Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Christ Church Tour of Homes or the beginning of Spring!


The official start of Spring may be March 20th, 
but for me, it is always the third Saturday in March.
That is the date of the Christ Church Tour of Homes
on Saint Simons/Sea Island, Georgia! 

The Touring Girls (minus one) headed South to Saint Simons 
Island on March 15th. We always have a birthday celebration 
for one of the gals on Saint Patrick's Day. 
*I wish I could remember what year we started 
going on this tour. I started this blog in 2011 and 
I know we had gone at least five 
years before that. 


The Christ Church Tour of Homes and I have something
in common. We both got our beginning back in the 1950's.
This was the 64th year for the tour and 2017  homes 
were an exceptional group.





This tour is always difficult to share in a blog post, 
because cameras are prohibited, including 
cellphone pictures.
There are usually very few publicity pictures too. 
But I got lucky this year, because one of my 
favorite homes had been published earlier in an 
Atlanta magazine. So let's get started! 

Tour Stop 1 on St. Simons Island near Epworth, was 70's style 
ranch. This house had received a complete face lift. It had 
kept a lot of it's original Spanish design combined with
 treasures from Charleston and other travels. 
I think every one's favorite spot was the back porch that 
overlooked a tranquil lake in the backyard. 

Next was Tour Stop 3 (Historical landmarks, Stops 2 /9/10/11,
 are included every year on the tour) 
This stop had wonderful landscaping which gave you a very
secluded and peaceful feel. What an oasis the brick patio area is. 
This house was built in the 60's and is only 1500 square 
feet +/- but it feels much larger. The interior is very modern,
 but incorporates many of the original features.

This magnificent East Beach home was Tour Stop 4. What an
incredible home it is. This was one of my favorites. I met
 the designer, Lorraine DeSola,  many years ago. She is as 
lovely as she is talented. Her interior design style did 
not disappoint. Her special touches added to 
the easy beach living.

I could not get enough of this fabulous view. From the time
you enter the front door, you are drawn through the house to the 
back loggia. The living room, dining room and master bedroom
all open out to the loggia, so you can enjoy a gentle sea breeze
all over the house.  

Tour Stop Five was our first home on Sea Island. A number of 
years ago the tour sponsors started busing us over to Sea Island. 
A palette of soft sand and gray colors gives this home a beach design
Punches of color in the artwork keep this home full of surprises. 
White oak floors, pecky cypress ceilings and shiplap walls 
carry out the beach feel. 

Stop 6 on Sea Island was another one of my personal favorites. 
It sits on the Hampton River looking across to Little St. Simons. 
Walls of glass are across the back to take advantage of the river view. 
Soft grays, whites and oak floors help bring the feel of nature indoors. 
I really hope one of the shelter magazines get the opportunity
to showcase this home in the future. It has so many wonderful 
interior features including a "tower office."

Tour Stop 7 is a recently remodeled 50's cottage. It has a casual 
design feel that let's one enjoy a beach-side lifestyle. 
Colors of soft blues, greens and grays 
are inspired by the sea. This home is the perfect retreat 
for reading or just enjoying your time by the sea! 

Tour Stop 8  on Sea Island is designed by David Ecton and Lance 
Jackson. These two always do incredible interiors full of 
color and personality! I knew this condo would not disappoint. 

Lucky for us this home had been published in the Atlanta 
Magazine's Home Summer 2016 edition. 
Of course I love the leopard runner with the navy blue 
walls and white trim! 

I am not normally a "blue" fan, but there is something 
about blue and white when it is mixed with lattice, 
oriental porcelains and coral that always makes
 me change my mind! 

 Ecton and Jackson always do a great mix of traditional and 
contemporary with just the right pops of great colors 
to keep it fun! 

These colors just feel right especially here by the ocean!

It can't all be about blue and white and this green lacquered 
chest is a great transition into the bedroom.
What a fun mix of patterns and color gives this 
room a tropical feel.

Softer shades of green and blue are found in another bedroom.

But I do believe you might find the Touring Gals and 
me curled up here enjoying a bottle of wine. 
Can you say "Spectacular!"

That concludes our 2017 Tour of Homes, 
but I have some other fun places
that we discovered on this trip, coming up soon!

I am sending this out twice. We all make mistakes and I hit 
Publish instead of Preview, before I had finished 
formatting and proofing. I have been trying to decide which
size pictures I liked the best, so in this version,
I made them smaller. I do all my blog post and 
newsletters myself. So I take all
credit for any mistakes!  

source: Elegant Island, Tour of Homes program, Atlanta Magazine's Home

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