Though it sits in Norman’s Ashton Grove neighborhood, Laura and Brian Hilgenfeld’s new home could easily be moved from its current location to a centuries-old city in the Deep South—and blend right in.
The home’s traditional Georgian architecture and interiors would fit another city entirely, and that’s intentional. Laura Hilgenfeld loves Southern styles that echo her South Carolina roots. She enlisted local interior designer Nina Wadley and architect Charles Hilton out of Connecticut to create this home.
Hilton visited Oklahoma for the first time when he began this project, spending two days surveying the land and gaining insight into the family’s lifestyle and goals. He expertly guided all exterior details, including the large columns flanking the front door and the home’s symmetrical layout. Jim Bowers Construction led the build.
Upon entry, the home’s foyer welcomes guests with a sweeping staircase, intricate trim and moulding and a checkerboard marble floor. However, the entry’s most notable feature is the mural painted by local artist Jarron Johnston.
“We knew we wanted to have some kind of a mural scene there and had originally intended to do that in wallpaper, but we just didn’t know if we could get it sized in a way that we were going to feel comfortable with, that was going to look appropriate,” Wadley said. “Laura has a friend who is a painter, and he was willing to give it a shot … He did a great job.”
Johnston’s marshland scene—the largest work he has yet created—stretches gracefully up the stairs; three additional paintings, customized to match the mural, adorn the surrounding walls. To Hilgenfeld, the mural recalls her grandparents’ home in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, her years living in Charleston and her visits to Mount Pleasant. “It just looks like home to me,” Hilgenfeld said.
Wadley and Hilgenfeld worked well together on design decisions. Wadley lives in the neighborhood and worked with the Hilgenfelds in their previous home, also located in Ashton Grove.
“I speak ‘Laura’ very well; I kind of know what she wants,” said Wadley, noting the Schumacher wallpaper in the formal dining room received immediate approval. “She’s also extremely decisive and knowledgeable about what she wants, which makes it easy for us to get there.”
The Hilgenfeld family stays busy with five boys, three still living at home. Performance fabrics and details like the washable custom covers on the kitchen chairs make rooms user-friendly.
“With all these boys, I want things to be beautiful, but they can’t be overly precious,” Hilgenfeld said.
A game room upstairs and family room downstairs provide fun gathering spaces, and the family loves to pile into the breakfast room banquette, which has an inviting curved design.
The kitchen showcases an abundant use of blue marble, fabricated from Young Brothers. Its soft colors contrast perfectly with the dark mahogany island.
“We didn’t want the home to feel like new construction, so we used materials to make it feel more historic,” said Wadley. Materials such as that mahogany, which appears throughout the home.
A favorite room is the butler’s pantry—“like a little jewel box,” said Wadley. The pantry has hallway access, but it also connects to the formal dining room through a jib door. The atmospheric space is drenched in a deep emerald green, painted in a high gloss for extra drama. The adjoining dining room can seat 16, ideal for family Christmas gatherings.
All designs fit certain criteria: beautiful, functional and expressively Southern. “I feel like everything feels like us, but it feels special,” said Hilgenfeld. The home accommodates everyday living, but in the most elevated way.
