Scituate Arts Holiday House Tour from 2010

The Scituate Arts Association Holiday House Tour held on a cloudy Sunday, December 12th, 2010 was a great success! Attendance at the House Tour, and Reception following the Tour was at a new high. Over 200 visitors attended! For those of you unable to attend who were curious about the homes (and questions did abound in the past weeks) here are a few answers:

Armed with tour booklets featuring the background and history of the six houses on the Tour, visitors were able to view the Scituate Lighthouse which shone bright all decked out for Christmas. One and all had the opportunity to visit the light if they so chose. Multiple scenes of the lighthouse by Gallery artists decorated the rooms alongside the owners and Historical Society's works. What a great pairing, between the Scituate Arts
Association and Historical Society, one which both hope to continue when the opportunity again arises!

Oceanside Inn, now standing proud on
its new piers, opened its doors to guests and its walls rang with the owners' warm and rich style of hospitality. The octagonal third floor lighthouse room, three years in the making, was finally available for our visitors to see its nautical décor and glorious sea views. A great juxtaposition of watercolor and sculptural egrets framed the entryway, and many other lovely Gallery works were on the Inn's wall.

Down the road in the Egypt Park section, the owners of a lovely Dutch Gambrel style Colonial featured a home planned around their young girls with a Santa doll collection display and a tea party under the Christmas tree. Cookies baked for Santa and his elves in the kitchen, while a gorgeously set dining table featuring green depression glass which reflected the room's colors. as did the leaf monotypes on its walls, awaited dinner guests.

Toasting glasses for two in a cozy corner of the more formally decorated living room were also an elegant note. Last, but not least, gallery artists' works were displayed throughout the house.
On First Parish Road, a once sad and now proudly restored Victorian mansion opened three of its six condo units. Visitors delighted in a roaring period fireplace and the owner's zoo collection fancifully displayed in seasonal style. Another unit featured an upside-down Christmas tree in a room that could well have been found in a true Victorian parlor. The third unit was a simple but elegant suite decorated in Early American hues and style with a traditional pyramid fruit tree and other quietly lovely arrangements of greens and large pine cones. Here again, Gallery art was chosen to reflect the style of each of the units owners.

On Cross Street in Norwell, a home that fused the time tested style of New England's Gable-end farmhouses with modern high tech style, surprised and delighted with fire engine collections, flying metal pigs, the scent of narcissus, a simple twig display of nests and shiny ornaments, and of course, a lovely tree with presents under its boughs. An added treat was a bonus Art Show in a the newly built room over the barn featuring Gallery artists' work displayed as if they were part of a studio with multiple artists at work, one work being in progress during the tour!

On Country Way, close to the tours final destination, was the Orange Litchfield House, a former
Colonial farmhouse which has been remodeled to suit modern tastes while preserving the antique floors and woodwork of the original home. The main home featured a lovely centerpiece in the main dining room with Christmas touches throughout.In the former Summer kitchen, now a gourmet chef's dream, were many of the snowmen the current owner has chosen as her favorite winter season theme. The piece de resistance of this home was the second floor family/media room over what was once a barn and is now a three car garage plus additional space. Here, the owners enormous tree picked up the blue and beige retro 50's fabrics that decorated the room. Everywhere was found a feast for the eyes, including a lovely oil egret and many other Gallery works.

The final stop on this gala Holiday Tour was the Ellis House, site of the Charles Mahoney Studios and the Scituate Arts Association classes. Outside this Victorian Gothic manse, built in 1874 at the top of Booth Hill, guests were greeted by wreaths and a green-filled urn while they admired the newly painted historic colors. Inside, guests paused to appreciate the new entry way ceiling mural and admired creative fancies bedecking the mantels and tabletops combined with carefully decorated trees and vases of greens. A selection of sweets and savories were available to delight the palette while choosing amongst a host of raffle items. Fun for guests and a well-earned reward for volunteers at the close of the tour day! One and all agreed it was a great tour and a successful fundraiser for the SAA!

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