Photograph by Paul Myers
J.B. and Paff Wood's expansive kitchen in Monte Sereno is one stop on the Hillbrook Autumn Kitchen Tour.
Hillbrook cooks up its Autumn Kitchen Tour
By Shari Kaplan
There's a distinctive aroma in the air during autumn--leaves drying, fireplaces and woodstoves being tested, pies baking and hot tea brewing.
It's not surprising that homes are the source of many good smells this time of year; neither is it surprising that the kitchens of Los Gatos, Monte Sereno and Saratoga homes are among the nicest in the area.
What better time than now for Hillbrook School, an independent, nonprofit, coeducational day school in Los Gatos, to plan its third annual Autumn Kitchen Tour? A major fundraiser for the school, this year's tour takes place Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and features kitchen tours through eight local homes that are either custom-built or newly remodeled.
"When we first sponsored the Autumn Kitchen Tour two years ago, we never realized how popular it would become as a way for local residents to see how builders, designers and homeowners are creating--or recreating--kitchens today," says Willy Brown, who along with Tricia Deeter is co-chair of this year's tour.
As in previous years, the event will be run by a volunteer committee comprised of Hillbrook parents--some of whom also sit on the school's Parent Council--and other Hillbrook supporters. According to one volunteer parent, Loretta Stagnitto Ricci, homes are chosen to reflect different architectural styles, and kitchens to reflect a variety of styles, floor plans, materials and trends.
"This year's selection includes an ultra-contemporary [home] with wall-to-wall windows, cement floors and a bedroom loft," she says, "as well as a California ranch home that has been transformed after three years of remodeling into a Mediterranean villa with four kitchens, including one in the wine cellar."
All tour attendees receive a program that details each of the homes and kitchens and has advertisements for providers of home-related goods and services. The program also provides information about the 66-year-old Hillbrook School, which draws students mainly from the Los Gatos, Saratoga and San Jose areas.
Those attending also have the option to attend a buffet luncheon at La Hacienda Inn Restaurant, on Highway 9, halfway between Los Gatos and Saratoga. The buffet includes three types of salad, a pasta dish, a chicken entree, rolls and butter, fresh fruit and beverages. Hillbrook parents will provide shuttle services for all attendees, based out of the La Hacienda parking lot.
Comfortable, low-heeled walking shoes are recommended. Some homes are not fully accessible to the disabled. Babies and young children are not permitted.
Autumn Kitchen Tour tickets are $40 in advance and $45 on the tour day. Lunch buffet tickets are an additional $20. Tickets are available at Fiori's Hallmark and The Rose Collection, both in Los Gatos, at Cooking Etc. in Willow Glen, or by calling 408.356.0837. Information is also available online at www.hillbrook.org.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
