A unique neighborhood of large canopy trees and early 20th century homes, Curtis Park is the place to be on Saturday, April 27 for the annual home and garden tour.

Everyone is invited to stroll through this unique neighborhood anchored by the Sierra 2 Community Center and an 18-acre park, touring five residences in Century Bungalow, Mediterranean Spanish, Colonial, and Tudor Revival styles with interiors running the gamut from contemporary to traditional. Outdoor spaces ranging from serene gardens to spectacular water features compliment the homes.

The Curtis Park Home and Garden Tour is one of the few in the Sacramento region that offers a range of authentic and historic architectural exteriors with equally diverse and artfully designed interiors.

The tour is held in spring, so visitors can enjoy delightful weather and new foliage.  The homes are not specially decorated to reflect a given theme or holiday, instead, the tour allows visitors to see how people live in these exquisite homes day to day — how they have adapted their homes for their own enjoyment with well designed, fresh and classic interiors, while maintaining and appreciating their historical stature.

A unique stop this year will be the Sierra 2 Center for the Arts and Community, celebrating its 90th birthday. Formally Sierra School, the 2013 event included a historic plaque unveiling, visits from local distinguished guests and refreshments. In addition, volunteers are planning displays and a video history.

Another unique feature in the planning stages is a plein air art show.    Artists will be invited to paint any aspect of the neighborhood in the latter half of April, whether it be majestic trees, homes, streets, parks or the Center.  Paintings will be offered for sale on tour day with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association.

Those who visit all sites will log just under two miles. Bicycling through the neighborhood is an option and bike racks are provided.

The program for the 27th Annual Curtis Park Home Tour kicks off at 10am at the north end of Curtis Park.  Visitors will enjoy music, vintage cars, food from Wicked ‘Wich and Mama Kims, and information on home restoration.

The event is a fundraiser for the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association and benefits the Sierra 2 Center and SCNA programs. The Greater Broadway Partnership and Joseph Eschelman with Wells Fargo Advisors are supporting sponsors.

Advance tickets are $20 ($15 for SCNA members) and will be available in late March.  On tour day, tickets will be $25 ($20 for SCNA members).   Call the Sierra 2 Center at 452-3005 for updates, or visit their website at  www.Sierra2.org

If you go:

What: 27th Annual Curtis Park Home Tour, presented by the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association (SCNA)
When: Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: $20 ($15 for SCNA members) in advance; $25 ($20 for SCNA members) day of the event.
Tickets: Will be available online at  www.sierra2.org in late March, at the Sierra 2 Center at 2791-24th Street, and area stores.
Location / Where to Start: On tour day, purchase tickets at the Sierra 2 Center at 2791 – 24th Street, or at the north end of Curtis Park at 26th Street and Donner Way.   The tour winds throughout an almost two-mile area in the Curtis Park neighborhood. Curtis Park is bordered on the north by Broadway, the south by Sutterville Road, the east by Highway 99, and the west by 24th Street and Freeport Blvd.
Food, Refreshments and Music:  North end of Curtis Park, Donner Way and 26th Street
Information:   www.sierra2.org

One of Northern California’s most loved walking holiday home tours returned on a rainy weekend early this month, with five elegantly decorated homes in East Sacramento’s historic Fabulous Forties neighborhood open for viewing. For 39 years, this popular tour has grown to include nearly 5,000 patrons from throughout northern and central California. The homes showcased elaborate renovation while preserving historic design, custom interior decoration and creative holiday décor that ignited the spirit of the season.
For more information, see www.sacredhearthometour.com.

Photo courtesy of Leslie Wilson-Lopez

One of Northern California’s most loved walking holiday home tours returns this December, with five elegantly decorated homes in East Sacramento’s historic Fabulous Forties neighborhood open for viewing.  For 39 years, this popular tour has grown to include nearly 5,000 patrons from throughout northern and central California.  The homes showcase elaborate renovation while preserving historic design, custom interior decoration and creative holiday décor that is sure to ignite the spirit of the season. Homes on the tour this year range in style from a stately Tudor to a beautifully remodeled plantation home that was at one time a multi-family duplex.

The tour is completely run by volunteer parents from the school. According to Leslie Wilson-Lopez, a parent and one of the tour’s four co-chairs, the holiday tour is a fundraiser for Sacred Heart Parish School and funds raised are used to help offset tuition and to provide assistance to those who families who might not otherwise be able to afford a Catholic education.

The holiday tour includes a holiday boutique and café located at Sacred Heart Parish School’s gymnasium at 39th and H Streets. This year’s talented interior and floral designers will include: Beyond the Garden Gate, East Sac Florist, Holiday Home, Kerrie Kelly Design Lab, Lumen’s and Twiggs Floral Design Gallery.

Here’s a summary of what each home has in store for the tour:

Southern Bungalow on 38th Street

Built in 1915, this  38th Street home  Southern Bungalow may be 3,000 square feet on 1/3 acre, but it is the least bit ostentatious. Once again, Philip Rice of East Sac Florist dazzles the homeowners. This time with his dramatic holiday take on Contemporary Country meets edgy Rock-n-Roll.

California Cottage on 42nd St.

As you enter this lovely 1924 California cottage, a beautiful wreath greets you at the front door. The family monogram on the wreath is a sign of things to come inside, as Kerrie Kelly Design Lab has decorated this home for the holidays in a very approachable and authentic way that is personalized to the homeowners.

Majestic Tudor on 45th St.

Built in 1925, by well-known craftsman and architect Squeaky Williams, this elegant home replicates an authentic Normandy Castle.  Upon entering the grand foyer this Christmas season, you will be greeted by traditional holiday décor, created by Carol Shellenberger and Mary Shaw, from Holiday Home. The designers called upon the homeowners’ classic style when decorating this majestic home for the holidays.

New England Manor on 46th Street

This 1939 Grand Brick Tudor home, in addition to our 45th Street home, is suspected to have also been built by well-known Sacramento builder Squeaky Williams. The long walkway and warm brick porch are only the beginning of what lies behind the front door, including holiday décor and furnishings by Elizabeth Lake, senior lighting designer of Lumens Light + Living.

Fab 40s Charmer on 47th St.

The holiday theme for this 1925 bungalow is “simple elegance intertwined with family tradition.” Pat Stromberg, Nancy Storm and Patti Green, from Beyond the Garden Gate, set the décor tone in this newly remodeled home by adopting the homeowners’ clean, yet classic taste, along with their family-friendly surroundings.

If you go:

WHEN: Friday, Nov. 30 through Sunday, Dec. 2
Friday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. (Homes open for touring at 11am; Café and Boutique open at 12:30 Friday due to school dismissal)
Saturday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
TICKETS: Tour tickets are $25 in advance starting on November 1st; $30 after November 29th.  Organizers predict another sellout this year and suggest advance purchases when possible.
Please check the website for ticket retailer locations or to purchase tickets online!  www.sacredhearthometour.com or call the Holiday Home Tour Information Line
at (916) 556-5050.

Firehouse Station 5 and seven Land Park homeowners graciously welcomed guests into their homes on a cool, fall Sunday, Sept. 25.

Each home had distinct features and personal styles created by the homeowners.

A Spanish style home built in 1931 was the first home on the tour. Home owner Joan Riordan, who has a sister living in Tunisia, designed the custom cabinets in the master bedroom. She added a Tunisian motif. The bathroom was redesigned using rain forest marble. There was a colorful life size paper crane in the upstairs hall.

“Our family made most of the artwork displayed,” Riordan said.

The second home was a traditional brick home, defining the Georgian style and was built in 1943. The master bath was remodeled using cherry cabinets and marble counters. Not unusual was the heated travertine flooring – but the toilet seat was heated too.

“This is my favorite room,” said homeowner Iris Yang.

The third home was a 1946 cottage-style home. An interesting feature of this home was the guest bath floor, which was made out of pennies. The wooden floors throughout the home used recycled railroad ties from Thailand.

Home four was a 1941 cottage style. The large kitchen has custom organizers. A new Trex deck in the backyard leads to a Mexican style casita featuring colorful paper birds. The casita is used as a guest home and replaced the garage without disturbing gorgeous Dogwood trees.

Home five was originally a ranch style home from 1936. A second story was added in 1996, giving it more of a Mediterranean look. The owners, Mark and Maura Abrahams designed the remodel. The upstairs addition was designed as a self-contained one-bedroom unit for the future.

The sixth home on the tour was originally built in 1938 and has Art Deco styling. The kitchen features an authentic 1950’s O’Keefe & Merritt stove, supplemented with a convection/microwave oven.

The seventh home was built in 1937. The owners designed the interior. The new U-shaped kitchen has red oak flooring that came from a Wisconsin sawmill owned by the homeowner’s father. The wainscoting in the master bath was recycled from the old porch ceiling. The laundry room was redone using their old kitchen cabinets and they kept the original laundry sink.

The last home on the tour was Fire Station 5, located at Broadway and 8th Street. This firehouse was rebuilt in 2005 due to seismic issues. The original firehouse was on 9th Street between T and U. The kitchen has a Viking range and three refrigerators. Three shifts of firefighters rotate in and out of the dormitory. Each worker has his own bed and locker storage. A pole was added upstairs and the firefighters get to choose whether to go down the pole or the stairs when the bell rings.

One of Northern California’s most loved walking holiday home tours returns this December with five elegantly decorated homes in East Sacramento’s historic Fabulous Forties neighborhood open for viewing. This year, in addition to the five beautifully decorated homes, the library at Sacred Heart’s brand new “state-of-the-art” school will also be decorated and on display.

For 37 years, this popular tour has grown to include nearly 5,000 patrons from throughout northern and central California. The homes showcase elaborate renovation while preserving historic design, custom interior design and creative holiday décor that is surely to ignite the spirit of the season. Homes on the tour this year range in style from a quintessential craftsman bungalow to an illustrious colonial revival.

“We are very excited about the homes we have on the tour this year,” said Leslie Lopez, parent and one of the home tour co-chairs. “Not only do we have a wide variety of decorating and architectural styles, but the new school library will be open for viewing and themed after the classic novel, ‘The Secret Garden.’”

This year’s talented local interior and floral designers will include: Haus by David Randall, Twiggs Floral Design Gallery, East Sac Florist, Impressions Designs, Inspired Interiors and Holiday Home.

The Holiday Home Tour is one of Sacred Heart Parish School’s biggest fundraisers. Proceeds from the tour go directly to the school to offset tuition and provide financial support to families who might not otherwise be able to afford a Catholic education.

This year, now more than ever, additional funds are needed as Sacred Heart has seen the percentage of families requesting assistance nearly double – from approximately seven percent of children at the school just three years ago to approximately 13 percent this school year.

“In this economy, it has become essential that we have our financial aid fund for more and more families,” said Theresa Sparks, principal of Sacred Heart Parish School. “Many people who were contributing financially through sponsorship and donations are now in the position of having to ask for help. We would not be able to offer families the help they need if we didn’t have the fundraising that we do.”

Tour dates are Friday, Dec.3 through Sunday, Dec. 5. Tour tickets are $25 in advance, $30 after Dec. 2. Tickets may be purchased online at www.shpsholidayhometour.com and at the following locations:

• Sacred Heart Parish School
• East Sacramento at Haus, East Sac Florist, French Hen, Talini’s, the Pink House and East Sac Hardware
• Central Sacramento at Gatherings Gift Shop
• North Sacramento at Emigh Hardware and Emigh Casual Living
• South Land Park at Collected Works
• Citrus Heights at Calico Corners
• Folsom at Hoshall’s Spa
• Rocklin at Pottery World and
• All area Mercedes Benz dealerships (Rocklin, El Dorado Hills, Sacramento).

Visit www.shpsholidayhometour.com or call the Holiday Home Tour Information Line at (916) 556-5050

 for more information.