Three Saratoga homes creatively decorated for the holiday season by top interior and floral designers will be open Dec. 5 and 6 during the Summit League's "Homes for the Holidays."
The holiday house tour will take place Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Proceeds from this event will benefit San Jose Repertory's new theater.
First on the tour is an old English Tudor estate, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Lucas. Set on park-like grounds of approximately 4.5 acres, the mature setting reflects decades of care by three owners since the 1920s, when the house was built by Birge Clark, the architect of the Hoover House on the campus of Stanford University.
Next is a craftsman-style country home, the residence of Gretchen and James Mair. The house was built in the 1870s as part of a cattle ranch. Early in the century, it was purchased as a summer home. When the Mairs purchased the house in 1977, it was in disrepair. They have spent years on the restoration, as well as adding a bedroom wing and landscaping the three acres that surround the house.
The third home is a Saratoga country cottage owned by Marilyn and Bob Reid. An English gateway marks the entrance to the cottage, on property which at one time was part of the Haciendas de La Rinconada de Los Gatos Spanish land grant. The house was built in 1951 as a small cottage and enlarged over the years. It is filled with light and color and outstanding views of the Santa Clara Valley.
The property has English country gardens designed by Katsy Swan, which include a brick garden terrace and pool area surrounded by lush greenery.
Tickets for "Homes for the Holidays" may be purchased by sending a $25 check and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Summit League, 13187 Paramount Drive, Saratoga. For additional information, call Bonnie Pratt at 867-6641.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, November 27, 1996.
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