I am a house tour junkie. (No, really?) I get an immediate, visceral thrill when I step over the threshold of a beautiful home I've never seen before. Which is why I wait eagerly all year for the Piedmont/Oakland Kitchen and Home Tour, a can't-miss event for me and a merry band of friends who share the same addiction.
Around 10 a.m. on a Saturday morning, we cram ourselves into the biggest car available and take off like a group of monkeys after a secret stash of bananas. Some years the tour is less than stellar. Other times it's so memorable that come Christmas, we're still reminiscing about our favorite homes over rum-soaked eggnog.
Around 10 a.m. on a Saturday morning, we cram ourselves into the biggest car available and take off like a group of monkeys after a secret stash of bananas. Some years the tour is less than stellar. Other times it's so memorable that come Christmas, we're still reminiscing about our favorite homes over rum-soaked eggnog.
This year's tour was a winner. Photography was not allowed in most of the homes, but the first house on the tour did not have a sign, so I snapped away with my iPhone until the decorator in the kitchen had a hissy fit.
This is not my first time in this home, and I hope it won't be my last. It's my favorite style -- a Normandy -- with big, light-filled rooms that just beg for endless parties. The house is set far back and up from the street, so the windows look out on big trees and the rooftops beyond. Just look at those Parisian-style windows!
This house was built in 1931, but the current owners have decorated it mostly modern (well, what else is new?). But I found the juxtaposition of the older architecture and the modern furnishings to be quite charming, and there are some wonderful heirloom pieces in many rooms -- like the beveled mirror above the mantel, which is original to the house.
And look at this--a mirror in front of a mirror! Now, that's gutsy. And gorgeous.
Another view of this beautiful living room, with its hand-carved, beamed ceilings, stone mantel, and pair of sumptuous wrought iron chandeliers. Okay, I would have used more antiques here, but still. I would move right in and not complain.
The theme of this house was "Hollywood." Everything, and I mean everything,
was glammed up. Especially the bathrooms.
A charming little courtyard off the living room, looking down to the street.I wonder if the squirrels climb in here and crunch on the gravel. That could get spooky at night.
was glammed up. Especially the bathrooms.
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| Nice way to display your necklaces! |
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| Giacometti sculpture or Oscar statuette? Take your pick. |
A charming little courtyard off the living room, looking down to the street.I wonder if the squirrels climb in here and crunch on the gravel. That could get spooky at night.
The dining room, just waiting for the glitterati to arrive for dinner.
Note the long glass top perched over a smaller, antique table. I happen to know old breakfast tables like this one become much bigger when you slide the leaves out, but how much more interesting is this solution!
Another view of the dining room. Silk taffeta curtains -- my favorites -- dress up the windows.
A small but well-appointed den is bursting with Hollywood memorabilia. The photographs of old movie stars on the bookshelves are signed originals. You'll just have to take my word for it, because I couldn't take the time to zoom in. Had to snap these photos fast.
Note the long glass top perched over a smaller, antique table. I happen to know old breakfast tables like this one become much bigger when you slide the leaves out, but how much more interesting is this solution!
Another view of the dining room. Silk taffeta curtains -- my favorites -- dress up the windows.
A small but well-appointed den is bursting with Hollywood memorabilia. The photographs of old movie stars on the bookshelves are signed originals. You'll just have to take my word for it, because I couldn't take the time to zoom in. Had to snap these photos fast.
A stylish, many-legged eating bar that looks as if it could walk away by itself.
But where would it go?
Another charming courtyard, this one off the kitchen. I can see stepping out here for a gulp of fresh air while you take a break from kneading bread or stirring the pasta.
This is the first of what I believe were three bedrooms. If I remember correctly (and that's asking a lot these days), it was designed for a teen-aged girl.
What a charming nook for the chest of drawers.
I wouldn't put a parrot and a foo dog together, but that's just me.
A pretty guest bedroom. With...a red chair! Someone read my last blog post, I guess. Love the quick sweep of red on the wall, too.
The glitzy and glorious master bedroom. It's clearly curtains for these owners --
most of the room is lined with them.
A close-up of that striking vase on the nightstand next to the bed. Where does the clock radio go? And the book you're reading? Silly question, I guess. There's a beautiful garden view through that window.
The woman of the house appears to have her own private boutique. I did not see any 50% markdowns, or I would have indulged in a new pair of shoes.
At this point, it was either put the iPhone away or get kicked out the house, so I chose the former.
And alas, I could not get a single photo of the 13,000 square foot English manor that was built to look like Harrow, the boarding school that the original owner had attended. I can tell you that the house looks like...an English boarding school. But that's just the exterior. The current owners have made it warm and gracious inside, a place any of us would enjoy today.
After the tour, we all agreed that the Mandana house featured here would be our first choice of a place to move to...what do you think? Can you picture your clothes in this closet?
But where would it go?
This is the first of what I believe were three bedrooms. If I remember correctly (and that's asking a lot these days), it was designed for a teen-aged girl.
I wouldn't put a parrot and a foo dog together, but that's just me.
A pretty guest bedroom. With...a red chair! Someone read my last blog post, I guess. Love the quick sweep of red on the wall, too.
The glitzy and glorious master bedroom. It's clearly curtains for these owners --
most of the room is lined with them.
A close-up of that striking vase on the nightstand next to the bed. Where does the clock radio go? And the book you're reading? Silly question, I guess. There's a beautiful garden view through that window.
The woman of the house appears to have her own private boutique. I did not see any 50% markdowns, or I would have indulged in a new pair of shoes.
At this point, it was either put the iPhone away or get kicked out the house, so I chose the former.
And alas, I could not get a single photo of the 13,000 square foot English manor that was built to look like Harrow, the boarding school that the original owner had attended. I can tell you that the house looks like...an English boarding school. But that's just the exterior. The current owners have made it warm and gracious inside, a place any of us would enjoy today.
After the tour, we all agreed that the Mandana house featured here would be our first choice of a place to move to...what do you think? Can you picture your clothes in this closet?
© 2013 by A Silken Swoon. All rights reserved. All photos by Eileen of A Silken Swoon.
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Oh no! You're letting everyone in on our secret stash of bananas....
ReplyDeleteMonkey #2