LITTLE SPARKS OF JOY

How Haleigh Kenney arranged to open XO Floral Design

BY ADI MCCASLAND PHOTOS BY CHARLIE NEUENSCHWANDER

It’s the emotions evoked that make the long hours, the odd hours, worth it — showing the bride her bouquet, delivering a baby shower vase, offering a celebration of life arrangement.

“Little sparks of joy; they’re a message of love without having to say anything,” explained Haleigh Kenney, principal designer and owner of XO Floral Design in Oklahoma City.

Kenney, a native Oklahoman with a cosmetology license and a degree in public relations, wandered into the floral industry quite literally. She was working part-time at a family friend’s downtown claims office (by way of a previous sales job, which was by way of a previous cosmetology job) where the front was rented out to a florist.

“On my lunch break, I walked through and smelled all of the flowers and felt drawn to the creativity,” said Kenney.

Inarguably, it is scary to leave the security of an 8-to-5 with a steady base income and paid time off for a less guaranteed career, but it turns out Kenney’s transition to botanical artistry wasn’t that intimidating.

“I got my floral experience with them. I was still working my other job, but for two years — on the weekends, whenever they needed help — I’d work the events,” said Kenney, exemplifying how sometimes the best education is hands-on experience.

Advice For Budding Designers

XO Floral Design owner Haleigh Kenney recommends starting with the basics — learn about the flowers and proper care — and going to work for a florist. “That’s where you’ll really get a taste for it,” she said.

Other flower-arranging snippets:

• Buy flowers in the shortest possible window of time prior to your event, preferably on the day before.

• Roll chicken wire into a ball and place it at the bottom of your vase to keep arranged stems in place.

• Cut your stems at an angle to allow them to absorb the water better, and give them a fresh cut every few days.

• Once in the vase, remove any greenery or anything on the stem that is below your water line. Leaves will steal the nutrients, so removing them will prolong the life of your arrangement.

• Change the water every few days so flowers can continue soaking up the nutrients.

• Keep your flowers away from a vent source, as well as any spaces of extreme cold or heat.

Fueled by inspiration from her grandmother’s lifelong garden and the florists who came before her, Kenney began supplementing her on-the-job training with specialized workshops from leaders in the industry.

“I found this girl who was both a wedding planner and a florist, and I thought, ‘I’m gonna break into that.’ And so I went to [her workshop in] Michigan,” she explained. “It was the very best thing I did for my business.”

One might think that this is simply the business of blooms, but it’s so much more than that. It’s one of reflecting someone’s vision, valuing uniqueness and making people feel special through exquisite arrangements. It’s those little sparks of joy that keep Kenney and XO Floral Design flourishing.

Daniel Melott, owner of Veteran Built Designs, LLC, prides himself on heading a team of professionals that offer custom builds that meet every individual client’s unique needs. His team works diligently before they break ground, to make sure the design is perfect for the clients. After perfecting the client’s custom design the team hits the ground running and builds using top quality materials and in an extremely efficient way.

They use quality materials, tools, and highly trained professionals to ensure the job is done right the first time. This is all done to stay in alignment with their motto-custom hardscapes at neighbor prices.

Veteran Built Designs is focused on enhancing outdoor living spaces, including post frame buildings, pergolas, pavilions, firepits, fireplaces and more. Melott retired from the Air Force after serving 22 years. He started his company in 2018.

“Whether it be a brand new build or updating an existing build, I enjoy each step of the process,” he said. “I have built simple designs to unique designs with customers. My feeling is I want the homeowners to be happy and be able to enjoy their outdoor space.”

Melott advises clients who are considering hiring a builder to find a company that can manage all aspects of the project, be licensed and insured and provide quality work.

“Communication should always be clear with the company to have a successful project,” he said. “It’s also important to look for local, small businesses in OKC.”

ONE FAMILY’S REDESIGN CALLS FOR A CHEERY ‘OH!’

BY LILLIE-BETH SANGER BRINKMAN

PHOTOS BY EMILY HART

When one hopeful homeowner took his children to see a house coming up for bid in a sheriff’s sale, the initial on the gate matched the family’s own last name, making the property feel like home right away.

For his wife, the whole process of buying their English manor in Oklahoma City felt like it was meant to be from the beginning; even before she viewed the listing’s photos, its description had all the characteristics she and her husband were seeking.

“The first time I saw it, … it was snowing, and it was like this fairytale,” she said as she described driving up the long driveway in a wooded area and then finding a house that was exactly what they needed. “It really did look like a house you would see in Narnia. It was very ‘storybook’ when you pulled up. There were ducks everywhere.”

Today, the couple and their young children live on the multi-acre property with chickens, two cows, bunnies, two Great Pyrenees and their little house dog, a miniature Australian Labradoodle. A pet turtle now lives in the pond on the property, after its large tank cracked and “exploded,” as the wife put it, in the boys’ bedroom in the middle of the night.

Working with designer Sara Kate Little, founder of Pastiche Studios, the homeowners leaned into the English style of the residence for its design, with a focus on turning the home into a modern-day haven for their family and friends.

“It’s a beautiful manor-style home. When you pull in through the gate, you’re completely transported to another place,” Little said. “It’s just so idyllic.”

For Little, the project was also meant to be — “a dream job and dream clients” who were very thoughtful about how they wanted to live. Little already had an interest in British design, has traveled to England for home items and inspiration and has taken part in a workshop with prominent London interior designer Rita Konig.

“It was just very kismet,” Little said. “Our goals were very aligned. And I felt really strongly that I had a lot of really interesting sources and ideas to put into the project.”

This light-filled kitchen offers glimpses of idyllic life, with fresh eggs and milk produced by the family's own animals, quartzite countertops, unlacquered brass fixtures from the House of Rohl and a custom Lacanche range.

Storage, lighting and hardware in the bar were selected to evoke a library and reflect the husband’s interest in experimenting with and developing his own cocktails.

IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS

The floral arrangements featured throughout the home were designed to look as if they were plucked from a British garden. Joyful mixed-andmatched stems include daffodils, tulips, roses, anemones, foxgloves and dahlias. A large bunch of feathery dill, sourced from interior designer Sara Kate Little's garden, fills the woven urn and pedestal basket from France.

The project turned into a much bigger one than the homeowners originally intended because some areas in the home needed to be gutted. They contacted the original architect, Brent Gibson, who helped with the redesign and updated a few areas. Matteson Custom Homes handled the renovation.

The outside got the same British design focus thanks to the work of landscape architect Laurie Keffer, who had lived in Europe and, like Little, understood the couple’s English-inspired vision for the whole property. That includes a pool, volleyball court, spaces for their animals, gardens and a charming wellhouse — ready to inspire imagination and play for people of all ages. Nelson Landscaping installed the outdoor landscaping based on Keffer's design. And it’s easy to see the outdoor beauty from any of the home’s many windows that let in so much natural lighting.

Little said the homeowners’ furnishings include a mix of new and antique items, and they are sourced “almost exclusively” from the United Kingdom. The British details are found throughout — whether in the paint colors from the British paint companies Farrows & Ball or Papers and Paints or the antique “bus reels” hanging as art two stories tall. These bus reels, featuring the names of English locations, once were rolled up and placed into signs on the bus, so they could flip to let travelers know the location of their next stop.

Special attention was given to the cocktail bar; designed as if it were a library to reflect the husband’s cocktail creations and the depth of his interest in this hobby. In the separate two-story dining room, the elegant and warm feel comes in part from a mirror behind lattice woodwork.

“From start to finish, the level of detail that's put into the project by everyone who was involved is pretty impressive,” Little said.

The wife said that all along, she wanted the home to have a timeless feel while also being light and bright, with lots of sunshine and color that would make her smile every day. Today, it’s a place where they pray and play and cook and entertain family and friends in all the spaces, indoors and out.

“I just wanted the house to breathe life,” she said. “We feel like we can actually live here. We get to enjoy the beautiful space that is livable. So [Little] was really able to marry the two worlds.”