Grand Lake O' the Cherokees
‘Grand’ from Every Angle
A luxury lodge home on the waterfront suits a relocated couple from Kansas City.
BY
Jeanene Moore
PHOTOGRAPHY
Bob Livesay









The Apache Shores lodge home of Jim and Charlotte Oglesby sits grandly poised on the water’s edge in Carey Bay on beautiful Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees. Less than five miles from their sanctuary is the largest city on Grand Lake, the bustling resort town of Grove, Okla. Situated in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, Grove has been identified as one of the fastest-growing communities in Oklahoma.

This is not the Oglesbys’ first home on Grand Lake — it is their fourth, with two previous addresses in Megan Cove and a home in Brighton Bay. “We kept coming back here; something kept pulling us back,” Jim explains. So after 10 years in Kansas City, the couple made a permanent move to Grand Lake and began building their 6,300-square-foot luxury lodge home in September 2005. They realized their passion for this particular home after seeing a similar model at a benefit in Kansas City.

The architect was Scott Bickford of Overland Park, Kan., and their builder, Mike Long, is from nearby Monkey Island, Okla. The home required 18 months to complete, and Charlotte kept a notebook, fat with details on its progress. Filled with natural and faux rock, wood and stone surfaces, oversized doors, lofty beams and brimming vistas, the home boasts a pristine Colorado lodge look with its own ‘lake-style’ interpretation — spectacular at any angle, inside and out.

Special features start with the expansive view of the lake to the northeast, a revealing southwest look out onto the front entrance, and the land and streetscape of the prestigious and private six-acre development. Aided impressively by the commercial glazed-glass windows flanking the great room area, extravagant light is invited in, while massive posts stand sentinel, rising some 25 feet to meet the lower edges of the peaked cathedral ceiling.

Adding to the home’s grandeur are three impressive fireplaces: two fueled by gas and the third, a Rumford wood-burner. Six zones of cooling and heating are spaced throughout the home, with three on the main level and three below deck. A look from the top of the central staircase reveals a grand piano-shaped stairwell opening. Downstairs is a bar area with an    elongated stainless steel sink that struck the homeowners’ fancy, and nearby is a wine cellar, where, in addition to a few choice wines, Charlotte’s grandfather’s framed recipe for homemade wine sits in a place of honor. 

Granite was used throughout the spacious two-level walkout, as were oversized raised-panel doors in alder wood. Wide-plank hardwood is on the first level, and 18-inch diagonally placed stone tile is on the floor below. A stunning state-of-the-art kitchen with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, knotty alder wood trim and range hood, large pantry, three dining areas and a full view of the lake aptly encourage the couple to do the entertaining they love to do. And as for their guests, the ambience is enhanced by the romantic ski-lodge effect, with the “greet-and-guard” duty carried out by the couple’s beautiful black labradoodle, Maija.

Charlotte continues to identify her own eclectic decorating style by artfully combining the furnishings of the couple’s two previous homes and adding a few choice pieces. She has incorporated plantation shutters sparingly for privacy, but the uncluttered look prevails. Antique pieces, like her grandmother’s desk, grace the home alongside antler vases and decorative pots, and Charlotte displays several framed photographs by local artist Robert Livesay.

The Oglesbys have a few additional ideas to make their special haven even more enjoyable. Inside, Charlotte picked out a perfect spot just to the left of the grand hall that a baby grand would occupy. Outside, a tree compromised by wind will become the canvas for a carved eagle.

The choice to move to Grove was motivated by the Oglesbys desire to be near water, enjoy warmer weather year-round with four distinct seasons, realize a small-town atmosphere and be closer to family. “You give up a few things, but you gain a lot more,” Charlotte says. “I wouldn’t trade it.”

This area will not be a ‘secret’ for long. Rand McNally and The Wall Street Journal have rated Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, with its 1,300 miles of shoreline, one of the nation’s five best retirement locations. And with a median age of 49.9, those “living the ‘grand’ life” are still quite young.