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closeFriday, Nov. 27, 2009
Tri-City home tour offers holiday inspiration
By Dori O'Neal, Herald staff writer
Take a break Dec. 5 from your Christmas gift-buying chores and peak inside some grand homes around the Tri-Cities that are featured in the annual Christmas Home Tour.
The tour is a fundraising event sponsored by the Dr. L.G. Spaulding Guild and Children's Hospital in Seattle.
There are seven houses on the tour this year, which is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $15.
Diane Wicks' Kennewick home is one of those seven. And though it might be lavishly decorated, Wicks kept her spending to a minimum, she said.
"You would be surprised how much money you can save decorating for the holidays just using what's in your backyard, like pine cones," she said.
What: Christmas Home Tour
When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 5
Where: Various Tri-City locations
Cost: $15
Tickets: Beaver Bark Gift and Garden Center, 607 Aaron Drive, Richland; Sister to Sister, 10 Merlot Drive, Prosser; HL2 Accents, 6311 Burden Blvd., Pasco; Gadgets and Goodies, 5724 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick.
Wicks, who's been a decorator for many years, did buy a few extra artificial prelit trees for her home this year because of the tour. But most of her home will be adorned with ornaments and accent pieces she already owns.
"I think I spent less than $500 on decorations this year," Wicks said. "You really don't have to spend a lot of money to give your house a festive atmosphere."
How you do that, she added, is to rearrange your color schemes and draw on the creative side of your brain, capitalizing on ingenuity and a whole lot of whimsy. Rustic and glitzy are a must, she said, with glittery sprays here, sparkly ornaments there, and lots of garlands with multi-colored lights.
Wicks tried to bring a different theme to each of the rooms in her home. The dining room was nature-inspired to go along with the dining chairs with bird carvings on the backs. The grandkids' playroom has a nautical theme -- a tribute to her retired Navy submarine commander husband, who now works for the Department of Energy at Hanford.
Even the home's bathrooms have holiday accents with tiny frames, found at garage sales, that spell out JOY on the counter. And there are vivid red and orange Christmas balls in a basket.
One of the guest rooms has a Hawaiian theme. The tree is adorned with all the memorabilia from the years Wicks and her husband were stationed in Hawaii. The tree even has some vintage postcards from the islands.
As you stroll through the Wickses' home, you'll get a flavor of the people who live there. That also could be said for most of the homes featured on the tour.
"We have much to be thankful for this holiday season," said Chris Grantham, co-chairwoman of the event.
Money from ticket sales helps pay for the care of children at Seattle's Children's Hospital, which treated 1,243 children from Franklin and Benton counties last year.
Brochures act as the admission ticket for the tour and include directions to each home. The guild recommends starting the tour at Beaver Bark in Richland.
* Dori O'Neal: 509-582-1514; doneal@tricityherald.com
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