Tour a Dazzling Four Bedroom Home in Oklahoma City

Whitney Rainbolt was surprised by how much she liked her home at first sight. “The outside is modern, and I’m more Southern traditional, but it was just so cool,” she says. She and her husband, Adam, lived five blocks away and had been searching for a larger place for their growing family.

With four bedrooms and lots of living space, the house (built in 2017) fit the bill. Inside, however, the contemporary design gave her unwelcome vibes — all-white walls and dark wood ceiling beams seemed cold and bland. Whitney felt confident she could make it her own, but she had some competition: “My brother, who also lives in Oklahoma City, was looking for a house at the same time, and we sort of fought over this one,” she says, laughing. “He let me have it!” To put a special stamp on each room, the couple called on a trusted friend, designer Hallie Henley Sims. Unique fabrics, knockout wallpapers, uncommon pieces and beams painted light gray instilled warmth and personality. Now a house that was once devoid of originality is brimming with one-of-a-kind style.

A mirror with a gold leaf finish in the entry sets the wowza tone of the home.

What’s better than one amazing pattern? Two! These both have ties to nature — the fabric on the armchair, by Schumacher, is a landscape of blues and greens, and there’s an animal print by Hinson on the X-benches. A gray sectional and neutral rugs balance them out, while all the light streaming in makes the room even more inviting — for goldendoodles Dood and Rosie, too.

Metallic touches made this roomy kitchen shine. “I’d envisioned Lucite barstools with presence at the island,” says Whitney. She found these vintage brass-frame beauties on Chairish, and designer Hallie had the seats reupholstered in Zak + Fox fabric. Playing off them are faucets, cabinet hardware and glam globe pendants, all in brass finishes. A row of mini cabinets flush with the ceiling hides the mechanics of the motorized window shade. Clever!

“I loved the painted look of the wallpaper as soon as I saw it,” says Whitney. A floor-to-ceiling floral is fun and not stuffy next to zebra-stripe fabric by Jim Thompson on the chairs, a glass Art Deco table from Adam’s family and a custom china cabinet with a pagoda top that nods to the chinoiserie wallpaper. The chandelier by The Urban Electric Co. brings sweet frill. "Even though there are pops of color all over the house, this is my big pop room, and it’s my favorite!" says Whitney.

Whitney’s favorite color — aqua — set the room’s palette in motion, beginning with the upholstered bed by Mr. & Mrs. Howard for Sherrill Furniture. Hallie chose a floral Schumacher fabric for the euro shams, then put in a pair of teal and gold lamps by Chelsea House and tufted green benches (by Highland House), which Ward uses to climb onto the bed to watch cartoons. On weekend mornings, the couple throw open the doors to the patio.

There wasn’t much to change in this space, which, in time, Ward and Thomas will share. To personalize the white vanity and arched mirrors, Whitney and Hallie went with wallpaper by Phillip Jeffries that’s a take on a Greek key pattern.

The toddler recently transitioned to a big-kid bed, and Whitney decided to give him more mature digs — with a dash of elephants (Ward has a thing for them). The wall color, Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore, was inspired by the navy in the adjoining bathroom’s wallpaper. Shades of blue hold the patterns together; the bed is upholstered in fabric by Carleton V and the duvet cover is by Serena & Lily.