When Tyler Mosher and her husband, William, first saw their Tulsa Maple Ridge home, the project seemed insurmountable.
“There were unrepaired roof leaks, and some of the ceilings had collapsed,” says Tyler Mosher. “It was definitely in a state of disrepair.”
But the home had features the couple needed, specifically the potential to house six. The midtown lot offered enough acreage to enlarge the house and still have plenty of outdoor play space for the couple’s four children.
Initially, the project was overwhelming, but the Moshers have a solid background in construction renovation. Mosher’s company, Nest, purchases homes to renovate and put back on the market, while her husband has a commercial construction business.
“We had plenty of experience,” says Mosher. “Plus, we have our connection of trusted subcontractors.”
The family purchased the home and, extraordinarily, moved in while the renovation was in progress.
“Last winter, when it was two degrees, we had an open wall on one side of the house,” Mosher recalls.
The entire project took about six months, including the addition that transformed the small kitchen by adding 20 feet to the home and creating a combination family room and spacious kitchen.
“With four children, I needed to be able to work in the kitchen while I could keep track of the kids,” she says.
The new construction also included a covered back patio and two new bedrooms upstairs. The original four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home now contains five bedrooms, three full baths and two half-baths.
“The home had great original moldings and details,” says Mosher.
But the homeowners decided early that all the exterior windows and doors needed to be replaced. Noticeably, there are no window coverings in the open areas.
“We wanted to take advantage of the natural light,” says Mosher.
The wood floors were refinished throughout the home, while neutral colors were selected for the walls and trim. And as they repaired the ceilings, new lighting was installed, specifically placed to accent the couple’s unique art collection.
In the living room, three pencil profiles by Moore artist Tim Hearne were purchased at Brookside’s Aberson Exhibits and feature rappers Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z and Biggie Smalls.
“They are a serious conversation starter,” says Mosher, laughing.
“They wanted the living room to be a comfortable place to casually entertain,” says Lori Sparkman, owner of Fifteenth and Home, who worked with the couple to furnish and decorate the home.
Sparkman utilized the family’s existing sofa and chose the classic lines of Savino camel leather chairs from American Leather with nickel detail on the base that wraps onto the front of the arms. Adjacent is a custom chaise upholstered with longhorn cowhides, an homage to the couple’s home state of Texas.
Local craftsman Eric Fransen, who crafted all the kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, created the custom walnut cocktail table that features a subtle inlay of brass sections in the walnut.
The area rug is a wool textile from Calvin Klein.
“Because the owners have more of a transitional style, we chose a red Alpaca wool for the American Leather chairs by the fireplace that are a contemporary take on the traditional wingback chair,” says Sparkman.
In what was the original pantry off the dining room, Mosher created an open bar area. Fransen crafted the navy cabinetry with brass hardware. The countertop is a single piece of unlacquered brass with a contiguous sink. Fransen also crafted the walnut wall and shelves.
Next to the wine refrigerator is a pellet icemaker, probably better known to Oklahomans as “Sonic ice” – from the much-coveted ice used at Sonic Drive-Ins.
“It’s probably my favorite purchase in the house,” Mosher says.
