Holiday Home Tour

Every year the Kiwanis Club hosts a homes tour, the proceeds of which go to charity, Two neighbors and I traipsed in and out of six homes decorated for Christmas and one for Hanukkah. This is always a popular activity so we were fortunate to hit the window of opportunity for fewer people in attendance.

As I understand it, local decorators come in and decorate the homes, then write up the accounts for a booklet that is handed out to advise the public of the decorating schemes. There was quite a variety in decor even though the number of homes was small. One home was done almost completely in red, black, white, and shades of gray - and that was prior to the addition of Christmas decorations. One featured clocks, one had toile fabrics in all the rooms, and another boasted a Tuscan color scheme. There was a different atmosphere apparent in each home, reflecting the tastes of the occupants. Some were quite formal, while others just begged to be enjoyed in a more familial style.

An elderly gentleman in the community does not get out much, but he supported the Kiwanis efforts by buying several tickets then giving them away. Happily, two of my neighbors and I were some of the recipients of his generosity. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour, in spite of the sales pitch at the first home we visited, and left with lots of ideas nad enthusiasm. One thing we all agreed on, was that we love our "stuff," and don't want to give it up for fancy items newly purchased to make a statement. The decorators who incorporated existing "treasures" into their decorating schemes got our votes.