An Eclectic French Country Home in Gaillardia

By Dena A. Edwards

Gaillardia, a northwest Oklahoma City residential community, “rests at the corner of elegant and engaging,” according to its marketing. The newly completed home of insurance agent Dick Horton certainly substantiates this claim.

Horton’s residence is the epitome of upscale Gaillardia style. Built by Jill Horton Homes, the 6,500-square-foot house is one of approximately 300 residences in the neighborhood, which includes an 18-hole championship golf course and 65 acres of private lakes and connecting streams.

The tiered surfaces of Horton’s stately two-story home are primarily buff stucco, with walls and accents of natural stone. The horizontal pattern of the earth-toned rock grounds the verticality of the residence, which is graced with arched windows, several of which are flanked with charming shutters, effectively bringing to mind a home in the French countryside. The arch shape tops the main entrance, as well as the drive-through, which leads to the out-of-view garage. Gables of various sizes and angles give Horton’s house variety and character – two traits that are carried throughout the interior of his home.

The glass-paned front door opens to a two-story open entryway. A sitting area nestled into a bay window nook directly across from the entrance overlooks the outdoor living area – a cozy covered living room with a fireplace, a separate covered eating area, and a raised hot tub, the water from which cascades into the pool below. But the focal point of the entry is the elegant curved staircase. Flowing wrought iron railings, balusters and end volutes – echoed by the dark wood wainscot on the wall side of the staircase – give movement to the space. The wooden treads of the stairs are supported by carpet-covered risers, which provide a horizontal pattern to the vertical element. The overall effect of the stairway is one of fluidity and style.

Crowning the welcoming space is a large multi-tier chandelier, composed of curls of dark metal, but enhanced with golden accents and dangling round crystals, all of which help accentuate numerous candle-style lights that cast a glow in the entryway.

Against the wall beneath the staircase sits a 19^th Century red-hued cabinet from Asia –the first of many original antique furniture pieces found throughout the home. Some of the antiques Horton found while traveling, and many were found by designer Lisa Cazes. This French Country home is filled with European, Asian and Native American influences – a unique combination of décor.

This mix of styles is openly evident in the dining room across the tile-floored entry. This room is built around a beautiful 200-year-old carved trestle table from France. The table comfortably seats eight, and its French heritage is obvious by the carved Fleur de Lis on each corner of the tabletop. The lower portion of the table is carved with acanthus leaves, and the base is finished with volutes.

The dark hand-hewn wood floors are adorned with subtle floral patterned area rugs of gentle colors schemes, here and throughout the home, adding to the overall French feel.

High ceilings and tall picture windows bring lots of natural light into every space of the residence. An abundance of additional lighting – chandeliers, sconces, recessed and decorative lamps – fill the space, and are part of the Lutron lighting system, a wireless lighting control system that allows Horton to control all the lights in his home from a master control unit. The fixtures all keep with the feel of a French countryside, with lots of wrought iron curls and faux candles to add ambiance.

The hallway to the left of the main entrance leads to Horton’s office, the first of five total bedrooms – which Horton uses as a fitness room – and a bathroom.

Horton’s office has a vaulted ceiling with exposed stained timbers, giving a feeling of spaciousness. The rustic forged wrought-iron chandelier is circular, reminiscent of a French Gothic Great Room. The office furniture and bookshelves are laden with books, knick-knacks collected through the years, family photos, and photos of Horton with Reba McIntire and with former President Gerald Ford.

The restroom at the end of the hall has an unusual focal piece – a lamp on the base of which is a peeling statue of an Asian woman. The lamp caught Horton’s eye in an antique shop in New Orleans.

To the right of the front door is a short passageway with an eye-catching herringbone pattern wood floor that passes an entertainment bar and leads to the eating area, main living area and kitchen.

In this part of the home, Horton’s interest in western heritage becomes apparent. Original paintings and sculptures depicting life in the West adorn this open space.

Horton is a supporter of the Prix de West, an annual event hosted by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. The Prix de West is an invitational art exhibit of over 300 of the top western painters and sculptors from across the nation. This will be the 37^th year of the show, which concludes with a sale of all exhibited items. Much of Horton’s western art collection came from this annual event.

The largest collection of western art is displayed in Horton’s living room, a beautiful space with high ceilings crossed with stained timbers, and a striking distressed wooden floor. Large original western paintings grace the walls. But mingled with the western art are Asian pieces, such as an octagonal wooden end table with a brass handle and carved Asian motifs along the side, and a marble vase with a large dragon carved around it.

The most eye-catching piece in this space, however, is the English inlaid wood armoire. Horton found the polished cabinet in London and had it converted into an entertainment armoire. Originally built around 1900, the antique has two inlaid panel doors flanking a full-length mirror on its front, which also opens. Patterns inlaid include swags, acanthus leaves, flowers and even ox heads.

The expansive kitchen is built around a center island, which is lit by two large pendant-style chandeliers, and where the carved copper apron-front sink is located. The cabinetry is painted and stained various colors and tones, making them seem more like individual pieces of furniture rather than built-in storage. The matte-finish granite countertops are accented with travertine tile backsplashes, and a raised rectangular tile piece – contrasting dark and light mosaic tiles laid in a diamond pattern – draws the eye to the vent hood. The vent hood itself is simple in design, with angled sides, and is painted the same natural tone as the kitchen walls, but has a band of golden accent tiles with dark wood trim across its base.

Other rooms on the lower floor include a half bath with padded brocade-covered walls, a large laundry room, a wine room with antique wine bottle openers displayed, an electronics closet which doubles as a safe room, and the master suite.

The large master bedroom – with a raised ceiling and yet another striking iron and crystal chandelier – has a corner arched fireplace with two cozy sitting chairs. A European-style pendant floor lamp with a hanging tassel highlights an abstract sculpture of a seated Native American, while a brass carved dragon table lamp sits beside the bed.

Wrought iron sconces and chandeliers carry the French country theme into the master bathroom, where a deep tub rests below a large picture window. His and hers vanities on opposite walls are designed with the primary user in mind – each a different height, configuration, cabinet style and color, and with different hardware. Both have brown marbled countertops and a tile mosaic backsplash to keep continuity in the space.

One of Horton’s more notable antiques sits atop his vanity – a statue of an Asian in full costume riding a bedecked horse. What makes it so unique is the backside is flat and still has pieces of mortar in the crevices.

“My understanding is in China the entrance to a wealthy person’s home had a handmade tile, often with statues or reliefs attached,” Horton said. “This one had been chiseled off and I found it in an antique shop.”

At the top of the curving staircase is another antique Asian cabinet, which displays a large gorilla sculpture, created by artist Sherry Sanders, who also sculpted a bear piece displayed in Horton’s downstairs living room.

The upstairs space has more bedrooms and bathrooms, but the primary room is the entertainment space, which has not only the expected large flat-screen television, but a fully functioning antique slot machine. This antique is from Las Vegas, built in 1916. Horton bought it and had it completely redone, including new labels.

Dominating this room is an Asian wall hanging, which covers a large portion of one wall. Made up of six different panels, it’s pieced together to form a beautiful landscape. Horton had the hanging assessed by Sotheby’s and learned it was created in the 1800s by five different Asian artists, each with their own specialty.

“I love an eclectic look,” Horton said. “I see something interesting, a piece that catches my eye, I’m not worried about its style, but where it’s going to go in my home.”

As a result, his sprawling Gaillardia residence is not only a showcase of French country architecture, western heritage art, and Asian antiques. It’s a true representation of the man himself, and truly is both elegant and engaging.