Saratoga News

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Jaclyn Horan was one of the many busy decorators, designers and landscape specialists bustling around the Symphony Auxiliary's Designer Showcase last week, preparing for the May 9 opening of the annual event, which takes place at McNeil's Retreat in Saratoga.

Mansion showcases beauty and style

By Shari Kaplan

Two years ago it was San Jose; last year Los Gatos held the honors, and this year Saratoga is the destination that hordes of aesthetically inclined visitors are flocking to for the San Jose Symphony Auxiliary's 21st annual Designer Showcase.

From May 9 through June 7, the 6,500-square-foot, two-story mansion on Sobey Road known as "McNeil's Retreat" will be open to the public for tours. Owner Tim McNeil, who has lived in the Saratoga/Los Gatos area for 23 years, purchased the property last year, which among other things features the main house, a wine cellar, a guest cottage and a poolside summer kitchen.

There are some 30 rooms and design areas where Bay Area interior designers and decorators as well as landscapers will showcase the latest ambiance, styles and trends. Many of them hail from Los Gatos and Saratoga, and all have spent weeks preparing their indoor and outdoor areas.

If visitors walking up the main staircase look around them at the walls, they'll notice several pictures by Heidi Anderson of Classic Kids in Los Gatos. Paula and Valerie Zacher, who run Los Gatos' Dizzy Dreams, have turned the powder room into a dreamy place to powder one's nose.

The downstairs bathroom and bedroom and the deck off the bedroom got their furnishings and decor from Cherie Rose, owner of The Rose Collection in downtown Los Gatos. The final Los Gatan to lend her touch to the showcase is Alexis Ulrich, who runs a self-named interior design business. Ulrich combined luxurious textures and earthen colors in her living-room design.

Saratogans are represented in seven different areas in and around McNeil's Retreat. Shirlee Walker of Shirlee Walker Interiors put together a pleasant working environment for the office, while Mark Lupo of Ethan Allen decked out what's known as "Bedroom #2." The kitchen and nearby pantry are well-stocked with accoutrements from The Butter Paddle, thanks to Pat Brown and Suzie Gouner.

Myrna Baldwin, owner of Myrna Baldwin Interiors, took on the guest house as her design project, making sure that company feels right at home. Rebecca Dore, a member of the West Valley College Interior Design Club, planned a tasteful theme for the outdoor summer kitchen.

Also decorating the outdoors are Virginia and Louis Saso and their son, Tom, of Saso Herb Gardens and Karola Zanjani of KZ designs. The Sasos took two planter beds and planted an array of culinary, medicinal and ornamental herbs. In her two planter beds, Zanjani planted citrus trees of varying heights, interspersed with tomatoes and leafy vegetables.

Along with house tours, this year's showcase also includes a gift gallery, fashion shows, piano music, gardening demonstrations and a refreshment cart.

Symphony Showcase 1998 runs May 9 through June 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. On Thursdays, it remains open until 8 p.m. Donation is $20 per person, with all proceeds benefiting the San Jose Symphony. Parking is available in designated areas on Sobey Road; there is no shuttle bus. For directions or more information, call 354-0773.

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