Sara Kate and Jason Little
Like Only They Can

Words Allison Reiber DiLiegroImages Michal Rzepecki

Bradford House—a bold Oklahoma City hotel with a taste for adventure—could only have been made by Sara Kate Little and Jason Little.

Not long after they started dating, the pair began dreaming about building something, and as avid travelers, that dream became a hotel. They took inspiration from the places they went—Paris, London, Stockholm—and the unconventional boutique hotels they sought out along the way. Sara Kate runs an interior design firm and Jason has built a long career in commercial real estate, so their talents were uniquely suited to the task: “For us, there is something about trying to make a vision come to life in a way that only we could do,” Jason tells us, “based on our backgrounds, our relationship, our skill sets, our vision, and our commitment to do it.” We sat down with the Littles to learn more about what makes up their particular alchemy.

The couple’s vintage Volvo station wagon parked outside of Bradford House.

How did your travels inspire Bradford House?

Jason Little: We love to travel, to meet new people, and to be exposed to new things. There didn’t seem to be a place that filled that niche in Oklahoma City. So, we thought, what if we create a place where we can learn about different ideas and have different experiences? It wasn’t just about a business—it was about creating culture and a community for our family.

Sara Kate, how did you get into interior design?

Sara Kate Little: I went to the University of Oklahoma for interiors and took a lot of art history classes. I started collecting antiques there, and my friends wanted to buy them from me. It was funny because they weren’t for sale, but I thought, “sure, if you want it, I can always find something else!” I thought I would do commercial interiors for a large firm, but upon graduating I realized I really wanted to work on bespoke interiors, merging my education with what I love, which is the tangible, collecting aspect of design.

Oklahoma City is home to a variety of architectural styles, from Spanish Revival to Art Deco.

What was your intention with the design of Bradford House?

SKL: I wanted to create an escape. We don’t have beaches. We don’t have mountains. It’s based on the idea that the interior itself can be an escape. You walk through the doors, and you’re transported into this special place. And it probably isn’t someone’s home aesthetic which is the point. I love color— I think there’s just something so moving about it. I wanted to do something unexpected.

The interiors do have a bold perspective. Do you have a story about that process?

SKL: I am really fascinated with the idea of collected and almost heirloom interiors. We were really inspired by British townhouses and French estates where there were multiple collectors who had layered up the place over time. There were moments, like when the Lantern Room was being painted, when people were worried and couldn’t see where it was going. I had to tell them, “okay, just let me install it and get everything in, and if you still hate it, we can talk about it. But not until I’m done.”

After it was finished, we had a cocktail party and it was so fascinating: All the men migrated to that room with their Old Fashioneds. It was like they haven’t been given permission to like this color—they’re allowed to like neutrals and blues and greens. They may not want to live in it, but in terms of an experience, they’re drawn to it. So, it’s been really rewarding to see people connect with these ideas—and it must be said that the Lantern Room has become the favorite room in the house.

Always drawn to color, Sara Kate had the interior of their car reupholstered.

“I wanted to create an escape. We don’t have beaches. We don’t have mountains. It’s based on the idea that the interior itself can be an escape.”

Sara Kate Little

If you were a color, what color would you be?

SKL: Oh gosh, probably pink. It’s not for everybody, but I love the saturation and the warmth. I’m very into gardening and I always think the pink roses are the best. There's something about the vibrance and the playfulness—and I think it’s a little bit unapologetic, which I’m trying to lean into as I get older.

What about Jason? What color is he?

SKL: Blue. Classic. Steady. But also, serene. He’s so calm. It’s rare to see him get frazzled. I mean, it happens, but only a few times a year.

The Littles explore the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, a short drive from Bradford House.

The walls of the restaurant's “lantern room” are decorated with paintings of the zodiac signs.

“I love color—I think there’s just something so moving about it. I wanted to do something unexpected.”

Sara Kate Little

The Littles collected vintage orange spine Penguin paperback books.

If you had to pack up and move abroad, where would you go?

SKL: We talked about this a lot. I mean, it’s been a discussion since we started dating and I don’t think we’ve found it yet. But for me, the country is France.

JL: Just knee-jerk reaction, I would probably say Lyon. There’s still time for us to figure it out, but I think one day.

Sara Kate, you mentioned you love gardening. What do you enjoy about it?

SKL: I grew up gardening with my mom. I love creating with my hands and the garden is definitely that, but I’m not monetizing it. Working with clients—and now at Bradford House—is so customer-driven, making sure that everything is comfortable and that people are enjoying themselves. But the garden is just for me.

People get to enjoy it, but I don’t have complete control because we’re dealing with Mother Nature, right? So, that has helped me to not become undone when things don’t go as planned. It’s a good ritual for me.

The Littles’ home is filled with cut flowers from Sara Kate’s garden.

Jason, I know you select the wines for the hotel. How did you get into wine?

JL: My interest in wine ignited in relation to travel. When you start to learn about where it came from, the climate, the soil, the methods of farming and winemaking—all of that laid with the story of the people producing the agriculture and making the wine. To me, that’s really what it’s all about.

Do you have a favorite memory from tasting wines on your travels?

JL: This is an easy one. Two summers ago, we went to Italy for my 40th birthday and drove through Umbria and Tuscany. A wine merchant we work with said we have to go to Sesti. We were already buying their Brunello di Montalcino for the restaurant, but I didn't know much about the family.

We pulled up and there were no signs for a tasting room, no nothing. The tour ended up being with Elisa Sesti herself, and it didn’t start with the wine: It was all about the history of the place. It’s essentially a 15-hectare hamlet just outside of Montalcino, and they bought it at a time when land in Tuscany was practically being given away.

SKL: When her mother first visited the property, she had to hack her way in with a machete, which I immediately connected to. Jason always teases because I love a sad, old building.

JL: They took something worth nothing and based on their talents, abilities, and hard work—granted, it took them 30-40 years—they created something that is legendary, and so rooted in the place where it came from.

Elisa explained that it’s really important to her that their wines taste like Sesti wines. She told us about a time she was at a celebrated winery and tasted a very high-end, collectible wine. Someone asked her if she liked it and she said, “It’s perfect, but I can’t be sure where it came from.” And this really stayed with us.