2025 October Magazine

CONTENTS

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The Oklahoma County Medical Society Alliance’s Kitchen Tour is set for Oct. 19 and includes five Nichols Hills homes.

On the cover:

Valerie Naifeh has designed a special ring to be raf‐fled at the Oklahoma County Medical Society Alliance’s Kitchen Tour which benefits HALO Project, the Health Alliance for the Uninsured and OCMS Alliance Community Service.

For more, see Pages 4 & 5.

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It’s like walking on art with rugs from Designer Rugs. Culinary Kitchen is a family-owned business dedicated to providing exception products and service.

Norwalk Furniture is a unique collaboration between two talented designers, Cindy Curley and Ryan Johnson.

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Kitchen remodels are among the most popular home renovation projects, whether they consist of swapping out cabinet hardware or doing major demolition.

This watermelon tourmaline ring was donated by Valerie Naifeh for the Alliance Kitchen Tour.

Valerie Naifeh donates watermelon tourmaline ring for 2025 Alliance Kitchen Tour

For the second year in a row, Naifeh Fine Jewelry is proud to partner with the Alliance Kitchen Tour, an antic‐ipated event that blends the beauty of fine design with a commitment to community impact.

This year’s tour benefits three organizations making a difference in Oklahoma: the HALO Project, Health Alliance for the Uninsured, and the OCMS Alliance Community Service.

At the heart of this year’s raffle is a one‐of‐a‐kind ring designed by Valerie Naifeh. Crafted in 18k yellow gold, the ring features a striking square watermelon tourmaline weigh‐ing 1.93 carats, complemented by 0.70 carats of sparkling round diamonds. Valued at $7,500, the piece reflects

Valerie’s passion for gemstones and her artistry in design.

“Tourmaline is one of my favorite stones to work with, and it comes in an array of beautiful colors like pink, green, blue, and red,” said Valerie Naifeh. “The tourmaline ring designed for Alliance Kitchen Tour is a watermelon tourmaline, which transitions from green to pink, often vary‐ing in hues.

Valerie Naifeh is partnering with the Alliance Kitchen Tour, to offer a oneof-a-kind ring.

This gemstone shows a geo‐logical transition, which occurred when the crystal was growing, combining with dif‐ferent trace materials, and changing its chemical compo‐sition and color,” she said.

“People are like watermelon tourmalines … Depending on the conditions of our upbring‐ing, we could develop certain characteristics.

“But a change in our environment can create a different outcome. This year’s Kitchen Tour benefits three organizations that positively influence compromised Oklahoma communities and families, resulting in greater out‐comes and a powerful impact to those involved.”

Naifeh Fine Jewelry has been a des‐tination for exceptional design for more than 25 years located at the Nichols Hills Plaza and now also in Sun Valley, Idaho. The boutique is known for its selection of highly sought‐after designers, including Robert Procop, Erica Courtney, Picchiotti, and Lika Behar, alongside custom designs creat‐ed in‐house.

The Kitchen Tour ring is a continua‐tion of Naifeh’s dedication to artistry, community, and the enduring beauty of fine jewelry.

About the ring:

Diamonds are the traditional 100‐year anniversary gift. Therefore, it’s only fitting that as we celebrate 100 years of the Oklahoma County Medical Society Alliance in 2025, we have a beautiful ring, designed and donated by Valerie Naifeh of Naifeh Fine Jewelry, framed in diamonds!

This ring is to be raffled off at the 2025 Kitchen Tour event on Oct. 19. Raffle tick‐ets are $20 each or six for $100 – all of it going to the Kitchen Tour’s select benefici‐aries.

This is the second year Naifeh Fine Jewelry has part‐nered with the OCMS Alliance to support its annu‐al Alliance Kitchen Tour fundraiser.

OCMS Alliance Kitchen Tour coming to Nichols Hills Oct. 19

TThe Oklahoma County Medical Society Alliance is pleased to present its 33rd annual Alliance Kitchen Tour on Sunday, Oct. 19, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This wonderful fall event raises funds for organizations that make the OKC community a healthier one.

All tour proceeds are divided and donated to three local non‐profit beneficiaries. This year’s tour benefits HALO Project, Health Alliance for the Uninsured, and OCMS Alliance Community Service.

HALO Project believes there is hope for every child and fam‐ily to experience healing through connection. They equip fami‐lies and community partners with proven methods to work toward individual healing and disrupt the cycle of hurt in our community.

Health Alliance for the Uninsured provides access to health‐care services for those who otherwise would be unable to obtain them. The organization makes quality health care avail‐able to our vulnerable, under and uninsured.

Alliance Community Service – made possible by OCMS Alliance volunteers – donates funds, goods and service hours to nonprofits located in Oklahoma County. The organization schedules and completes projects through‐out the year.

The Alliance Kitchen Tour is to feature more than five beautiful kitchens. The OCMS Alliance is celebrating its 100‐year anniversary and, to commemorate the occa‐sion, Mood Party Rentals has set a beautiful dining room table on the tour, partnering with Beauregard Florals.

“For 100 years, the Alliance has placed community service at the heart of its mission,” said Kristine Palmer, 2025 Alliance Kitchen Tour chairperson. “As we cele‐brate this milestone anniversary, we also honor the impact our Kitchen Tour fundraiser has made in support‐ing local nonprofits. We invite the community to join us, celebrate with us, and continue making a difference together by attending this year’s Kitchen Tour. Let’s make this milestone year one to remember!”

This year, attendees can also enjoy a pop‐up shop by Thomas Blonde and a jewelry raffle sponsored by Valerie Naifeh Fine Jewelry inside the homes. In addition, Culinary Kitchen will be offering food demonstrations, tasty samples and all of its kitchen and tabletop goods for sale.

Tickets are available at Culinary Kitchen, located at 7222 N. Western Ave. in Oklahoma City, and online at ocmsAlliance.org.

Designer Rugs: It’s like walking on art!

Designer Rugs brings you unique and custom décor items for your home. From our beautiful rugs to our stylish pil‐lows to our gorgeous bedding, you'll always find something to improve the look of any room with us. Call for a free estimate or visit us to see what's in stock.

Phone: (405) 842‐9000 — Designer Rugs

Hours: Monday‐Friday, 10 a.m.‐5 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m.‐3 p.m.

Location: 7222 N. Western Ave., OKC

Culinary Kitchen: Where quality meets care

We’re a family‐owned business dedicated to providing excep‐tional products and personalized service to our customers. We’re here to help you find exactly what you need.

Located in Oklahoma City, our team brings years of industry experience and a genuine pas‐sion for helping people. We care‐fully select our products to ensure that what we offer is something we’re proud to stand behind.

We don’t just believe in mak‐ing a sale, we believe in building lasting relationships. That’s why we focus on honest recommenda‐tions, fair pricing, and service you can count on.

If you have questions, special requests, or just want to chat about what you’re looking for, we’re only a call or message away.

Phone: (405) 418‐4884 — Culinary Kitchen

Hours: Monday‐Friday, 10 a.m.‐5 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m.‐3 p.m.

Location: 7222 N. Western Ave., OKC

Cindy Curley and Ryan Johnson are the faces behind Norwalk

Norwalk Furniture is a unique collaboration between two talented designers, Cindy Curley and Ryan Johnson, who have shared their immaculate design expertise with clients for more than two decades.

Their clientele expects the exquisite and the team at Norwalk is dedicated to delivering just that. Curley and Johnson strive to give each client unique, personalized solutions to their design needs, whether they’re simply replacing a rug or redesigning an entire home.

Curley enjoys the design process and feels that breathing new life into a living space can be as simple as making one well‐thought‐out tweak.

“I think a pair of ottomans you can tuck in front of a fireplace or under a console table provides function and whimsy,” Curley says.

Johnson agrees. “Every home is unique, and every client is unique” he says. “They all bring different aesthetics. But I have things that I always love – things I gravitate toward. Every room needs something Asian. It transcends styles and kind of gives the room some interest. I always lean toward tailored textiles. For instance, a pinstripe will go with anything without being stuffy.”

Johnson said part of design is like solving a puzzle, while Curley embraces the fashion‐forward nature of interior design.

Every piece of furniture offered by Norwalk is custom, made unique by that magical chemistry that can only occur when talented designers and imaginative clientele come together and create as they do every single day under the guidance of Curley and Johnson.

Kitchen remodels can add much to home’s value

KKitchen remodels are among the most popular home renovation projects, whether they consist of swapping out cabinet hardware or doing major demolition.

Due to the sheer amount of time families spend in the kitchen, not to mention the number of tasks per‐formed in this space, it is easy to see why Remodeling magazine consistently ranks kitchen renovations as projects that will enable homeown‐ers to recoup a high percentage of their investments. In the magazine's "Cost vs. Value" report, midrange major kitchen remodels costing an average of $63,829 recouped 59 percent of that investment.

When investing in a kitchen project, it is impor‐tant to incorporate items that are coveted.

• Deep, double sinks: Having a double sink enables you to soak dishes in one side and then wash on the other. It also makes it easy to wash and prep produce for meals.

• Kitchen island and bar stools: Even though many meals are enjoyed around the table, there's something to be said for the convenience of a kitchen island and some well‐placed bar stools for quick breakfasts or snacks.

• Smart kitchen storage: Work with a contractor to include storage solutions built into cabinetry and the pantry. Slide‐out shelving, nooks for a paper towel roll and custom‐designed areas to store stand mixers and other necessities can make kitchens more functional.

• Outdoor access: If possible, design a kitchen so it is easy to access the backyard via sliding doors. This can make outdoor entertaining or even coffee on the deck much easier.

• Under‑cabinet lighting: Fixtures installed under cabinets provide both ambient lighting and task lighting. Such lighting makes it easier to see what you're working on as well, as even well‐placed overhead lighting can fail to illuminate dark corners and spots on the counters.

• Convenient warming drawer: This appliance provides backup to the oven. It's a slide‐out drawer that can keep prepared foods out of the way and warm until they are ready to be served.