Houzz Tour: New Home With Vintage Touches
Designers fluent in historic architecture create a new home full of charm in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Becky Harris
July 28, 2021
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
Danielle Palm and Rocci Chandler’s business usually involves finding historic homes in a state of disrepair, highlighting their original charms while remodeling them back to their former glory, staging them and selling them. But with the recent seller’s market in their hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, making it impossible to find any existing homes, they decided to complete their first new build. They found a good deal on a lot and designed a modern farmhouse, taking inspiration from the historic Colonial-style homes they had worked on before. The house is fresh and up to date, with a few key touches that add a vintage vibe.
Photos by Tony Li and Sarah Baker
House at a Glance
Who lives here: This home was designed, built and decorated on spec.
Location: Bryn Mawr neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma
Size: 3,506 square feet (326 square meters); four bedrooms plus study; 4½ bathrooms
Designers: Danielle Palm and Rocci Chandler of Rose Rock Properties and Pinnacle Home Design (architecture)
Contractor: Monroe Design
“We love bringing back the character to the beautiful historic homes in Tulsa,” Palm says. “And the original craftsmanship is on a whole other level. But it was a fun challenge to start with a blank slate and it was a real labor of love.” For this project, she and Chandler added special touches gleaned from their experience with historic homes to give the new house unique charm.
Though they serve as contractors on their remodeling projects, Palm and Chandler hired contracting firm Monroe Design to help on this one, as it was their first new build. They learned a lot from being on the site every day working with the subs. “We already had the home we envisioned and plans drawn on paper, but needed the expertise of an architect to solidify our vision,” Palm says. They hired architectural firm Pinnacle Home Design to turn their designs into technical drawings and help with the permitting process.
On the exterior, the front porch, board-and-batten siding, barn lights and lanterns and X shapes on the railings and garage doors are farmhouse-inspired touches. The windows and doors, black accents and rectilinear planters provide modern elements. The shape and massing of the house fits in with the Colonial-style homes in the neighborhood.
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: This home was designed, built and decorated on spec.
Location: Bryn Mawr neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma
Size: 3,506 square feet (326 square meters); four bedrooms plus study; 4½ bathrooms
Designers: Danielle Palm and Rocci Chandler of Rose Rock Properties and Pinnacle Home Design (architecture)
Contractor: Monroe Design
“We love bringing back the character to the beautiful historic homes in Tulsa,” Palm says. “And the original craftsmanship is on a whole other level. But it was a fun challenge to start with a blank slate and it was a real labor of love.” For this project, she and Chandler added special touches gleaned from their experience with historic homes to give the new house unique charm.
Though they serve as contractors on their remodeling projects, Palm and Chandler hired contracting firm Monroe Design to help on this one, as it was their first new build. They learned a lot from being on the site every day working with the subs. “We already had the home we envisioned and plans drawn on paper, but needed the expertise of an architect to solidify our vision,” Palm says. They hired architectural firm Pinnacle Home Design to turn their designs into technical drawings and help with the permitting process.
On the exterior, the front porch, board-and-batten siding, barn lights and lanterns and X shapes on the railings and garage doors are farmhouse-inspired touches. The windows and doors, black accents and rectilinear planters provide modern elements. The shape and massing of the house fits in with the Colonial-style homes in the neighborhood.
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Simple columns, a black porch ceiling, pendant lanterns and topiaries add to the home’s curb appeal. Historic homes that Palm and Chandler had remodeled in the past inspired the dentile molding-like brick pattern where the wall meets the porch ceiling.
“We really love the streamlined look of black iron doors and windows, but they are so expensive,” Palm says. Instead they had their window and door vendor create the look with black-painted wood.
Browse planters in the Houzz Shop
“We really love the streamlined look of black iron doors and windows, but they are so expensive,” Palm says. Instead they had their window and door vendor create the look with black-painted wood.
Browse planters in the Houzz Shop
“We wanted a grand entry like many of the neighborhood’s Colonial-style homes have,” Palm says. “We chose a herringbone pattern for the white oak floor because it’s stunning and timeless and sets the entry apart.” The glass doors and windows fill the space with light.
The pair worked with local artist Susan Eddings Perez to create custom pieces for the home. Her scored stucco piece on the left stands up to the scale of the entry.
The pair worked with local artist Susan Eddings Perez to create custom pieces for the home. Her scored stucco piece on the left stands up to the scale of the entry.
With a two-story space to fill, the designers added elongated board-and-batten millwork above and below the stairs. This mitigates the height of the space.
The simple flat millwork pieces and black iron railings blend traditional and modern styles. A rustic wood table with a well-worn patina and burlap-covered poufs add more casual touches. An arched mirror boosts light and brings a classic curve to the space.
The simple flat millwork pieces and black iron railings blend traditional and modern styles. A rustic wood table with a well-worn patina and burlap-covered poufs add more casual touches. An arched mirror boosts light and brings a classic curve to the space.
Dark walls create moody drama in a cozy office-sitting room off the entry. “There was so much white in this house, we needed to add some black for depth,” Chandler says. They used Benjamin Moore’s Cheating Heart paint on the walls and ceiling. They added texture and depth to the fireplace wall by covering it in shiplap.
A Carrara marble fireplace and ivory swivel chairs add light contrast, while an Oriental rug and brass finishes bring in warmth. The designers repeated the wall color, shiplap, brass and marble in other areas of the house to create a cohesive feel.
Rug: Layla in olive and charcoal, Loloi II
A Carrara marble fireplace and ivory swivel chairs add light contrast, while an Oriental rug and brass finishes bring in warmth. The designers repeated the wall color, shiplap, brass and marble in other areas of the house to create a cohesive feel.
Rug: Layla in olive and charcoal, Loloi II
The designers found the botanical prints at a local antique store that was going out of business. “These are one of a kind. We used them throughout the house,” Palm says.
This room also has a full bathroom off of it. “This bathroom leads to the backyard,” Palm says. “So if they want to install a pool, it can serve as the pool bath. It’s also nice to have for guests when entertaining outdoors.”
This room also has a full bathroom off of it. “This bathroom leads to the backyard,” Palm says. “So if they want to install a pool, it can serve as the pool bath. It’s also nice to have for guests when entertaining outdoors.”
The kitchen and family room are open to each other along the back of the house. A modern ring chandelier and ceiling beams add farmhouse touches to the chic space. “We wanted the look of white oak beams, but to save money we had to get creative,” Palm says. “We used pine lumber and had it stained to look like white oak.”
They hung a Samsung Frame TV over the fireplace. It can camouflage itself as artwork when not in use.
Shop for a black chandelier
They hung a Samsung Frame TV over the fireplace. It can camouflage itself as artwork when not in use.
Shop for a black chandelier
The fireplace surround and hearth are the same Carrara marble used in the office. Shelves and cabinets flanking the fireplace provide space for display and storage for games and toys.
The designers used Sherwin-Williams Snowbound paint on the walls and trim throughout the house. “We’ve tried other whites, but we always go back to Snowbound. It has just the right amount of warmth,” Palm says.
The designers used Sherwin-Williams Snowbound paint on the walls and trim throughout the house. “We’ve tried other whites, but we always go back to Snowbound. It has just the right amount of warmth,” Palm says.
Large windows with black muntins and simple flat trim provide a modern look and fill the room with light.
A long island separates the kitchen from the family room within the open plan. A sun-filled dining area takes advantage of the backyard views. The dining space works well for both casual and formal meals and takes the place of a separate formal dining room. “We are finding most homeowners don’t care about having a separate formal dining room anymore,” Palm says.
The designers carefully considered the view from the family room into the kitchen. Dramatic black pendants, rift-sawn white oak paneling on the island, a streamlined range hood with a strip of brass on it and a beautiful built-in china cabinet enhance the view. “We splurged on rift-sawn white oak for the island because its vertical detailing is so strong,” Palm says. They tucked the fridge on a wall opposite the left end of the island to keep it out of view.
The dark 18-inch pendants create a strong statement over the island. “We loved the size and the conical shape of these pendants,” Palm says.
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The dark 18-inch pendants create a strong statement over the island. “We loved the size and the conical shape of these pendants,” Palm says.
Hire a cabinet pro
This photo was taken where the kitchen meets the butler’s pantry. “We like to keep the appliances out of view in the main kitchen area,” Palm says. “We slid the rest of the appliances and a lot of storage into a butler’s pantry.” The island hides the dishwasher from view.
Cabinets: Woodstock
Cabinets: Woodstock
Rather than a hulking stainless steel refrigerator, the family room has a view of the pretty built-in china cabinet. “We like to mix vintage in on all our projects,” Palm says. The pair had salvaged lattice interior shutters from an old renovation project years ago, and they repurposed them as these cabinet doors. The cabinet serves as a furniture-like piece in the main part of the kitchen, capped by a brass art light that makes it even more special.
Light: Hudson Valley Lighting
Light: Hudson Valley Lighting
“We used the butler’s pantry to stash the wall ovens, ice maker and other small appliances,” Palm says. They also incorporated a bar sink and pantry cabinets.
One of the smartest ideas the duo had for the pantry can’t be seen in this photo. Hidden behind the pantry cabinets on the right is a 3-foot-high door into the garage. It allows the homeowners to take groceries out of the car and drop them directly into the pantry. The grocery door has a combination lock on it for security. The actual garage entry is located off a mudroom. Forgoing another full entry door in here left more room for storage.
One of the smartest ideas the duo had for the pantry can’t be seen in this photo. Hidden behind the pantry cabinets on the right is a 3-foot-high door into the garage. It allows the homeowners to take groceries out of the car and drop them directly into the pantry. The grocery door has a combination lock on it for security. The actual garage entry is located off a mudroom. Forgoing another full entry door in here left more room for storage.
Because this large window faces the street, the designers ended the cabinetry with a waterfall countertop to provide a beautiful view from outside. Shiplap adds a nice accent behind this bar sink area. Palm and Chandler repeated the shiplap and Cheating Heart black paint they used in the office.
Historic homes the designers had worked on around Tulsa inspired this ogee arch opening. To the left, the hallway leads to the mudroom, laundry room and powder room. To the right, it leads to the homeowners’ bedroom suite. Two more of the special antique botanical prints, illuminated by a sconce, are an inviting touch on the wall.
Another shiplap wall in the mudroom ties in with other spaces in the home.
The laundry room has a patterned encaustic cement tile floor. “We really lucked out — the gorgeous gray marble countertop was a remnant we found at the stone yard, and it worked beautifully with the floor pattern,” Palm says.
In the powder room, the vanity is rift-sawn white oak with a marble top and brass fixtures. The wall paint is a deep earthy green, Shade Grown by Sherwin-Williams.
The painting of the lady on the wall has a somewhat scandalous story behind it. Chandler found it at a garage sale many years ago and fell in love with it. Her husband, not so much. “I used to tell him that she was my Aunt Shirley and we had to keep her,” she says.
Eventually she and Palm decided to keep the painting for staging purposes, but it was damaged in storage. “We had Susan Eddings Perez repair it, and when she held the painting up to the light, she could see that this painting originally had been a nude and that the dress had been painted on her later,” Palm says with a laugh.
The painting of the lady on the wall has a somewhat scandalous story behind it. Chandler found it at a garage sale many years ago and fell in love with it. Her husband, not so much. “I used to tell him that she was my Aunt Shirley and we had to keep her,” she says.
Eventually she and Palm decided to keep the painting for staging purposes, but it was damaged in storage. “We had Susan Eddings Perez repair it, and when she held the painting up to the light, she could see that this painting originally had been a nude and that the dress had been painted on her later,” Palm says with a laugh.
The homeowners’ bedroom has a vaulted ceiling and another ring chandelier. The designers added the same board-and-batten millwork on the headboard wall that they used in the entry. An Oriental rug with a well-worn look adds warmth underfoot.
Eddings Perez custom-painted the floral artwork for the room. The dark background adds contrast while the greens pick up on the throw pillow fabric.
Eddings Perez custom-painted the floral artwork for the room. The dark background adds contrast while the greens pick up on the throw pillow fabric.
Calming natural hues such as terra cotta and deep green and natural materials like wicker and alabaster create a relaxing atmosphere.
A fiddlehead fig and a woven chair bring organic elements into the master bathroom.
Elements seen elsewhere in the house, such as a herringbone pattern on the floor, rift-sawn white oak, shiplap and a big splash of black, show up here as well. The mirrors were a lucky find. The shapes resemble that ogee arched opening between the kitchen and hallway, and the repetition adds to the cohesive feel of the home.
The designers chose a marble-look porcelain tile for the floors and shower walls. “We are finding that a lot of people prefer porcelain to marble for easier maintenance,” Palm says.
“We wanted to give the vanity a furniture-like feeling,” Palm says. “And we love to include open shelves for towels and things homeowners will need to grab with ease.”
The second level contains three bedrooms and two full bathrooms. Farm-inspired black pendant lights and a colorful Oriental rug add personality in the hallway. The paneling on the doors mimics the board-and-batten millwork used in the entry and master bedroom.
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Love it love it!
Love the calm and serene feel of this home. It’s just beautiful !
Janet
Thank you Janet!