Tag: home

For the last 22 years, we’ve asked Oklahomans a simple question: Who’s the best? And as always, you’ve responded with ample enthusiasm, coming out in droves to let us know your favorites. It’s been a tough year and a half, no doubt about it, but local businesses have responded to adversity with sheer Okie grit, continuing to deliver the...

When settlers came to what would become the central portion of Oklahoma, claimed land and started to build lives, they were met with a challenge. The area is primarily prairies and grasslands, with very little timber for building. Thankfully, there were other options. Pioneers in this area, and all through the central United States, built sod houses (or soddies)...

Photography by Nathan Harmon It took Palmer Johnson and his partner, Johnny Callison, about a year to find the perfect midtown Tulsa home, where Johnson could truly flex his long-time love and interest for interior design.  “Even as a child, I liked to rearrange my bedroom furniture constantly,” says Johnson. “I guess you could say my love of interior design is...

The ‘Pros’ Abound When you or a loved one approaches or reaches the golden years, lots of challenges may present themselves. These challenges make you consider what the next step of life looks like. But where do you go for information about retirement communities? And how do you make those really tough choices? While aging in place may seem appealing, keep...

Hans and Torrey Butzer of OKC’s Butzer Architects and Urbanism worked from a simple sketch to design and build this distinctive home on Lake Texoma near Kingston. The dwelling, noted for its unusual architecture, offers three gabled sectors, arranged along two ridgelines that descend towards the Lake Texoma edge. Dubbed La Niña, the home’s name is an ode to...

Bill Blecha became infatuated with a medieval castle while in France, serving in the U.S. Army aviation initiative during World War I. He vowed that when he returned home, he would build a replica in Oklahoma. After the war, Blecha became a manager for Manhattan Construction Co. during the 1920s and  ’30s urban renewal of downtown Oklahoma City. With duties...

A new Tulsa home in an upscale midtown neighborhood is a testament to the power of a traditional exterior with a surprising, crisp white interior. It’s not ‘country French,’ or ‘English country’ – always popular design themes – but its image is fresh and inviting. This modern-style, 4,800-square-foot home was built in 2019 by Mike Alexander of Insight Homes. Bainbridge...

Sometimes it’s love at first sight when you find the perfect home. Or, perhaps, it’s seeing the potential for what a home could be that sparks the initial passion. The latter situation was the case for Ralph and Gunta Sandmeyer, a Tulsa homebuilder and interior designer duo who wanted to create a haven for themselves and their family. With more...

Oklahoma on Film If there’s one popular concept that people from other states have learned about Oklahoma, it’s that the wind comes sweeping down our plains. Even though the cinematic version of Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein’s musical Oklahoma! was filmed in Arizona, the movies that are shot entirely or primarily here often reinforce a wide-open image of Oklahoma, where...

Turning ideas and desires into a reality requires taking the renovation plunge … either by yourself or with the help of an expert in the field. Planning keeps goals in mind throughout the process. Sometimes you want to do just a little … a small project here or there. At other times, especially if you don’t have to worry about...