Space with purpose

An eye for editing elevates Tulsan’s vintage-inspired pad

Tulsa transplant Drew Tedlock handed me his keys the other day so I could tour his home and take photos during peak daylight hours. Let’s all thank him for being so trusting, because this fella’s home is a visual snack anyone would want to consume. Break out your eye forks; I want to walk you through all the things Drew does just right to make his home envy-worthy. The main ingredient? Precision.

Color

Guess what, kids. It’s time to stop stinking on white walls; they perfectly offset quality design choices. That said, if your taste is in question, don’t paint your walls white. Drew builds on simple white walls with a tastefully restrained color palette. His careful color corralling turns the spotlight on the quality and make of his décor. You really notice the beautiful wood grain in his coffee table and the craftsmanship of his mid-century, Danish-inspired furniture.

Keeping it clean

I become less stressed by just looking at Drew’s house. It’s so clean. He doesn’t have a lot of extra clutter—something we can all aspire to. My mom always says everything needs a home in your home or it will never be put away. Listen to my mom. Follow Drew’s example. You’ll have less anxiety.

Collections/hobbies

I recently wrote about the importance of attractively containing and displaying your collections. Drew displays his vintage green pottery collection like an elegant art installation. Somehow, he makes a ton of one thing look organized and streamlined. Let this be a game-changer for you and your masses of coins or busts or beanie babies (I’m kidding; beanie babies can never look good).

Doing vintage right

Drew’s dad refinishes all of his vintage furniture pieces. That we could all be so lucky. I asked, but he won’t hand out his dad’s number for us all to have our vintage things redone. And so we whose dads do other things, we turn to YouTube. Refinishing, reupholstering or just buying in good condition are essential when shopping vintage. There’s something respectful about restoring an old piece of furniture to its full glory. But exercise restraint. A few pieces with patina add character to a home; a room full of worn vintage can look junky. Knowing when to rescue a piece and when to pass it up is part of doing vintage right. 

Ashley Daly would gladly take your keys and enter your home alone with her camera. Drop them off at her vintage home store, Retro Den. Follow her on Instagram @ahdaly.