The Cube, an Art Moderne Era Home Built Entirely out of Concrete

Brandon and Ashley Whiteside are a dreamer and doer duo that doesn’t get bored easily — especially with a most unique renovation project right under their belt. They recently finished a complete remodel on “the Cube,” a three-story house built in 1937 that they bought from its original owners.

Brandon and Ashley named their home quite literally after what it is — a true cube, with three 750-square-foot floors stacked on top of each other. What makes their Art Deco and Streamline Moderne style house so exceptional is that it is built entirely out of concrete (excepting four vertical steel supports, one in each corner). Rumor has it that the engineer who built it had lost two homes prior, one to a fire and the other to a tornado. In economic and utilitarian spirit, he built his third home to last — the house, located close to downtown Oklahoma City, has stood solidly for over 80 years. It has seen its surrounding neighborhood fall apart and begin to rise again, all under one family’s ownership. Today, the house serves as the neighborhood’s storm shelter and offers Brandon, Ashley and their six-year-old daughter Nora a truly one-of-a-kind family home.

The Cube never ended up on the market, as Brandon and Ashley heard about the original owners’ intention to sell early on, and stayed in contact until the timing worked for everyone. Since changing ownership 18 months ago, the house has undergone a lovingly executed restorative facelift. “My goals when updating were to honor the style that the Cube always could have been,” Ashley says. “In essence, I wanted to avoid a possible theme, instead letting the fun and style look like it had evolved and developed organically over the years.” Ashley, an interior stylist and abstract artist, spent a good while designing the renovation as much as possible in advance, scheduling timelines and lining up the funds. As few updates had occurred in the home’s eight decades, Brandon and Ashley went for the whole kit and caboodle — new roof, windows, flooring, electrical, landscaping, exterior and interior paint along with full kitchen and bath remodels were all included in the project. Although Ashley always urges her clients to complete one room before moving onto the next, she learned the importance of her own advice the hard way. “We were extremely cavalier in the dreaming phase, electing to do it all at once,” she shares. “Following [my own] advice could have saved my routine-loving husband some real heartache!” she laughs.

The concrete structure that makes the Cube so unique also provided some challenges during the renovation. Working with concrete walls, floors, ceilings, beams, stairs and porches meant that significant changes to the existing layout were out of the question. Hanging anything, especially heavy or load-bearing contraptions, turned out to be rather challenging as well. What you lose in flexibility, you gain in sturdiness and lack of squeaky floors.

Ashley’s desire to create beautiful spaces is rooted in the feeling of being energized by her surroundings. “These desires are amplified by feeling like my home is a showroom for my work, and in many regrettable ways, an extension of my personality. I can get so engulfed in my projects that I feel like inviting someone to view it is actually letting them get to know me.” With the remodel complete, Ashley has filled the house with her signature mix of old and new, rearranged, styled and rearranged again to find the best and most inspiring solutions for each space. “I want stories and charm, a little something weird and maybe a few things to laugh at when you come over!” she says. When asked about her takeaways from the renovation, Ashley shares, “the process is, well, very humanizing. You’ve got to humble yourself a little to get through it. Being a fixer and a dreamer by nature, I’m most thankful for and most bewildered by the fact that I look around and there’s not anything needing me.” She jokingly adds, “also, I might lose my mind soon because what am I supposed to do now?!” —Sofia

Photography by Emily Hart / Nina & B Photography

Image above: The first impression when entering the Cube is the view of the living room. For Ashley, this space was an opportunity to find the perfect balance between energetic colors and white. This is the sweet spot!