New Life to an Old Bank Building – Part 2

When Brent and I first moved from California to Oklahoma we lived with my parents for several months. During that time we helped them update a two-story building that my family had owned for many years. It was a former bank building, First National in Seminole, Oklahoma. The bottom floor is used as commercial leasing space, read all about it here. The second floor was previously used as offices for lawyers and oil companies as professional office space.

The Perks of Living in the Downtown of a Small Town

After updating the first floor we worked to update the second floor and make it suitable for us to reside in as an apartment. One of my husband’s dreams is to live in a college town in an apartment that is above a coffee shop. Although Seminole is not a college town in the original sense, it does have Seminole State College, a great commuter college. I actually attended there for two years after high school before transferring to Oklahoma State University.

Also, during the time we lived in the apartment to help fulfill Brent’s dream, not a coffee shop but a delicious bakery was directly below the apartment. Thankfully they baked the items in another location so we weren’t tempted with the enticing aroma of fresh baked goods. We had to practice quite a bit of self-control to not run downstairs and buy a Cloud 9 cookie or a slice of Derby pie daily!

Upstairs: Converted from Law Offices

There are a few things I would like to highlight. We did a lot of the work ourselves with the help of family and a few friends. The first thing to note is the enormity of a building this big. It is approximately 8,900 square feet. The upstairs is half that at 4,450 square feet. We focused on updating less that half of the second floor for our living purposes. Of course, there were limitations with budget and time plus noise level with tenants below.

With the help of my family we converted some of the old offices to living spaces. We installed new ceiling coverings in a few rooms after removing the crumbling plaster. We patched and painted walls, exposed brick and stained wood. We updated the original wood floors. A kitchen and two bathrooms were previously updated by my family. We ended up with an “L” shaped apartment consisting of a corner living room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. There were many other “offices” we could have used and we did use a couple other ones, but the majority of our efforts were spent on the main living quarters.

Projects Worth Mentioning

Child’s Bedroom

Dining Room

Corner Living Room

What a transformation! We took a boarded up storage room and turned it into a beautiful living space. We saved part of the built-in shelves for an open closet, the shelves previously held office paperwork and law books. We even saved a few of the books to use as decor in the finished space!

Original Wood Floor

The floors had thin industrial tile on them which we removed. A thick layer of tile glue remained on the wood floor in areas. We rented an industrial sander but was unsuccessful in removing the glue. The sander actually heated up the glue and gummed up the sandpaper. The sandpaper was pretty pricey which made the whole project not worth the effort. So we decided to paint the whole floor black. It was modern but still had an old feel to it. We loved it!

Future of the Building

As you know, we no longer live in that dreamy upstairs apartment in Seminole, OK. The time we were there was wonderful. Yes, it was work, it’s old and has quirks and things that come up unexpectedly but isn’t that true of anything. Things can be fixed and history can be preserved. I’ve never loved any floor more than those old wooden floors I painted black. The way the sun shined in from the enormous living room windows gives me a squeal of delight just thinking about it.

I loved so many things about that place. Being in the apartment made you feel like you were in a big city yet you were one of just a few downtown residents in a small Oklahoma town. The convenience of walking to the sandwich shop, library and Magnolia Park are things we miss dearly. The sunsets from the rooftop were breathtaking.

All in the Family

My mom has always had a vision for this building. She has seen in through many seasons. It was always a dream of hers to fix up the upstairs. I loved working side by side with her seeing the potential come to life. It was so fun dreaming and planning on what we could do design wise with a tight budget. We were able to be creative and use unconventional materials which I think created a beautiful and unique space.

It was a special time for us. A time of learning, growing and a type of togetherness that meant a great deal. I will treasure those moments with my dad installing ceiling boards, convincing him of one project or the next and knowing how hard he worked even though he had less than five years to live.

One year we watched 4th of July fireworks from the rooftop. Another time we watched the Christmas parade from the upstairs windows. It’s so cool to think of all the people who officed out of those rooms. The happenings they witnessed on Main Street peering down from the corner window. I’m so glad we were able to be included in the story of this building.

By the way, this building is now for sale, see the listing here. If you are interested please contact Pam Robinson Real Estate. It’s sad to think it will not be a part of my family anymore but I know someone else will love it and care for it, allowing it to yet live again.

What would you do with a space like this?

You may also enjoy Homemade Zoo Animal Themed Birthday Party (hosted in this apartment!) and The Russell: A Stay in Eclectic East Nashville.

(Various photos by Jamie Cupp)

If you purchase from a link on this blog a small percentage of the sale may come back to me. You are never charged more for the product. It’s a way to keep this site going and I’m very selective about the things I list. It’s mostly things we already own and love or things I think you would enjoy. Thank you for reading!