Linwood tour offers a glance at the classics
Linwood tour offers a glance at the classics

By Chris Brawley Morgan

Published: September 27, 2008

Nathan and Deanne York used to live in an old inner-city home that had been remodeled to look like a brand-new suburban home.

"The style wasn't really us,” Nathan York said.

So the Yorks bought a 1910-era home in such a "state of disrepair” that family members and even their electrician were alarmed.

Six months of remodeling later, the York's home, 3132 NW 18, will be featured on the Linwood Place home tour Oct. 5.

The Yorks have an affinity for Linwood Place that goes back to their days at Oklahoma City University. As students, they enjoyed walks in the area. Nathan York, 30, proposed to his wife, now 29, at Waymans Park, across the street from where they live now.

Deanne is a graphic designer turned stay-at-home mom. Their daughter Ella is 16 months old. Nathan York buys and sells classic cars through Santiago Sports and Classics, 501 E Britton Road.

After living in three other older homes, the Yorks purchased a Linwood Place home, he said, "mainly to live in the neighborhood.”

That house, 3108 NW 18, was featured on the neighborhood home tour last year. About that time, on a walk one evening with baby Ella, they noticed a for-sale-by-owner sign. The Prairie-style home had been built between 1907 and 1911. Four days later, they had a contract.

"We were living in a house that was perfect. Both sets of parents thought we were insane,” Deanne York said.

Nathan York said their electrician stepped inside their new home, looked at him and said, "What are you doing?”

The couple, however, was thrilled to find a home with historic potential.

"That's the thing about Linwood. People move in. They don't move out. Everyone on our block has been here for 25 years,” Nathan York said.

The Yorks supervised the remodel from their home just four houses down the street. With two mortgages involved, timing became an issue.

"I hired people based on their schedules. If you can't do it within this time period, I can't hire you — no matter how good or cheap you are,” Nathan York said.

The home's last major renovation, in the 1950s, destroyed many of the home's original features, including much of the oak woodwork.

In all, Nathan York estimated that 60 percent of the wood in the dining room, entry area and living room is new.

The couple added 1,000 square feet to their house, so that it now stands at about 3,800 square feet. The remodels and addition cost more than the home's purchase price, Nathan York said.

"Every surface was redone,” he said.

"We also wanted to make the house very livable, with all the modern conveniences. So there is the heated floor under the tile. And the tub is a pedestal tub, but also a Jacuzzi, which is hard to find,” Nathan York said.

Once the remodel was finished, the Yorks put their first Linwood Place house on the market, selling it in four months. "We sold it in perfect time. We moved in and had Ella's first birthday,” Deanne York said.

Guests now understand why the Yorks spent six months remodeling their home so that it looks similar to the way it did 100 years ago.

"There's no one who questions why we did it now,” Nathan York said.

"You can't ever go wrong when you are making an old house look like it did originally. It will never go out of style. It's a classic,” he said.

Other homes on the Linwood Place home tour are:

Jeff and Lisa McConnell's two-story traditional brick home was built in 1935.

The interior includes rounded archways, built-in cabinetry and a screened-in back porch with a fireplace.

The kitchen has been redone and enlarged. It includes a black-and-white Italian marble backsplash, in a basket-weave pattern, that is authentic to the period of the home.

The McConnells previously lived in other historic areas of Oklahoma City before moving to Linwood, where they particularly enjoy the large lots and sidewalks.

The McConnells' garden, which includes an elaborate fountain, also will be on the tour. A flagstone path connects the outdoor living spaces and gardens around the property.

Bill and Deronda Dillon's two-story Colonial Revival home was built in the 1930s. The original light fixtures, glass doorknobs and Art Deco hardware are intact. The living room is entered through one of the three sets of French doors.

The living room includes a tile fireplace and two matching chandeliers. A third similar chandelier hangs in the dining room. The master bath has its original pink tile; the hallway bathroom tile is mint green.

The Dillons built two custom homes before deciding they preferred the charm of an older home. They moved to Linwood, living in a home across the street before moving to their present home.

The Dillon's garden, which includes a pond and meandering pathways, also will be on tour.

Matt & A'Lesha Skaley's 1931 Tudor Revival home includes an original multicolored tile fireplace in the living room. On either side of the fireplace are tiles showing tall redwoods growing on the side of a mountain.

The living room also includes a vaulted-tray ceiling, a bathroom with original tile and fixtures and a master bedroom with a built-in ironing board. The hallway features a built-in desk.

This is the Skaley's first home to own as a married couple. They said they spent about 60 hours scraping the "popcorn” treatment off the living room ceiling since they purchased the home less than a year ago.

Royce McLarry's brick Tudor Revival home was built in 1932. The original brick fireplace, original mahogany baseboards, wood floors and glass doorknobs remain. However, much of the interior has been updated to complement furniture and lighting that is contemporary.

McLarry, who grew up in the Linwood neighborhood, is principal violist with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. The home also includes his music studio.

Your thoughts!