Summit League's Homes for the Holidays features West Valley homes all decked out for the holidays. This fireplace treatment was featured in 1998 in the Monte Sereno home of Bob and Glynne Lewis.
Summit League going home for holidays
By Shari Kaplan
Homes for the Holidays is an annual fundraiser the Summit League holds to raise money for various nonprofit organizations in the Santa Clara Valley area. This year's event takes place on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and features tours through three homes in Los Gatos, Monte Sereno and Saratoga. The rooms in each home have been festively decorated in various holiday themes by local floral and interior designers, many of whom work in the same three cities.
The traditional New England country home of Bruce and Julie Black is nestled in the hills between Los Gatos and Saratoga on the historic Hume Ranch property. The landscaping has the flavor of an English country garden, including rose bushes, while Julie's selection of plants and flowers is reminiscent of her parents' garden in Minnesota. The home's interior is warm and inviting, thanks to traditional furnishings and the color, texture and antiques chosen by their interior designer, Cheryl Driver. The property also includes a guest cottage and a wine cellar/wine-tasting room, which was once a 1950s fallout shelter.
In the Saratoga portion of the Glen Una area is the home of Jim and Joey Vaudagna. Set back behind towering trees and surrounded by a park-like setting, the buildings include a 4000-square-foot main house, a caretaker's quarters, a horse stable and a horse riding and jumping area. Over the years, the property has experienced two major remodels: one in 1976 by interior designer David Douthit; and the other in 1992 by contractor Paul Mehus and designers Dianne Van Voorhies and David Stonesifer. Recently, designer Sandra Visnapuu of South Carolina drew plans to beautify the sunken gardens and pool areas.
What began as a small Craftsman bungalow in the late 1800s is now the very expanded and updated Monte Sereno home of John and Muffet Moore. With help from architect Gary Schloh and builder Dick Salice, the Moores have added a pool house, an office and garage, among other improvements. All renovations are in keeping with the integrity of the original home, which once sat on a prune orchard and chicken farm. A touch of Victorian influence has found its way into the house over the years, as can be seen in the woodwork.
This year's Homes for the Holidays beneficiaries are the Family Education Foundation, a program that addresses the issues of high-risk youth and their families; and Services for Brain Injury, a program that helps people with traumatic brain injuries attain their maximum quality of life and independence (See Cover Page story).
The participating floral and interior designers and firms are A Matter of Taste, Bloomster's, Country Essences Flowers, Dagmar Chidlow, Design with Flowers, C.K. Driver Design Group, The English Garden, Floral Design by Phyllis Shea, Flowers by Julie Rinehart, Flowers Ltd., Janet Enright & Associates Garden Design, Susan Kraft, The Maids' Quarters, Los Gatos Porch, Peony, Posha Design/Staging, Stephens Design & Consulting, Tiffany's Flowers and Antiques, Tollgate Interiors and Visnapuu Design.
Tickets are $30 per person in advance and $35 on the day of the event. The tour includes a donation drawing for gifts and getaways, as well as a holiday boutique of more than 1,700 gift items, food and plants. Parking is available at St. Archangel Michael Serbian Eastern Orthodox Church, 18870 Allendale Ave. in Saratoga, with free shuttle service running until 4 p.m. to the three homes. For more information, call 408.867.3292.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
