A Quaint Cottage Home in Midtown Tulsa, Oklahoma
Photographs by Kacey Gilpin
A Quaint Cottage Home in Midtown Tulsa, Oklahoma
We love this quaint cottage in midtown Tulsa, OK. Learn more about the process of making this house and home with owner Ashlee Henderson. This article was originally published under Cottage Hill on April 12th, 2018
First, your home is lovely, so gorgeous. Tell us about finding this home. Were you looking for something with a cottage feel or something else?
Thank you! When Shaun and I started house hunting in 2012, we were specifically looking for an antique home in one of Tulsa’s historic neighborhoods. We had been living in a 1940s cottage not far from where we are now but had dreamed of finding something a little larger, in a more established neighborhood, and with as many original features as possible. In our search, I would often find myself most drawn to the English-inspired Tudor cottages with their stucco and half-timbering, unique brickwork, custom doors and leaded glass windows. The little Hansel and Gretel cottages, as I affectionately called them. So, when we stumbled upon this home; it checked all of the boxes for us.
What kind of shape was the home in when you purchased it? Did you need to do any renovations and if so, what was that process like? If not, how did you make the space feel more like your own?
The home was in great shape to us; as in it was the perfect mix of a blank slate and original detail. There were a ton of projects to do to make it our own, but we were looking for a fixer-upper and it definitely fit the bill. The kitchen was a total overhaul and the very first project we tackled. It had been renovated in the 90s and we were ready to bring it up to date while still retaining the authenticity of the home’s age.
With the help of our contractor, we remodeled the entire space and opened up a wall between it and the dining room to let in more light and make the overall footprint of the downstairs feel more livable for today. So far, in our almost 6 years in the house, we have painted every wall, removed dingy old carpet, refinished all of the original hardwood floors, remodeled both bathrooms, restored the original front door, and the list goes on. I’m not sure there is a surface we haven’t touched at this point. But every penny spent, and back-breaking, late-night DIY has been worth it. This house is perfectly us.
Tell us about your style. It feels very quaint cottage, but in an elevated, more sophisticated way. How would you describe your home style and how do you like to find the items that complete its look?
I find it really hard to define my style since I feel like it is this thing that is ever-changing and evolving. With that said, most of my inspiration probably comes from traditional English cottage style. Which happens to work perfectly with our Tudor architecture, but I like to take a less fussy approach. Overall, I am always aspiring to make our home as cozy and comfortable as possible. I want it to feel like a big hug when you walk through the door.
Antiquing is one of my favorite pastimes and I love searching for unique pieces to fill our spaces. There is something about old, worn, lived-in things that give a room a sense of character and soul that just doesn’t come from something brand new.
What are your favorite places to shop for home items from great deals to amazing finds?
The majority of the items in my home are second hand and were bargains! I think you find the best stuff when you do a bit of digging and hunting. So obviously, I love to scour antique stores, flea markets and estate sales. I also do a lot of shopping on sites like Etsy, eBay, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and I’ve recently fallen in love with Everything But The House.
If you are willing to take the time, you can find wonderful, unique items for your home without ever stepping foot in a big box store.
The nursery is so sweet and simple, we love it! Tell us about designing a room for baby...what sort of ideas did you have for the room, what were your design goals?
Designing a nursery for our baby boy, Reeve, was a dream. I didn’t have any kind of specific theme in mind, but I knew I wanted to embrace his time as a baby and not rush into a big boy style room, while also making it feel like an extension of our home. So, I opted to use a soft, dusty color palette, classic fabrics, and a bunny painting I had commissioned by an Etsy artist as a jumping off point. From there the space evolved with some items we already had on hand, a few new pieces, lots of books and sweet baby things, and of course tons of love and anticipation. It’s probably my favorite room in the whole house.
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