Candlelight Tour … of My Home Part 1

I love going on the annual CandleLight Tour of the historic homes in the city I live near. It is not really by candlelight–those are some expensive tickets!–but the general masses can go during the day. It really gets me into the holiday mood. I’ve usually gone with a group from church but this year my schedule was so hectic (i.e., the Chief leaving, T1 on a mission trip, and Pine Wood Derby) that I went solo. Wasn’t too bad except standing in line at one house listening to a bunch of retired and liberal leaning teachers discuss what’s wrong with children today… don’t get me started.

Okay, so most of the homes are historic and are left untouched because the historic society or park service actually owns them now. Others leave the original building alone but have massive two-story modern additions on the backs of the houses. It is from these tours that I got into some of my decorating habits–such as theme rooms. I love all the fresh greenery as I don’t use any. I love it when the owners’ personal heirlooms are used. This year I noticed every kitchen had a gingerbread & peppermint theme. What do you know? So does my kitchen!

So if my home were on a tour, what would the guide-book say and what would the hosts read in the different rooms? Aside from “Owner really needs a maid” of course. I think I may make this a series of posts and take you, dear readers, on a tour!

What the Guide-Book would say:

The house was built in approximately 1987. It is a raised ranch style house with originally 2,000 square feet on the main floor. The home features a basement and a walk-up attic. The home’s two-car garage is actually underneath the home on the backside of the house. The original owners lived in the house until 2002. The owner’s father built the multilevel deck on the back of the house. They also completed the basement which includes a bedroom and full-bath, giving the house an additional 900 sq. ft. The second owners, an elderly couple, lived in the house from 2002-2003. The son used the basement as an apartment.

The current owners purchased the home in June 2003. They have made a number of upgrades to the home in the course of 9 years. The master bedroom and dining room now have hardwood floors and the remainder of the upstairs has fresh carpeting and paint colors. In 2008 the owners had a 20×10 3-season sun room addition added to the master bedroom. This added 220 sq. ft. The owners hope to one day enclose the space under the sun room giving the 30×30 garage an additional 10 feet of work space.

The current owners use the full basement for a family room and office/guest room. They removed the wood burning stove and made custom spaces for the family’s greyhounds. The basement has recently been repainted and the full-bathroom received a fixture upgrade. Future projects include custom built-in bookshelves in the living room and upgrading the kitchen.

**The guide-book would also include the historical significance of our street name and property location … but I’m anonymous here. :)**

Host #1 Entrance

Barbies & Pineapples!

When you enter the home, you will notice the wife’s love of pineapples and their maritime connection. She removes most of them for her Christmas decorations. The custom-built shelves and desk were made by the owner to maximize the space and provide display areas. On the middle shelf is the wife’s Barbie Hallmark Ornament Collection. She has all 19 in the series with a few extras. The owner’s daughters enjoy putting them out each year. Behind these are 6 boot shaped baskets that the wife found in 1996. In celebration of the German St. Nicholas traditions, these boots are placed at the bedroom doors on Dec. 5th and are found filled with goodies the following morning.

St. Nicholas Boots

Down the hall into the kitchen you will notice a ball of mistletoe over the doorway. This remains up all year and is because the owner’s favorite Christmas song is Don’t Take Down the Mistletoe by Misty River.

Host #2 The Kitchen

The large eat-in kitchen features a center island with a Jenn-Air stove top and grill. Above the kitchen table, take note of the beautiful winter watercolor painting by Delaware artist (the late) Jane Mullenhour. It was painted in 1995 and was a wedding gift to the current owners. Another Mullenhour piece is in the master bedroom. The owners decided to take advantage of the soffit above the cabinets to hang seasonal garlands. Additional gingerbread and cookie decorations have been added to liven up the room.

The owners plan to remove this wall oven for a larger one during the remodel/upgrade.

Related Article: Check out Virginia Plantation’s Candlelight Tour at Montpelier. I am so envious!