassis around? A bar spoon of jam will impart the same flavor component.

No créme de violette? A handful of blueberries will add color with minimal berry flavor. Also helpful are the brief recipes up front for syrups, cordials, oleo-saccharum and grenadine.

Don’t worry about not knowing terminology; Cobbs is a phenomenal communicator, and never assumes the knowledge level of her audience. Everything is explained, and the organization allows more experienced bartenders to just skip to the recipe.

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M E TA L

The Butterfly Effect M E TA L A RT I S T C H R I S T I E H AC K LE R ’ S “ M I G R ATO RY E X P E R I M E N T ”

BY A DI MCC ASL A ND PHOTOS BY R ACHEL M AUCIER I

This wall installation, called “...Even in your Dreams,” was commissioned for a bedroom in Wayzata, Minnesota.

Edward Lorenz developed the idea that tiny changes can make big differences, he began calling it “the butterfly effect”—symbolized by something as subtle as a wing flutter in Brazil causing a ripple that sets off a tornado in Texas.

Butterflies may or may not affect our weather, but they can affect our mood … and perhaps no one appreciates this more than metal artist Christie Hackler.

A S M E T E O R O LO GY P R O F E S S O R

Non-linear Flight Hackler’s father was a writer and designer, and her mother was a portrait artist and oil map draftsman. Creativity wasn’t forced upon her; it’s simply in her blood. To deny the arts would be to deny her spirit, and Hackler is nothing if not true to herself.

In the mid-’80s, she was engaged to her high school sweetheart—a fairytale-like engagement that ended just five days before she met her current husband of 32 years. She fell madly in love with him, and more than three decades and four children later, he still knows to bring her tumbleweeds instead of flowers.

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“There is something metaphorical, something spiritual about them,” Hackler said.

“The tumbleweeds are gloriously alive, and then they die, break off and go on the road.

They’re dead, but still feel very alive, much like a memory.”

Motherhood came quickly for Hackler, and it would be many years before she returned to school. Even through the frenzy of raising a band of littles, she continued to flex her creative muscles by way of murals, pottery and baking. However, none of those outlets seemed to satisfy.

Metamorphosis Craving a more involved endeavor in the arts, she enrolled in the University of Central Oklahoma’s ceramics program—an ambition that lasted only until later that day, when she met the metals teacher, Charleen Weidell.

Weidell offered an explorative approach to learning, giving Hackler enough guidance to keep her safe while not stifling her. Art is subjective, after all, with very little right or wrong. Understanding that, in and of itself,

is a masterful form of art and this “try it” technique fosters master artists.

In 2010, Hackler earned her metalsmithing degree. This was 14 years after the devastating loss of her six-year-old son, Thomas. When asked about Thomas, Hackler simply says that the tragedy has long been processed. It is both polite and clear: She neither needs nor wants sympathy. She has had her fill. She has moved past the pain, and she is undeniably devoted to focusing on the happy.

That’s when the butterflies emerged.

If you ask Hackler about her rise as an artist, she will tell you that success is in your own mind—that if you feel successful, you are successful. If you ask anyone else in her orbit, they would probably say it was March 2015, when she had her first solo show at The Project Box in Oklahoma City’s Paseo Arts District.

In the 16 months before that, Hackler and her husband, Jim, lost both of his parents, his brother and her father. While she was busy navigating the logistics of death, the show was sneaking up on her.

“Whatever I make,” she told herself, “it’s going to be all about happiness.”

Her purpose is to evoke a sense of wonder and foster a sense of interconnectedness, and the kaleidoscope is ever growing.

She recalled a snapshot in time from nearly two decades prior.

Hackler was driving her sons, six-year-old Thomas and oneyear-old Chris, home from school, and they found themselves suddenly enveloped in a kaleidoscope of migrating Monarchs. It was spontaneous, fleeting—and it was happy.

Artful Migration At Hackler’s first solo exhibit, The Project Box was lined in skyblue panels, decorated with 300 meticulously welded, enameled, polished butterflies. Hackler worked nearly 400 hours on the installation and titled it “Forgive: A Migratory Experiment.”

“I realized that I needed to forgive the world for what happened to me,” Hackler explained. “There was no one to blame, but I needed to forgive the situation, to move on, to find happy.”

In April 2016, Hackler installed “Embark: A Migratory Experiment,” also at The Project Box—a display of the ubiquitous orange butterflies that flit on and off the rocks, symbolizing that we are all together, moving on a journey. In August 2018 at JRB Art at the Elms, she installed “Immortal: A Migratory Experiment,” an exploration of immortality and reality.

“These [installations] are metaphors of migrating out of grief and into peace and happiness,” Hackler said.

“A Migratory Experiment” is a concept with no clear point of culmination. Hackler will tell you that she is not special in this.

“Loss is unavoidable and widely experienced,” she said, “and understanding that, I’m trying to make people feel less alone in it.” Her purpose is to evoke a sense of wonder and foster a sense of interconnectedness, and the kaleidoscope is ever-growing.

Though each of these installations was temporary, her mission is not. In this ongoing pursuit of propinquity, Hackler has made more than 2,000 butterflies, and names them after real children who are no longer earth-side. If you ask her about them, she will offer sweet details about both the butterfly and the person, all with a curious ability to meet your eyes, holding a peaceful gaze even while trudging through heartbreaking detail. This, too, is an art. Each child has a story, and each butterfly helps that story live on. It’s nuanced. It’s tender. It’s a perpetuation of happy.

It’s the butterfly effect.

TOP: Christie Hackler torches a tool to twist and shape metal artwork in her workshop.

MIDDLE: Hackler’s hand-drawn butterflies are cut by PremierCraft, a local metal company, by the thousands.

BOTTOM: “Resting Ground” is a life-sized bronze tumbleweed with 125 enameled

steel butterflies.

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Furniture & design for sophisticated living.

henr y inter iors .com | Brook haven V i l lage • 372 0 W Robinson St • Nor ma n, OK | 4 05. 321.10 0 0 | @henr yhomeinter iors

L I V I N G Give yourself the gift of living well

Go Luxe Melt into The Ramble’s soothing spaces and approachable opulence in Denver. Page 30

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L I V I N G

H O M E

AWAY

Laid-Back Luxury T H E R A M B LE I N D E N V E R O F F E RS G U E S TS I N V ITI N G A N D I N TR I G U I N G E X PE R I E N C E S

BY S A R A G A E WATERS

evokes a sense of exploration, ease, wonder and relaxed curiosity. The same can be said of The Ramble Hotel, a feast for all your senses that comes together beautifully. This boutique 50-room hotel is nestled in the River North (RiNo) district of Denver, Colorado.

While taking its name from a verb, The Ramble is also a nod to the hotel’s namesake, Madame Rambouillet, the 17th-century French salon host known for her “egalitarian gatherings that spurred raucous conversation.”

When you enter the hotel, you are at once intrigued.

The hotel houses the famous Death & Co. cocktail bar, which is open to the lobby and dining areas. Death & Co. brings to The Ramble not only its unique cocktail experience, but also seasonal menus, small plates and large group offerings. The atmosphere is communal while offering spaces that feel intimate and encourage you to linger. In the morning and early afternoon, sunlight pours into the lobby from the large floor-toceiling windows, setting a calming tone. DC/AM serves breakfast bites, coffees, teas and pressed juices.

All of the spaces, from the banquettes to the sitting areas, are equally luxurious and comfortable. Eastern European rugs lay atop beach maple hardwood floors in a herringbone pattern. “Found” elements pepper the design and impart a sense of approachability, while wood, leather, velvet, marble and brass combine into an authentic look. The guest rooms echo the shared spaces in the materials and the details. The engaging, thoughtfully curated art in the rooms carries a through line to select pieces in the hotel. Most of the art is from Denver-based artists, some of whom have studios in the RiNo district.

For wanderlusts, The Ramble is a must. A stay at The Ramble brings to mind what Hemingway famously said about Paris: Like a moveable feast, it stays with you after you leave.

THE WORD “R AMBLE”

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ABOVE: Beach maple, laid in a herringbone pattern, covers the lobby and mezzanine floors.

LEFT: Hand-cut brick on The Ramble’s exterior was sourced from the Cushwa Plant in Maryland.

OPPOSITE PAGE TOP: Most guestroom

furniture was custom built by Denver-based steel fabricators and woodworkers.

OPPOSITE PAGE BOTTOM: Three arches over the bar represent the view of the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel from Madame Rambouillet’s French salon.

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L I V I N G

A R T

S E E N Russell Megee sits in Frank Gehry’s Cross Check Chair, which is constructed with interwoven and bent ribbons of laminated white maple.

Have a Seat RUS S E LL M EG E E E X H I B ITS “A C E N T U RY O F C H A I RS” T H I S M O N T H AT TA P A RC H ITEC TU R E

BY EV IE K LOPP HOL ZER PHOTOS BY DON R ISI

starts talking about modernism, you’d better pull up a chair. Frank Gehry, Charles Eames, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe – he speaks these names freely and quickly, as if common vernacular. His passion for modern architects and the chairs they have masterfully produced is as deep as his knowledge on the subject.

“If I go off, I can tell – when someone’s eyes glaze over and I go, ‘Alright, I know.

I’ve been talking about this chair for two hours,’” Megee said.

On Oct. 7, Megee will share his personal collection of 100 chairs – most by world-renowned modern architects – in an exhibit at TAP Architecture downtown. The exhibit coincides with the American Institute of Architects’ Architecture Week and will be part of the Oct. 17 architecture tour.

“It’s going to be some eye candy in here,” he said.

“There’s going to be 100 legit, real-deal [chairs] that you won’t see anywhere, except for in a museum.”

Megee’s first chair purchase happened by chance in the ’90s. He was driving down Pennsylvania Avenue in northwest Oklahoma City when he noticed two chairs on the sidewalk of B&L Furniture.

“I was like, ‘Wow. I’ve seen those,’” he said.

“So, I went home and got a book – and there it was! The famous architect who did the Barcelona Pavilion. He was in the Bauhaus, and he came to the United States in 1937. [I realized] that’s the Barcelona chair!”

Mies van der Rohe designed the Barcelona chair for his German Pavilion at the Barcelona Exposition of 1929. The chairs became popular in the 1950s and were often sold in pairs, Megee

WHEN ARCHITECT RUSSELL MEGEE

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explained, because Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House in Illinois – his version of the glass house – featured two of them.

Megee rushed back to B&L Furniture to purchase the pair. The seller wouldn’t budge on his $40 price, but Megee gladly paid it. He knew the pair’s true value was about $1,200.

“Architects were building modern homes, and the homes needed to be filled with things – so there you go,” he said. “They started having competitions for modern items. They were really trying to introduce modern living and modern household products to the American public.”

It turns out there is a strong connection between modern architects and the modern chairs they designed.

“It’s almost some kind of Zen-type approach,” Megee said. “Maybe it’s so simplistic that your conceptual ideas that you have for your modern approach to architecture are all simplified into one item – and there it is, conclusive, in one chair. Those greatest minds in architecture, they all did a chair. You can’t name a real famous guy who didn’t have a chair.”

Megee has found chairs through eBay, auctions and thrift stores.

Many times, the sellers didn’t know the treasures they possessed. But Megee? Oh, he knew. He continues to collect modern chairs today, and he’ll tell you all about it – if you have the time.

Read more details about the chair exhibit at tapokc.com.

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RU SSE LL ME GE E ’ S FAVO R IT E C H A IR S 1. Paris Chair Stacked and laminated birdseye maple, lacquered wood, enameled steel

By Martine Bedin for Memphis Milano Italy, 1986 Memphis Milano was an Italian design and architecture group founded by Ettore Sottsass. The group was active from 1980 to 1987 and known for its postmodern interiors.

Megee mentioned the chair was more for viewing than for sitting.

For the Memphis Milano group, form did not follow function. “They would throw rocks at functionalism.

They kind of set the design world on their ears when they came out – probably not even thinking they were going to be successful. Now their stuff, people just throw money at everything they did.”

2. Eames Rocking Armchair Rod Base (RAR) Steel, zinc, fiberglass, rubber, wood

By Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller America, 1950 One of Megee’s favorite chairs is this molded shell chair, designed

by Charles Eames and his wife Ray. This rocking chair version, which was used to rock U.S. Olympic gymnast Bart Conner as a baby, entered Megee’s collection via trade.

“I was doing a chair show at OU at the College of Architecture in 1991,” he said. “Harold Conner was the director for construction, and he saw me setting it up. He said, ‘I have some chairs that I’ll loan you.’”

Megee added Conner’s muchsought-after “Coconut” chair (by George Nelson) and this “RAR” to his show. At the end of the show, Conner was admiring Megee’s “Tulip” chair (by Eero Saarinen), and a trade ensued.

3. Seconda Chair Steel tubing, slotted steel seat, polyurethane foam cylinders

By Mario Botta for Alias Italy, 1982

4. Mezzadro Stool Chromium-plated steel, beech

By Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Zanotta Italy, 1957

Mario Botta designed the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art building, known for its beautiful striped cylinder-shaped tower, and this chair features similar architectural lines.

“This chair is from one of the more famous Italian guys, but he did not go along with the Memphis Group or the Alchimia or Superstudio,” Megee said. “So much was all black and dark from that post-modern [time]. And the Memphis people were just the opposite.

They put color on everything.”

“This is a 1957 design. They said it was too avant-garde, so they didn’t make it until 1970,” Megee said.

Brothers Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni designed the chair for the exhibition “Shapes and Colours in Today’s Homes” in Como, Italy. The seat resembles a tractor – with good reason. The chair frame is actually a spring-based steel strip, the same design used in tractors to absorb the shock of uneven ground. This stool can be found in orange, red, yellow, white and black.

5. Bouloum Chaise Lounge Fiberglass, foam, fabric

By Olivier Mourgue France, 1969 In Stanley Kubrick’s classic 1969 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick worked with Olivier Mourgue to create futuristic chairs.

Megee described the scene where Dr. Floyd walks through the Hilton lobby of Space Station Five on his way to the moon. “Everything’s white, and there are these red chairs,” he said. “This chair is from the same line.”

The red chairs from the movie were Mourgue’s “Djinn” chaise lounge. “This is ‘Bouloum,’ named after his imaginary friend,” Megee said. “Some people would take them and put them by the pool – a piece of fiberglass, just like that.

Upholstered, they are rare.”

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L I V I N G

O R G A N I Z I N G Jessica Harroz and Ashlee Sanders, partners at Well Kept Space, collaborate to create a multi-purpose area.

This ensures efficient use of their time – those precious hours while the kids are at school – and their clients’ time, too. Together, they work toward one goal: to develop pleasing and lasting organizational systems.

“We want to ensure the client is beyond happy and comfortable with what we have put in place,” said Husted. “If the client needs to change anything after we are gone – to better fit the needs of their family – we will come back and make them, at no charge.”

T H E M U LT I F U N CT I O N A L S PAC E

Awe and Order LOCAL ORGANIZERS CLEAR CLUTTER AND MAXIMIZE STORAGE

BY EV IE K LOPP HOL ZER

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W E L L K E P T S PAC E When the children are away, the mothers will … Organize? Forget about “play” when organizing can be just as fulfilling, especially with the kids back in school right now.

Adrienne Husted, Ashlee Sanders and Jessica Harroz founded Well Kept Space after their children started attending Westminster School.

“We bonded over our love of organizing,” Husted said. “We realized that we could help others who see organizing as a daunting task.”

“We each have different strengths and personalities, which results in out-of-the box thinking and an amazing end product,” Sanders added.

As a team of three, the women tackle projects in a divide-and-conquer fashion.

Often, one room serves many different people and purposes.

Without thoughtful organization, a multifunctional space can quickly become a mixed-up disaster.

Ginny and Andrew Edwards asked Well Kept Space to revamp their laundry room. They wanted to neatly store belongings – laundry supplies, home improvement tools, pet items and children’s toys – and create a play area for their toddler.

“Our laundry room is so narrow,” Ginny Edwards said. “I’m amazed by what they were able to do with the space.”

The organizers first removed everything from the laundry room, allowing them to clean the surfaces and sort the items. Then, they designated areas for each activity. Toys needed to be stored low, while dangerous items needed to go up high. Cabinet doors were removed to provide more open shelf space. They added bright toy bins, easy for little tod-

Minda Hofer of Labeled Living groups like items together in decorative baskets.

S IX STEPS FOR S UCCESS

Make a plan

Grab a measuring tape, pencil and paper to sketch the space you envision.

Measure the entire area, so you know which products will work well.

dler hands to grab. At the same time, detergent, pet supplies and tools were tucked neatly away on the upper shelves. They labeled bins to give each item a specific home and help maintain the various zones moving forward.

This project resulted in a fully functional laundry room (with space to sort and fold), thoughtful storage for each family member’s needs, a small play area and satisfied clients.

Clear out and clean

Don’t leave anything behind, even if you know it’s going back into the space. Then clean the empty space.

CLIFF FERGUSON

L ABELED LIVING

Minda Hofer has been training to be a professional organizer since childhood.

“I was known as ‘the organized one’ in a family of six,” she said.

After working 10 years in the classroom, Hofer decided to combine her love for teaching with her knack for organizing. She founded Labeled Living in 2018.

Married with three kids, Hofer understands how a home with different ages, stages and interests can create messy closets. At her house, she has established routines and systems to keep them orderly.

There’s no doubt that Hofer’s home is organized, but it is not perfect. In fact, she embraces imperfection.

“When I think of being ‘hyper-organized,’ I imagine a mad woman running through her home to achieve perfection on a daily basis,” she said. “That’s not who I want to be or who I expect my clients to be.”

Hofer believes organizing should be an enjoyable, ongoing process.

“Clearing out and cleaning up

Group similar items Identify categories based on function.

seasonally helps your home stay refreshed and your mind stay clear,” she said. “It’s so rejuvenating.”

THE GROWING CHILD’S CLOSET

Kids’ closets should be organized to accommodate changing seasons and sizes. Cliff and Carly Ferguson wanted to overhaul their three-year-old son’s closet with these transitions in mind. The long-time Labeled Living clients hired Hofer to help. In addition, Carly Ferguson requested a design that would allow her to pull together outfits quickly.

Hofer first removed everything from the closet to wipe down the space and take a thorough inventory. Then, she mapped out zones, with storage on one side and clothing on the other. She grouped pants and shirts together for easy pairing. In addition, Hofer created new systems using dividers, baskets, bins and labels. Belongings were sorted into categories with corresponding baskets to encourage daily organization and editing. The final product was a practical and beautiful closet, set up to evolve with age.

“Mindy’s projects always leave me staring at my newly organized spaces,” Carly Ferguson said.

Review and reduce

Are there items you aren’t using anymore?

(Or will never use?) Dump or donate them.

Create new systems

Where are your problem areas? Put new systems in place to provide solutions.

Add labels to specify zones.

Get everyone involved

Encourage others to take ownership of the area. This will help keep it tidy.

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D E S I G N I N G

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How Amber Brown Matlack renovated a century-old pied-à-terre into the family home

F O R

D R E A M S

BY LILLIE-BETH SANGER BRINKMAN P H O T O S B Y E M I LY H A R T

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SC AT TE R E D AC ROSS TH E FLOO R I N A M B E R B ROWN

Matlack’s office are fabrics, tiles and materials that go with about eight separate projects that she is working on for her design clients. They are grouped together in order to easily see color and pattern choices, and for her and her clients to get an idea of what a project will look like when it comes together.

More inspiration hangs on one side of the wall of her offices near N.W. 31st St. and Hudson Ave.; others are behind built-in cabinets. Boxes of furniture line a room in the back, waiting to be delivered to their new and beautiful homes.

Matlack, the owner of Brown Interiors, Inc., has grown her interior design business since she started it in 2004 in Ardmore, commuting both to Dallas and Oklahoma City to work with her home design clients. At the time, her husband Ryan owned a restaurant in Ardmore, where they both grew up. Today, she and her husband have four daughters between the ages of 6 and 17 and work closely together, too.

In 2017, the Matlacks’ Oklahoma City home in the historic Edgemere District became one of Amber Matlack’s major projects – and a labor of love – as she renovated it to fit the entire family of six. The project also fit in with another of Amber’s design interests: historic preservation.

“I love the historic renovations. I get them. I like ones that have not been touched. We’re the third owners of the house and it’s 100 years old,” Amber Matlack said. “So virtually untouched.

That’s amazing.”

RIGHT: The living room features a fireplace with a Pietra Grey marble slab surround, high-backed chairs from Noir Furniture, a Lee Industries sofa and a faux shagreen coffee table from Interlude Home.

BELOW: Interesting knickknacks give the room a homey feel.

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They bought the Tudor-style home built in 1935 so she would have a place to stay from time to time as her work got busier in Oklahoma City. It had three bedrooms but only one bathroom.

“I was thinking, ‘I’m just going to buy a little flip house, something small that I can live in when I’m here, that I can 40

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do some work on myself,’” she said. “‘And then we’ll just sell it because I don’t know if or when we’re going to move.’”

But that small, 1,500-square-foot house turned into a much bigger project when Ryan Matlack sold the restaurant and the entire family moved to Oklahoma City for her growing design business.

After extensive renovation and new construction that aligned with historic preservation standards, the home is now a two-story, four-bedroom, three-bathroom house with a mudroom, open kitchen, dining room and formal living room. The renovation included new electrical wiring and plumbing, too. Many of the fixtures are of unlacquered brass, which ages over time in a way that Matlack loves – “a living finish,” she said.

LEFT: Kitchen highlights include lofted ceilings that follow the roofline and and a pair of windows, original to the home.

CENTER: Chinese calligraphy paint brushes are among the accents

on the living room coffee table.

RIGHT: Amber Brown Matlack often incorporates unlacquered

brass in décor, because she likes the way the patina ages over time.

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LEFT: The backsplash, in Viola Marble from Aria Stone Gallery, plays well with neutral tones throughout the kitchen, like the walls painted in Swiss Coffee by Benjamin Moore and cabinets painted in Dead Salmon

by Farrow and Ball.

BELOW: A luxurious

retreat, the bathroom boasts a freestanding tub from Victoria and Albert and a glass shower open on both ends.

The house has the original arched doorways, and the formal living room is mostly intact from the original residence, including its coved ceiling combined with a tray. The windows are also original to the home and were restored for modern-day use with added storm windows. The quarter sawn oak wood floors in the living room are original, too, and she used the same material – quarter sawn oak – for the new floors to keep it consistent.

Matlack added a marble surround to the fireplace in the formal living room, giving it a modern feel; the marble is Pietra Gray from the Ana Stone Gallery.

In the kitchen, what used to be a small, galley-style kitchen with a breakfast nook has been transformed.

The ceilings are higher, now encompassing the entire frame of the home, and the Matlacks removed the wall dividing the original kitchen and dining spaces.

The striking backsplash features Viola Marble from the Aria Stone Gallery. The appliances are built-ins.

The space they used for the mudroom originally was part of a bedroom, which is now divided between the back entrance/mudroom and an expanded master bedroom. The floors are formed of three types of honed marble, cut and laid in a pattern.

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ABOVE: A geometrically framed mirror from Bliss Studio pairs well with vintage wooden chairs by Clubcu.

LEFT: Grass-cloth walls from Thibaut and art from Benson Cobb Studios create a soothing vibe.

The master bedroom still has the home’s original windows, but the entire bedroom, bathroom and wardrobe suite features 400 square feet of new construction over an area that once was part of the backyard deck. The Matlacks wanted to create a casual but serene room hidden away from the rest of the downstairs. If the door is closed, guests can’t tell they’ve walked by the master suite.

Before she started focusing exclusively on her own residential clients, Matlack worked in the hospitality industry, creating interiors for hotels, restaurants, corporate offices and more, gaining experience in all aspects of design. She eventually became director of design for a worldwide hotel company, JHM Hotels, which worked on hotels associated with brands such as Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, Taj India and Starwood brands.

With her expertise in both business and design, she often serves as a general contractor for her clients’ projects in addition to the design. Her understanding of contracting, construction, project development and architecture make her a true asset to any project.

Ryan Matlack is developing the designer delivery side of her business – warehousing items ordered for clients, inventorying and verifying them as they come in, unboxing them and then offering whiteglove delivery to their new homes. There’s a need for that service in Oklahoma City, and such services are growing more popular elsewhere, Amber Matlack said.

Growing up, Amber Matlack was the child who was always rearranging her room, asking for new bedding, trying out new colors and painting her room herself. She didn’t realize until later that she could sketch out rooms from memory after seeing them once, and detail them for clients in drawings and sketches.

“So when I go to clients’ houses, sometimes I forget to take pictures, but I can ‘walk’ it again. I can still see it,” Matlack said. “Every client’s house. I don’t realize that other people can’t do that … I think I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”

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The South Way Home

Laura and Brian Hilgenfeld’s Norman home reflects classic Southern style

by Lillie-Beth Sanger Brinkman photos by Emily Hart

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A custom crystal chandelier from Elegant Lighting hangs over the beautifully set dining room table with chairs from the French Market Collection.

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ABOVE LEFT: A colonial-style arch transom, sidelight windows and Charleston Hardware Co. doorknocker welcome people to the Hilgenfeld home.

ABOVE RIGHT: The fireplace mantel and built-in shelving are typical designs for federal colonial-style homes.

W

hen Laura Hilgenfeld and her husband Brian wanted to build a home in Norman that would accommodate their family of four boys, ages 4 to 16, she knew right away she wanted to bring the South – where she grew up – to Oklahoma.

After moving here, she missed Charleston, South Carolina: her home, the water, her friends and her sense of place.

“You probably see it everywhere, in all my stuff,” Hilgenfeld said, referring to the Southern touches found throughout the house’s details. “I want it to feel like home to me.”

She decided she wanted to build a Federal Colonial style home in the tradition of the stately houses from South Carolina. She researched plans and architectural details online for accuracy, and sketched out the rooms she wanted, aiming to keep it authentic enough to the style she was seeking, while remaining livable and modern enough for her family to enjoy.

“It was hard to find anybody who could do what I wanted to do stylistically. So I drew everything out myself, like floorplan-wise,”

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she said, noting that she brought plans from online sources such as a University of Virginia architecture site to meetings with a local architect. “People always talk about this house because it feels different. It feels very like the Deep South, but it’s very stylistically different from anything you see around here.”

The Hilgenfelds hired David Williams, a longtime family friend, to build it. Gretchen Clark with Gretchen Clark Interiors helped her with materials, marble, countertop, trims and other design ideas, including the door casing that separates the stairway hall from the foyer.

Nina Wadley with No Coast Designs helped her, too. Hilgenfeld’s brother, who still lives in South Carolina, drew up the landscape plans.

“It was a fun challenge to have these beautiful spaces created with kids in mind,” said Clark, who described the home’s accents and decor as “neo-traditional” and classic.

“We had fun creating a sense of history, while obviously it was a new build.”

The Hilgenfelds moved into their home four years ago, and it’s overflowing with items that make Laura and her family – and any guests – feel right at home.

The Federal Colonial style often is two rooms deep with a lot of natural light, Hilgenfeld said. Her home has six-over-six-pane windows – double hung – with sashes reminiscent of Southern residences. It has a larger kitchen than is typically found in classic colonials.

The walls are smooth, with some grasscloth wallpaper – another very Southern tradition – and rectangular dental molding throughout.

“It’s funny, I’ve had a couple of my friends tell me that I ‘do old lady well,’ and so for me, I’m like, it’s not ‘old lady.’ I think it’s classy and endearing,” she said. “I am not a trendy girl … I would rather pick something that’s timeless and elegant and classic.”

Hilgenfeld said she wants to use pieces and touches that are beautiful now and will be beautiful 50 years from now, no matter what the trends are.

When you first walk past the boxwood shrubs leading up to her front door, you’ll see wooden shutters with the traditional hardware known as “shutter dogs,” gas lanterns and a door knocker that remind Hilgenfeld of Charleston homes. She ordered these special touches from Southern companies.

Laura Hilgenfeld sketched out kitchen cabinetry and crown molding designs with Lisa Williams, the wife of her builder, the late David Williams.

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A four-poster bed adorned with Schumacher fabric pillows, Grace Allen linen draperies and a Visual Comfort chandelier come together beautifully in the bedroom.

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TOP: The Chesterfield-style couch from Henry Home Interiors in Norman has options for reclining or lying flat.

BOTTOM: The living room features a Henredon circular gold table nestled between a pair of custom chairs from Henry Home Interiors.

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A photo grouping shows well known places throughout Charleston, as captured by Kim Graham -- the same photographer who took the Hilgenfelds’ engagement, wedding and family photos.

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LEFT: Heirloom silverware in the Towle Silver Old Master pattern makes this formal table extra special.

BELOW: The primary bedroom includes a cozy sitting area with an antique mirror and a collection of floral prints.

“I wanted it to be right,” she said.

The home has five bedrooms and an extra one that they use as a playroom, along with five full bathrooms and two powder baths. She wanted everyone to have their own spaces where they can gather and enjoy having friends over. Her 16-year-old said he loves hanging out in the room with the pool table.

An outdoor room by the pool includes a comfortable seating area, a grill and bar area, and heavy shutters that you can open or close to block weather elements.

White Italian marble tops the kitchen island; other counters are granite. Her cabinets are glazed. Much of the paint she used is from Farrow & Ball, known for its hues based on historic color palettes.

She also used antiques throughout, many of which mean something to her. The wheat back chairs in her kitchen nook came from a family for whom she nannied in Charlotte and are more than 100 years old. She has her grandmother’s armoire, which her great-grandfather built by hand with wooden dowels. He used to put his boots in it, many years ago.

On one wall of the dining room hang photographs of different scenes in Charleston taken by Hilgenfeld’s friend, photographer Kim Graham. They show the I’On Club, where the Hilgenfelds had their wedding reception, and the Sword Gate House. Another is of a street named Legare, pronounced “Legree,” which is also the name as the Hilgenfeld family golden doodle. An updated crystal chandelier hangs over the dining table, and in the entryway are sketches of architectural plans from old Southern buildings.

“She loves and appreciates all of the little details. She is a great hostess, so we definitely thought through ways for her home to be hospitable. It was a super fun project to work on in Oklahoma,” said Clark. “It is very unique and personal, with a historic feeling toward her roots.”

Clark said the Hilgenfelds even painted the outdoor ceilings on the porches with “haint blue,” another Southern tradition.

Haint is a variation of the word “haunt,” and the blue, according to tradition, warded off ghosts and evil spirits.

In the game room upstairs, another Southern touch – handmade bricks from the Old Carolina Brick Co. – provides the backsplash for the bar area, which is stocked with a jug of moonshine that her dad made and cans of Cheerwine Soft Drink, a Southern staple Laura Hilgenfeld orders from North Carolina. Right off the game room is a workout room.

The family has enjoyed the home the last four years, and its Southern charm has made Laura Hilgenfeld feel more at home.

But she’s also already planning her next one, to be built on a larger lot a couple doors down. She’ll keep the same homey, classic Southern feel, but she already knows what the style will be: Georgian.

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P R O M OT I O N

Blind Alley B L IND A LLEY I S more than blinds, shades and shutters. Yes, they will come to your home whenever it’s convenient for you to measure your windows and provide a free estimate. Of course, they can fit any window’s unique size or shape.

And are you wanting automatic, motorized shades?

No problem.

As the metro’s go-to source for Hunter Douglas, quality products are a given. The “more” at Blind Alley is found in the personal relationships owners Joe and Allyson Zupin have built with clients throughout the years. They say it’s their favorite part of the job.

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“We really love being part of this community!” said Allyson Zupin, an Oklahoma native. ““We are a small, veteran- and family-owned business. There are six of us, at most, and we love working together and building relationships with our customers to make sure everyone gets that one-on-one personalized service.”

Blind Alley has been in business 35 years. Their success derives from providing clients window treatment solutions for any room in the house and always giving them and their projects personal attention.

“We are completely involved in every aspect, from the initial contact, to the day of installation,” Zupin said. “All of our products are custom made to order, as well as personally installed.”

3839 NW 63RD ST OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73116 BLINDALLEYOKC.COM

P R O M OT I O N

Cover Your Pergola PERHAPS I T ’ S R AR E, but there are companies that give their employees a sense of “buy-in” and the freedom to build the business in their own way, says Aaron Bark.

He’s the manager of Cover Your Pergola, a plastic distribution company that services Oklahoma homes with outdoor coverage including pavilions, gazebos, greenhouses and, of course, pergolas.

Cover Your Pergola opened in OKC during February of 2020 as a pilot location under the umbrella of Regal Plastics out of Dallas.

The family-owned franchise, operated by the Gono family, saw a business opportunity in Oklahoma’s fondness for outdoor living.

“This polycarbonate see-through material is designed for roofing applications,” says Bark. “With outdoor living, these systems

are a perfect match, combining protection from the elements while still bringing in the light. Oklahomans will absolutely benefit from these systems. We have created our own network of contractors in the OKC metro and Tulsa, as well as Edmond, South OKC and Norman.”

Late 2019, prior to Cover Your Pergola, Bark saw a job posting that caught his eye. “No bureaucracy.

No Bull****. Work doesn’t have to suck,” he recalls. “I liked what they had to say, so I called them. When I started on January 6th of last year, I walked into a 5,200-square-foot empty shop. Now, we have a full shop of material and even added a delivery truck to better serve our partners. It’s great to be at a place that celebrates growth.”

As of September, with only three people at the location, Bark, Brandon Hodges, and Jason Champ, the company has grown over 40% since last year. “This

would not have been possible without these guys next to me.” Bark says. “It really is all about our partners, our employees, and the network we have built here.”

At Cover Your Pergola, people aren’t treated like transactions, Bark says.

“We are in business to make partners while helping to create lifelong memories for Oklahoma families.”

PERGOLACOVER.COM 7424 MELROSE LN OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73127

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P R O M OT I O N

Edmond Music I F YOU’RE PASSI O N AT E about music, chances are you’re familiar with Edmond Music, Larsen Music, and Gilliam Music. Family-owned-and-operated businesses for almost 50 years, they are a mainstay of the music scene in the 405.

Owners Mike Gilliam and Scott Starns and their knowledgeable staff work to bring clients the best in pianos, band instruments, guitars, drums, accessories, sheet music, sales and service at the most competitive prices.

“Music is an integral part of our lives and our employees’ lives, whether it’s performing or teaching,” Starns said. “We love helping others find their passion in music.”

The stores are especially known for their high-quality, beautiful selection of pianos. They have represented Steinway & Sons pianos since 58

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1986, Kawai pianos since 1973, and Yamaha pianos since 1966.

Their pianos are valued by musicians and homeowners alike for their beauty as a statement piece and a way to entertain guests.

“A piano can be a great way to unwind after a stressful day, bring the family together and provide a focal point for any style of decor,” Starns said. “They truly are a piece of art.”

Whether you’re a music aficionado or a casual observer, the teams at Edmond Music, Larsen Music and Gilliam Music will make you feel like family.

“Our employees are the praise leaders at your church, the teachers at your school, the performers you watch on the weekend, the parents in band class and the friends in your community,” Starns said. “We know where you’re coming from and we know where you’re trying to go!”

EDMOND MUSIC 3400 S BROADWAY EDMOND 405.348.0004 LARSEN MUSIC 4001 NW 63RD ST OKLAHOMA CITY 405.843.1573 GILLIAM MUSIC 2280 W MAIN ST NORMAN 405.321-0080 EDMONDMUSICINC.COM

P R O M OT I O N

Edmond Kitchen, Bath, Home THE TEAM O F Edmond Kitchen, Bath, Home, led by Brenda and Robert Helms, brings more than 20 years of industry experience to every project they take on, giving clients a sense of confidence and peace of mind. Their personal approach to design and commitment to operating with integrity while providing the absolute best in kitchen, bath and cabinetry design has led to a reputation as one of the finest design build firms in the metro.

The downtown Edmond showroom showcases an incredible selection of design materials, including custom cabinetry made right here in Oklahoma.

Their licensed and degreed designers and tenured crew use modern tools and software to expertly design, estimate and install projects that have been highly recognized in the design industry.

405.285.1926 EDMONDKITCHEN.COM 243 N BROADWAY EDMOND, OK 73034

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Distinctive designs.

Exceptional home furnishings.

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The Finer Things Referencing the purchase of upscale items, a person may use the wellknown phrase “the finer things in life.”

However, we believe that true luxury exists beyond the tangible things you buy and bring home.

The experience—working closely with a local artist, curator or shop owner— can be every bit as luxurious. When choosing things that make life more beautiful, comfortable and enjoyable, take time to collaborate with the experts. They are ready to provide insight and answer your questions.

Having a personal guide on each of your shopping adventures may be the finest thing of all.

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Linens

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Sleeping Beauty F O R H I GH - QUA L I T Y CO MF O R T, I N V E S T I N LU X U R Y L I N ENS

N O O N E C A N deny the luxury of a great night’s sleep. Research shows a strong connection between how well you sleep and how good you feel, so the quality of your bedding shouldn’t be overlooked.

A 2020 New York Times article rating the best linen sheets summarized fabric options: While cotton sheets can feel either crisp and cool (in the case of percale) or silky and warm (as with sateen), linen has an airy feel, but the fabric also has some weight to it (like a very light blanket). The texture grabs onto your body and keeps it in place … [Linen is] often touted as a great sheeting fabric for summer, because it’s so breathable. However, we’ve also found linen sheets to be comfortable and insulating in the winter, so we recommend them for year-round use.

Bella Notte Linens was highlighted in the article as the best splurge for softest linen sheets. Based in San Francisco, Bella Notte is known for its linen collection, its best seller. It also offers velvet, cotton and lace pieces, which can be layered together to create a romantic, bohemian-chic look.

In Oklahoma City, Wood Garden’s wall of large Bella Notte fabric swatches makes it easy to visualize color and texture as you mix and match bedding options.

“Bella Notte is more about textures than prints, so I think that’s what makes it so luxurious, soft, and inviting,” said Amie Cook of Wood Garden Custom and 62

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Design Studio. Cook, who owns the store with her mother Janice Carty, has been selling Bella Notte for 20 years.

“I’ve been doing it for so long that I’ve done a million different combinations.

They’re all different, and they’re all beautiful. You can do a bed that’s all one color, with mixed textures, and that’s just as beautiful as layering with different colors.”

Bella Notte bedding is dyed upon order, and it is truly machine washable. Cook appreciates how the pieces don’t shrink or fade, even after years of washing.

“It’s an investment that you keep for a really long time; it will last as long as you want to keep it,” she said.

For those on a smaller budget, Cook can layer in different lines— such as Lili Alessandra, SDH Fine European Linens, and Leitner Leinen—to achieve the same highend look at a lower price point. Wood Garden also sells beds, nightstands, lamps and art, working with customers to fill in missing pieces or furnish the entire bedroom. Shoppers often bring drapery or chair fabrics into the store as a starting point for projects.

Invest in the softest sheets, layer in textures and top off the look with customized pillows. Then, your bedroom becomes your sanctuary. Ahhhh … what a luxury indeed.

CHLOE REED

BY EVIE KLOPP HOLZER

“

We started our family-owned business in a small space with

barely enough merchandise to fill it, and have grown through

several expansions thanks to the support from long-time

customers and new ones stopping in to explore. Just as styles and trends change through the years, so have we, and we are proud

of what our store is today. We couldn’t have done it without our FURNITURE • DR APERIES • BEDDING • UNIQUE ACCESSORIES 848.9663 • 7650 N. W ESTER N, OKC

wonderful clients and friends; thank you for trusting us with

your most sacred place… your homes. We are truly grateful!

”

Amie and Janice

TH E FINER TH INGS

Kitchens

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

The Refined Kitchen H I GH - EN D PR O D U C T S A N D T H O U GH T FU L D E SI GNS EL E VAT E T H E H E A R T O F T H E H O ME

BY EVIE KLOPP HOLZER

H A V E Y O U E V E R noticed that when you’re entertaining in your home, everyone seems to end up gathering in the kitchen?

There is definitely an allure to the kitchen, especially when fine materials and products are incorporated into the design. Adding an expansive marble island with custom barstools makes the room extra inviting.

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Dusty Hutchison, vice president of the Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association, said the kitchen has been the focal point of the home since the beginning of time.

“We all need fuel. We all need warmth. Go back in history, and the kitchen is where the food and fire were,” said Hutchison, who also owns Alder Fine Homes. “It has always been the main element of the home.”

Given the popularity of open-concept floor plans, where your cooking space is highly visible, the kitchen remains king.

“People want to put a lot of money there, because you have the financial input of cabinetry, appliances, space allocation for cooking, countertops, lighting and hardware,” Hutchison said.

He added that a recent design trend is to build two kitchens—a primary kitchen that accommodates groups, which opens up to the living or dining room, and a secondary kitchen behind it, for caterers to work behind the scenes.

Having a second kitchen is a great concept for entertaining.

After all, kitchen designs are driven by lifestyle preferences.

Will there be annual family gatherings in the home? How many people are in the family?

Will the space be hosting large parties or small, intimate groups? How do you see yourself enjoying the space?

Such questions guide the overall layout and product selections.

“We sell a lifestyle that is best suited for each home owner,” said Claude Rappaport, owner of Culinary Kitchen. Located at 7222 N. Western Ave., the store provides hands-on demonstrations of many upscale appliance brands. “We ask the customers to tell us what they like to cook.

What are their aspirations? We teach them how to cook in our live showroom.”

Designing and building a kitchen to best suit your needs is no easy task, but professionals agree the effort pays off. Not only does having a dreamy kitchen add market value to your home, it also adds value to the time spent in your home.

“It is important to invest time, energy and money into your kitchen design, so you only have to do it once,” Rappaport said. “Your kitchen needs to fulfill all of your culinary needs.”

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405-418-4884 | 7222 N WESTERN AVE, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73116 culinarykitchenokc.com & culinarykitchen.com

TH E FINER TH INGS

Home Accents

The Dos’ of Décor CO MBI N E T R E A SU R ED PI ECE S W I T H N E W FI N DS TO R EFR E SH A R O O M

BY EVIE KLOPP HOLZER

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PA I N T I N G WA L L S A N D

purchasing furniture definitely transforms a room, but there are more approachable ways to refresh your interior design, especially on an ongoing basis. Let home accents—art, throw pillows, lamps and eye-catching accessories—do the heavy lifting.

To begin, identify items already in your possession that hold special meaning to you. It could be a family heirloom, a vacation purchase or even something obscure—your grandfather’s reading glasses, for example. Often the most important

pieces in your home décor are those with a story; those that make a home uniquely yours.

In The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo advised, “If you can say without a doubt, ‘I really like this!’ no matter what anyone else says, and if you like yourself for having it, then ignore what other people think … I can think of no greater happiness in life than to be surrounded only by the things I love.”

Your own treasures may guide you to adopt a certain theme or color palette when purchasing new accessories.

Mindy Brown of ME Home at 2925 W. Wilshire Blvd. in OKC said the dining room table, entry table, mantel and bookshelves are all prime locations for seasonal updates. For seven years Brown has worked alongside her sister, interior designer Elaine Price, as co-owners of the store.

“I don’t like to go in with all new [things]. I think when you do all new in a space, it can come off as trendy,” Brown said. “There’s an art to mixing the old and new. It’s almost like you practice, and each time you do it, you get a little better.”

Both Price and Brown like to see the client’s home to provide context for the décor.

“Just walking into the store and picking something out is hard, so we go to their home, or they show us pictures of their space,” Brown said.

Plus, your décor does not need to be 100 percent functional, so don’t overlook décor that makes you smile.

“Whimsical and happy—those are the two words I use to describe some of these accessories the most.

They just give you joy when you see them,” Brown said.

Try mixing a lamp with bulky art books, fresh seasonal flowers, and, say, a bronze bust. Artwork can also personalize the space. Brown says she often uses small art to accessorize bookshelves, and ME Home can commission one-of-a-kind pieces.

A few personal treasures, some seasonal finds and a dash of the unexpected—that’s a refreshing combination that’s sure to please the room.

TH E FINER TH INGS

Tile

Elevate Style With Tile CUS TO M D E SI GNS GO BE YO N D K I TCH ENS A N D BAT H R O O MS B Y L I S A L L OY D

F E W T H I N G S S A Y luxury like custom tilework in a home.

Tile can easily transform the most mundane areas of a home into works of art. Especially when used in unconventional ways, tile draws the eye and elevates the style of a home.

Interior Designer Cody Thomson of Thomson + Thomson says she loves the juxtaposition of conventional materials being used in unique applications.

“We tend to get so hung up on how a material ‘should’ be used that we don’t think creatively,” she said. “Tile is beautiful, durable and low maintenance, and [it] can have a place in almost every room in a house.”

Tile is most often found in kitchens and bathrooms, but changing up your style with tile isn’t limited to those spaces. Brightly patterned mosaic tile on an accent wall is really eye-catching. Also, floor-to-ceiling tile can be a show-stopper in any home. Wainscoting is always a popular design element, especially among those who favor the farmhouse aesthetic. Replacing an area of wainscoting 68

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with tile gives an added, unexpected flair to a hallway or living space. Plus, stair risers with outdated carpeting can be boosted with a pop of colorful, geometric tile.

Although it’s one of the most commonly used materials, tile at Artisan Tile Studio in Nichols Hills is anything but ordinary. Building on more than 50 years of combined experience, studio owner Sydnye Steen has acquired the most expansive collection of tile in Oklahoma City. Her brandnew 7,000-square-foot showroom and warehouse at 300 W. Wilshire is carving out a niche as a go-to destination for luxury tile.

“We have tiles from all over the world to match anyone’s personal style,” Steen said. “We provide one-on-one consulting and sales, and we will go the extra mile on every project to fulfill special requests and get customers exactly what they need.”

Steen said natural stone products are always popular in luxury homes, but the sky’s the limit when it comes to custom options.

“Our industry has come so far in customization,” she said.

“We have some amazing tiles that look just like wallpaper, and our zellige tiles come in stunning mosaic patterns. They are starting to be used here in showers, backsplashes, flooring, accent pieces over fireplaces – just about anywhere.”

If you’re looking to get out of the ordinary, get into a unique home project with customized tile. By adding color, pattern and creative tilework in unexpected places, you may soon be the talk of the town.

405.242.2227 @artisantilestudio 300 W Wilshire Blvd Oklahoma City, OK 73116

TH E FINER TH INGS

Gifts

The Art of Giving LO O K TO LO C A L SH O P S F O R E X T R A -SPECI A L GI F T S B Y L I S A L L OY D

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G I V I N G A G I F T is one way we show love and appreciation for others, but we often struggle with what to give. Experts advise using yourself as a starting point for gift ideas.

“Everyone has a unique gift-giving personality based on their own passions and repertoire,” said Dana Holmes, executive editor of giftadvisor.com. “What do you love buying or can’t live without? Always start there.

Then consider who you’re shopping for and what you can share with them.”

Consider a practical gift that’s been elevated, such as an antique

vase presented with favorite flowers, a personalized set of fine stationery or beautifully patterned cocktail napkins. Gourmet foods appealing to a person’s culinary tastes are also thoughtful.

What to buy is one question; where to find it is another. Fortunately for those of us in the 405, unique local shops, like the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA) Store, showcase an impressive array. OKCMOA Store manager Richard Bruner curates a diverse range of merchandise including art, home décor, jewelry and accessories, books, toys and more. Vendors include local artists as well as brands such as Jonathan Adler.

“The whole idea is to come into the museum store and see something new that you haven’t seen anywhere else,” he said.

True art aficionados will appreciate the selection of artist Dale Chihuly’s collector edition artwork. But even if you can’t tell a Michelangelo from a Monet, you’ll be impressed at the variety and accessibility of the store’s selection.

Bruner said the key to good gift-giving is to listen for hints—and then take it a step further.

“I try to tailor the gift to the person I’m giving it to—knowing what they have and don’t have,” he said. “But more importantly, [I identify] what they don’t know that they want.”

Though the store is located inside the museum, visitors need not purchase admission in order to shop.

Purchases made in-store or online support OKCMOA. If you know your loved one would rather have fewer “things” and more memories, The Oklahoma City Culture Box is for you. The OKCMOA has partnered with seven other local institutions to provide the ultimate museum experience, including two tickets and a free gift from each participating locale.

Shopping local is a great way to support the community and find a meaningful present. Such thoughtfulness may even earn you a reputation as a bona fide gift-giving artist. Now everyone can love and appreciate that.

The OKCMOA Store is now the exclusive vendor for Jonathan Adler furniture and lighting in Oklahoma.

C O N TA C T U S

S TO R E @ O KC M OA .CO M

Need help?

We can help haute your home with a free design consultation.

(405) 278-8233

TH E FINER TH INGS

Windows

Let in the Light A BR I GH T A PPR OACH TO I MPR E SSI V ELY L A R GE W I N D OW S B Y L I S A L L OY D

O N E O F T H E most popular design trends in luxury homes is floor-to-ceiling windows with minimal window treatments, resulting in impressive sights from inside the home. Not only do large windows provide abundant natural light and uninterrupted views, but also they create a sense of not being confined.

“It’s a desirable thing to feel like you’re outdoors when you’re indoors,” said Ken Fitzsimmons, an architect with TASK Design, Inc. “We are evolved to follow the pattern of the sun. Being able to get natural 72

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daylight is a good thing for energy levels and overall well-being.”

And for homeowners with large statement windows, utilizing window film allows them to leave their windows uncovered by drapes or blinds while keeping safety and energy efficiency in mind. Technology has evolved to open a whole new world for window tint and film application, according to Jill Splitt with Jackie Cooper Tint & Electronics.

Jackie Cooper Tint & Electronics offers heat, glare and UV reduction film; frosted privacy film; security film; and custom designed film. It operates three companies to serve the metro—Oklahoma City Window Film, Edmond Window Film and Norman Window Film.

“We’ve been the leader in automotive tint for over 25 years here, so it was a natural fit for us to expand our business and get into residential and commercial tint, as well,” Splitt said.

In addition to working with homeowners directly, Splitt said the companies often work with homebuilders and architects to incorporate window tinting into building plans.

Anthony Blatt of Blatt Architects said that, when installed correctly, window film has numerous benefits for a residential or commercial property.

“Certain window tints can radiate heat back into the space during the winter months and radiate heat outward and away from the building during the summer months, saving on energy costs while improving comfort,” said Blatt. “Additionally, some window films are designed to reduce transmission of UV rays, protecting interior furnishings from fading and furniture degradation. Some window films lower the visible light transmission, providing increased privacy during the daytime hours.”

Fitzsimmons said people always request lots of windows, so it is important to incorporate them well.

“Windows can really make or break the character of a design,” he said. “It’s a big part of design, not just an afterthought.”

With the right professionals guiding design decisions, you can let the light in openly, in the biggest and brightest way possible.

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TH E FINER TH INGS

Jewelry

What a Gem D IS COV ER I N G VA LUA BL E S I NSI D E YO U R J E W EL R Y BOX

BY EVIE KLOPP HOLZER

W HEN CELEBRITIES STRUT

the red carpet, you know the necklaces, earrings, and bracelets they don are real. The sparkle! The shine! There’s no doubt you’re seeing high-quality gems.

Rummaging through old pieces inside your jewelry box, however, the quality may be harder to spot. Hand-me-downs from family or gifts from former love interests may appear dull, tarnished or worn. Yingjia Puk with Worthy.com recommends inspecting how the piece looks and feels for clues on quality.

“Unless the hallmarks have worn off from years of wear, all fine jewelry should have some type of stamp,” she said in a 2021 article, adding that quality metals have a heavier feel. “If you have two similar-looking gold chains with very different weights, one chain is likely fake or made of hollow gold links. Solid gold and platinum pieces have a significant heft to them.”

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Another tip: Examine the prongs. If you see sturdy metal prongs holding gemstones in place instead of glue, that’s a good sign.

However, high-end costume jewelry can also have prongs to look more expensive. That’s when a local jeweler can help.

Valerie Naifeh of Naifeh Fine Jewelry says people often come in with questionable pieces, and her store is well equipped to appraise them.

“We recommend people try to seek out a store that is a member of the American Gem Society, because the standards are so high, from an ethics standpoint, that only 5 percent of jewelers nationwide qualify for membership,” Naifeh said.

The American Gem Society requires the jeweler to have specific lab equipment and a gemologist on staff at all times. You can search members on the organization’s website, and Naifeh Fine Jewelers is a member.

Naifeh, a jewelry designer, noted jewelry doesn’t have to be the highest quality to be reconfigured into something beautiful. If it’s a meaningful piece, she recommends scheduling an appointment to discuss the possibilities.

“I will work with almost anything, unless it’s so badly chipped and broken that it’s going to chip and break more if we set it.” she said. “It’s not our job to tell people what is important and meaningful and what isn’t.

It is only our job to give them an accurate assessment of what we think the value is, and if the pieces can withstand [redesign].”

With decades of experience, Naifeh has discovered design techniques to “wow,” even when starting with lesser quality materials.

“We’ve learned there are ways to make a small diamond look larger or a yellow diamond look whiter,” she said. “You can’t really change the stripes on the tiger, but you can certainly make those stripes shine better.”

Rediscovering pieces in your jewelry box and renewing their shine can make you feel red-carpet-ready. Now it’s your turn to dazzle the crowd.

Ring created entirely from the client’s diamonds 18kt yellow gold

405.607.4323 | 6471 Avondale Drive Nichols Hills, OK 73116 | NaifehFineJewelry.com Monday-Friday 10am-5:30pm | Saturday 10am-5pm Financing available WAC

Antiques

Forever Treasures FI N D I N G N E W L I FE F O R A N T I QU E S A N D CO L L EC T I BL E S B Y L I S A L L OY D

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I F Y O U ’ R E L I K E millions of Americans, you’ve likely gone through a wave of decluttering during the COVID-19 pandemic, cleaning out your attic or basement while stuck at home.

It’s possible you’ve stumbled upon family heirlooms, valuable collectibles or other antiques you didn’t realize you had.

Maybe you listed those items on eBay or Facebook Marketplace. Since the pandemic, experts say, it’s now easier than ever to buy and sell antiques online.

“The new technological comfort zone that we have all experienced from the coronavirus quarantine and virtual home-schooling has made many of us

more comfortable with new methods to sell stuff, including art, antiques and collectibles online,” said Lori Verderame, an antiques appraiser and TV personality.

Andy Rapoport and Dale Kremeier are the owners of Decades Revisited, a 9,000-square-foot antiques mall with more than 60 vendors located on historic Route 66 in Oklahoma City. Cox said that with the number of reproductions on the market, it’s sometimes difficult to discern an actual antique from a replica.

“Online tools are available, but there is so much information,” Rapoport said. “If it’s something of real value, there are local appraisers.”

Although he doesn’t offer in-store appraisals, after more than 12 years in the industry, Rapoport certainly has his finger on the pulse of the antique market.

“Demand is increasing, especially in furniture and home décor,” he said. “Things were made a lot better way back then than they are now.

Customers can find really good quality pieces that have held up at more of an affordable cost.”

If you’re looking for a specific item, Rapoport keeps a “wish list” for customers and will call if their item comes in. The mall also has a loyal following on social media.

“People are always on the hunt for something unique and different—it could be a rare item or even one of a kind,” Rapoport said. “Sometimes we do have a story about something, so we encourage customers to ask.”

Some of the more popular styles found in the store include mid-century modern, industrial design and the ever-popular urban farmhouse.

Seasonal décor has also increased in popularity over the years, especially Halloween and Christmas items, as people change out their home décor.

Seasonal or not, your next find may just be worth a million dollars—or at least worth keeping in your home for a while.

CHLOE REED

TH E FINER TH INGS

3 6 39 N W 39th St | Ok la homa C ity, O K 73 1 1 2 | 40 5 . 60 1 . 68 0 0 | d e c a d e s r e vi s i t ed.com

TH E FINER TH INGS

Products

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Fine Products W H E N I T C O M E S to finding the “Finer Things” around the 405, we encourage you to seek out local shops and service providers. Not only will you be treated to outstanding customer service, but you’ll also find a few of these favorite products there.

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1. Wise Owl Paint, Decades Revisited, 3639 N.W. 39th, decadesrevisited.com 2. Bella Notte Linens in Moonlight and Fig; The Wood Garden, 7650 N. Western 3. Custom window tinting, Jackie Cooper Tint & Electronics, 8001 N. Rockwell, jce.com 4. “Channel Mist Basket” by Dale Chihuly; Oklahoma City Museum of Art Store, 415 Couch, okcmoastore.com 5. Custom tilework, Artisan Tile Studio, 300 W. Wilshire 6. La Cornue Chateau enameled stove, Culinary Kitchen & Home, 7222 N. Western, culinarykitchen.com 7. Gold necklace with sapphires and diamonds by Valerie Naifeh; Naifeh Fine Jewelry, 6471 Avondale, naifehfinejewelry.com 8. Mid-century commode in sycamore; ME Home, 2925 W. Wilshire, mehomecollection.com

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Family Owned & Operated | Big & Small We Sell Them All | Over 50 Safes In Our Showroom | USA & Import

FURNITURE, LIGHTING, RUGS, WALLPAPER, HARDWARE. Complete interior design for building or remodeling

Sweet Barrett,

You’re as beautiful as the Norwalk Furniture for whom you modeled in advertisements, magazines & billboards for 16 years!

You led a cherished life that brought joy, love,

Interior Design for Every Aspect of Your Home

and happiness to all who visited Norwalk Furniture.

-In memoriam of Barrett Curley

405.748.5774 • NORWA L K F U R N I T U R E OKC.COM

October 10th, 2004 to August 15th, 2021

GATHER INGS Inspirations to enhance your everyday occasions

Practically Perfect CARLI ECONOMY

Simple florals and familiar pottery bring a down-home sensibility to the table.

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Comfortably Set A R E F R E S H O N FA M I LI A R P L AC E S E T T I N G S

BY S A R A G A E WATERS PHOTOS BY CARLI ECONOMY

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LEFT: Neutral linens set the tone for earthy arrangements and tableware.

THIS PAGE: Frankoma Pottery produced an extensive line in this Prairie

Green glaze, which dates back to the 1940s.

Elsie de Wolfe said, “A house should be a synthesis of comfort, practicality and tradition.” For many families, the table is where we nourish ourselves with food and conversation. By extension, bringing comfort, practicality and tradition to our table should be a goal.

I have long loved to create beautiful table settings, and for this fall I found myself harkening back to the Sunday dinners of my youth at my beloved Mimi and Papa’s home.

This weekly gathering usually had the same menu, was served on the same Frankoma pottery and – most importantly – was with the same people.

While our tables were not set with sunflowers and candles, I wanted to show how even something that seems of “days gone by” can be transformed into an updated beautiful table. Mixing the Frankoma with vintage flatware, new buffalo check napkins and slate charcuterie boards updates the look. Sunshine yellow candles and floral bouquets with sunflower stems are the perfect adornments.

C E L E B R AT E D D E C O R ATO R

By extension, bringing comfort, practicality and tradition to our table should be a goal.

Sadly, this is not the handed-down pottery of my grandparents; it is the combined collection of a dear friend and his mother. I learned the hard way to never say “no” to the handing down of heirlooms. I’m sure more than a few of our readers have Frankoma in their homes. It may be tucked away in boxes, stored in kitchen cabinets or possibly even in the regular dinner dish rotation.

On page 22, read about the rich history of Frankoma pottery. I hope it inspires you to bring out your handed-down tableware – whether it’s fine china or chipped pottery – as you surround your table with ones you love.

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Sunny Disposition THE YEAR OF THE S U N F LOW E R

BY S A R A G A E WATERS PHOTO BY C A R LI ECONOM Y

a surprise, but 2021 is the year of the sunflower, according to the National Garden Bureau.

These gorgeous blooms are certainly a summer favorite, and they continue to be available for harvest through early fall. The “classic” yellow with brown center is always a show-stopper, but there are many varieties to switch things up. Mixed together, they make a sunny arrangement for your kitchen or dining room table, and single stems scattered in vases around the house can only bring smiles. If you want to branch out and try a different variety, look for “chocolate” and “plum” sunflowers, or seek the “gold lite” – a yellow sunflower with a yellow center.

On page 82, we pull these all together to create a simple-but-unusual arrangement.

It’s not too late to celebrate the happiest of flowers during its year in the sun.

IT MIGHT BE

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this fall by rail, trail or motorcycle

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ARKANSAS

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Come and find that perfect gift!

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Fine Homes & Luxury Properties

Alice Dahlgren

Office: 405.843.8448 Cell: 405.570.1766 alice@homeoklahoma.com homeoklahoma.com

Chelle Greene

Office: 405.843.8448 Cell: 405.818.9131 chellegreene@remax.net chellegreene.com @chellegreenerealestate

GAILLARDIA

NICHOLS HILLS

Gated Entrances with guarded access.

Completely updated 18 hole golf course and Club house. This house has water and golf! Elevator—2 bedrooms down and 2 up. Yes—OPEN and bright.

3 bedrooms with library or 4 bedrooms.

5681 sq ft. One level open floor plan designed for entertaining. Solid home with exceptional detail.

4900 WISTERIA DRIVE

$2,750,000 | MLS# 956230

GAILLARDIA

14715 DALEA DRIVE Estate Lot offering almost 1 acre. 2 Bedrooms down and 2 up. Stay cozy watching t.v. by the fireplace. Great for watching football! Exceptional remodeling.

$2,995,000 | MLS# 963656

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7305 NICHOLS ROAD

$1,958,000 | MLS# 956055

FALLING STAR FARM

610 NORTHEAST FLOWER MOUND ROAD LAWTON, OKLAHOMA One level bright and open home with stunning views of the Wichita Mountains 54+ acres and 3836 sq ft

$1,500,000 | MLS# 970528

405.843.8448

Linda Haneborg

Office: 405.843.8448 Cell: 405.590.8363 linda@lindahaneborg.com lindahaneborg.remax-oklahoma.com

Susan Citty

Office: 405.843.8448 Cell: 405.401.7793 susancittyproperties@gmail.com susancittyproperties.com

NICHOLS HILLS

6713 NW GRAND BLVD Stunning Classic Estate on 1.25 acres.

Guesthouse and beautiful outdoor living spaces plus a 60’ pool. 5 bedrooms, 6.2 bathrooms, 6,468 sq. ft.

$2,999,000 | MLS# 933049

COUNTRY ESTATE IN THE CITY

ELMHURST COURT

8200sf+, 6 bedrooms, 4 living. Luxurious first floor owner suite. 12 minutes to airport. Oakdale schools. Morton air conditioned horse stables. Ultimate entertaining compound. 20.25 private parklike acres. Exquisite mountain waterfalls, spa, pool, fire pit. Best of all worlds.

Impeccable quality and design. Zero lot line, gated neighborhood. Lock and Leave lifestyle. One-level, One-owner. 3 bedrooms, 3.1 bathrooms, 4,006 sq. ft.

NEW PRICE $2,200,000 | MLS# 887660

$1,599,000 | MLS# 932484

3775 E HEFNER ROAD

8516 STONEHURST COURT

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A H E A D

Spring Forward

BY S A R A G A E WATERS | PHOTO BY SH A NNON COR NM A N

T H E F O U R S E A S O N S provide inspiration for new directions and ideas we have coming your way in 2022. Most notably, we admire the seasonal shifts in the landscape we live in. Our homes’ exteriors deserve as much attention as the insides. However, we are not relegating this to just the outdoors in the literal

sense; bringing the outside in is important, as well. Interiors that reflect or embody nature are also on our minds, and we have some beautiful things to share with you.

The next issue will have more surprises that we are eager to reveal. Just like the seasons, things change.

Spring is a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be.

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We are more than just bankers.

We are friends, we are family, we are community.

sey Paul

Hunter & Kel

CEO T.W. Shannon

in

llett, Dust

Steven Ha

ter Paul &

ld, Hun Stubblefie

and Family

Judy Tran

Building Better Lives for Everyone!

909 S Meridian Ave • Oklahoma City, OK 73108 Main: 405.946.2265 • Fax: 405.949.2600

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