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Houzz Tour: A New Build is Warmed Up With Rustic Touches
Clever details, such as panelling, wooden beams and herringbone flooring, give this modern home bags of character
Danielle Palm and Rocci Chandler’s business usually involves finding historic homes in a state of disrepair, highlighting their original charms while renovating them back to their former glory, then selling them. But with the recent seller’s market in their hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the US, making it impossible to find any existing houses, they decided to complete their first new build.
The couple found a good deal on a plot and designed a modern farmhouse, taking inspiration from the historic Colonial-style homes they’d worked on before. The house is fresh and up to date, with a few key touches that add a vintage vibe.
The couple found a good deal on a plot and designed a modern farmhouse, taking inspiration from the historic Colonial-style homes they’d worked on before. The house is fresh and up to date, with a few key touches that add a vintage vibe.
Simple columns, a black porch ceiling, pendant lanterns and topiary add to the home’s kerb appeal. Historic homes that Danielle and Rocci had renovated in the past inspired the dentil moulding-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,” Danielle says. Instead, they had their window and door vendor create the look with black-painted wood.
“We really love the streamlined look of black iron doors and windows, but they are so expensive,” Danielle says. Instead, they had their window and door vendor create the look with black-painted wood.
“We wanted a grand entry like many of the neighbourhood’s Colonial-style homes have,” Danielle says. “We chose a herringbone pattern for the white oak floor because it’s stunning and timeless and sets the entry apart.” The glazed doors and window above fill the space with light.
The pair worked with local artist Susan Eddings Perez to create bespoke pieces for the home. Her scored stucco artwork on the left stands up to the scale of the space.
The pair worked with local artist Susan Eddings Perez to create bespoke pieces for the home. Her scored stucco artwork on the left stands up to the scale of the space.
With a two-storey space to fill, the designers added elongated board-and-batten panelling above and below the stairs. This mitigates the height of the space.
The simple flat woodwork and black iron railings blend traditional and modern styles. A rustic wooden table with a well-worn patina and burlap-covered pouffes add more casual touches. An arched mirror boosts light and brings a classic curve to the space.
The simple flat woodwork and black iron railings blend traditional and modern styles. A rustic wooden table with a well-worn patina and burlap-covered pouffes add more casual touches. An arched mirror boosts light and brings a classic curve to the space.
Dark walls create moody drama in a cosy office-living room off the hallway. “There was so much white in this house, we needed to add some black for depth,” Rocci 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 colour, shiplap, brass and marble in other areas of the house to create a cohesive feel.
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 colour, shiplap, brass and marble in other areas of the house to create a cohesive feel.
The designers found the botanical prints at a local antiques store that was going out of business. “These are one of a kind. We used them throughout the house,” Danielle says.
This room also has a full bathroom off it. “This bathroom leads to the backyard,” Danielle says. “So if the [new owners] 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 it. “This bathroom leads to the backyard,” Danielle says. “So if the [new owners] 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,” Danielle says. “We used pine 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.
They hung a Samsung Frame TV over the fireplace. It can camouflage itself as artwork when not in use.
The fireplace surround and hearth are the same Carrara marble as was 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 woodwork throughout the house. “We’ve tried other whites, but we always go back to Snowbound. It has just the right amount of warmth,” Danielle says.
Inspired by this home? Look for an interior designer in your area.
The designers used Sherwin-Williams Snowbound paint on the walls and woodwork throughout the house. “We’ve tried other whites, but we always go back to Snowbound. It has just the right amount of warmth,” Danielle says.
Inspired by this home? Look for an interior designer in your area.
Large windows with black glazing bars and a simple flat surround provide a modern look and fill the room with light.
A long island separates the kitchen from the family room within the open-plan space. A sun-filled dining area takes advantage of the garden 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,” Danielle says.
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,” Danielle 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 cooker 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,” Danielle says. They tucked the fridge on a wall opposite the left end of the island to keep it out of view.
The dark, 45cm pendants create a strong statement over the island. “We loved the size and the conical shape of these pendants,” Danielle says.
“We splurged on rift-sawn white oak for the island because its vertical detailing is so strong,” Danielle says. They tucked the fridge on a wall opposite the left end of the island to keep it out of view.
The dark, 45cm pendants create a strong statement over the island. “We loved the size and the conical shape of these pendants,” Danielle says.
This photo was taken where the kitchen meets the pantry. “We like to keep the appliances out of view in the main kitchen area,” Danielle 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.
Rather than a hulking stainless-steel fridge, the family room has a view of the pretty built-in china cabinet. “We like to mix vintage in on all our projects,” Danielle 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.
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.
“We used the butler’s pantry to stash the wall ovens, ice maker and other small appliances,” Danielle says. They also incorporated a sink and larder cabinets.
One of the smartest ideas the duo had for the pantry can’t be seen in this photo. Hidden behind the cabinets on the right is a 3ft-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 boot room. 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 cabinets on the right is a 3ft-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 boot room. 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 worktop to provide a beautiful view from outside. Shiplap adds a nice accent behind this sink area. Danielle and Rocci 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 boot room, utility and cloakroom. 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 boot room ties in with other spaces in the home.
The utility room has a patterned encaustic cement tile floor. “We really lucked out – the gorgeous grey marble countertop was a remnant we found at the stone yard, and it worked beautifully with the floor pattern,” Danielle says.
In the cloakroom, the vanity unit 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. Rocci 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 Danielle 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 had originally been a nude and that the dress had been painted on her later,” Danielle says with a laugh.
The painting of the lady on the wall has a somewhat scandalous story behind it. Rocci 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 Danielle 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 had originally been a nude and that the dress had been painted on her later,” Danielle says with a laugh.
The main bedroom has a vaulted ceiling and another ring chandelier. The designers added the same board-and-batten panelling on the headboard wall that they used in the hallway. 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 cushion fabric.
Eddings Perez custom-painted the floral artwork for the room. The dark background adds contrast, while the greens pick up on the cushion fabric.
Calming natural hues, such as terracotta and deep green, and natural materials including 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 marble-look porcelain tiles for the floors and shower walls. “We are finding that a lot of people prefer porcelain to marble for easier maintenance,” Danielle says.
“We wanted to give the vanity a furniture-like feeling,” Danielle says. “And we love to include open shelves for towels and things homeowners will need to grab with ease.”
The first floor contains three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Farm-inspired black pendant lights and a colourful Oriental rug add personality on the landing. The panelling on the doors mimics the board-and-batten woodwork used in the hallway and master bedroom.
Tell us…
What’s your favourite part of this home? Let us know in the Comments.
Tell us…
What’s your favourite part of this home? Let us know in the Comments.
Who lives here? The home was designed, built and decorated on spec
Location Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
Size Four bedrooms and four bathrooms (326 sq m)
Designers Danielle Palm and Rocci Chandler of Rose Rock Properties and Pinnacle Home Design (architecture)
Contractor Monroe Design
Photos by Tony Li and Sarah Baker
“We love bringing back the character to the beautiful historic homes in Tulsa,” Danielle 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 labour 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.
Although they serve as contractors on their renovation projects, Danielle and Rocci hired contracting firm Monroe Design to help on this one, as it was their first new build. They learned a lot from being on site every day working with the subs.
“We already had the home we envisioned and plans drawn on paper, but we needed the expertise of an architect to solidify our vision,” Danielle says. They hired architectural firm Pinnacle Home Design to turn their ideas 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 neighbourhood.