Judy and Tedd Wallace had been asked to put their Craftsman home a few blocks from downtown Los Gatos on the Summit League home tour for 20 — make that 25 — years. And each year she said no. As an interior decorator herself who had owned Cottonwoods fabrics and accessories in Los Gatos for two decades, Judy knew that it would be tremendous work to get it ready. And handing over her century-old Craftsman to a dozen other decorators to transform it for the holidays wouldn’t be easy, either.

But one of her dearest friends, Jan Willoughby, was president of the Summit League this year that raises money for charity. And with her husband game for the challenge, she agreed. Plus, truth be told, she thought her house was ready for a little updating, and the tour would be the perfect excuse. And the results? Fabulous. Moments before hundreds of people walked through the stately old place last weekend — and with decorators still primping the details — Lookiloos (with notebook and camera in hands) got an advance peek of perfection.

Not that all of the preparations went smoothly, mind you. There were some differences of opinion, shall we say, over recovering certain pieces of furniture.  And some of the furnishings she hoped would remain in the house were unceremoniously relegated to the carport for the duration.

Decorated or not, the home itself was a gem to see. Built in the early 1900s, and considered one of the finest examples of Craftsman architecture in Los Gatos, guests are welcomed by a graceful front porch. Leaded glass door bookcases, half timbering in the living room and substantial moldings adorn the home. The Wallaces undertook a major remodel in 1987, adding a master suite and office upstairs, and an extended dining room, remodeled kitchen and new family room downstairs.

Judy considers her style eclectic, and her furnishings range from the antique to contemporary. And the dozen decorators added their artistic touches, both big and small, to the house. Evergreen garlands were wound around the four-poster master bed. Wreaths were hung in the dining room windows, each dangling a china plate as a centerpiece. Modern lamps were flanked on either side of the old fireplace.

“We loved the creative energy running through the house,” she said of her partnership with the decorators. “That’s what I miss most from not running my store anymore.”

In the end, Judy said, “it turned out beautifully.”

But still, she enjoyed making her own statement. With an antique table that had been sent to the carport, a mirror moved out of an upstairs bedroom, some candlesticks, an angel and uprooted succulents, she pulled together her own little vignette outside the back door. And she was happy to hear that for some people, it was their favorite.

(come back to www.lookiloos.com in the next two weeks to see the other Summit League Homes.)

Decorators for the Wallace House on the Summit League House Tour

Front Yard and Porch — Jason Bowman, California Horticulture Landscape Construction, Inc. Campbell, CA.

Entry, Front Hall and Staircase — Sharon Watts, Peony

Living Room — David Stonesifer Interior Design & Decoration, Los Gatos

Powder Room — Julie Black, Cassandra Dotzler

Master Bedroom — Claudia Mann, Debbie Walker, Rebecca Cabral, Vivie Desigaux, The Maids’ Quarters Inc, Los Gatos (story here)

Green Bedroom — Bev Viguerie, Viguerie Interiors, Capitola; Erin Crain, H Interiors, San Jose

Blue Bedroom — Gail Madison Goodhue, Madison Interiors, Santa Cruz

Dining Room — Fredrick Ojeda, Craig Shannon, Acanthus Interior Design, Los Gatos

Kitchen and Family Room — Joella Canover, Patricia Enos, Jessica Nakamoto, Interiors & Antiques, Los Gatos

Lanai — Lance Lew, NBC Channel 11, Petaluma

Guest House — Carmen Grande, Meg Picanco, Steve Gilbert, Willow Glen Home and Garden, San Jose

Here’s the complete slideshow:

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 10th, 2008 at 9:25 am and is filed under Architecture, Craftsman, Decorating, Dining Room, Family Room, Historic, Home and Garden, House Tours, Interior Design, Julia, Kitchen, Peek of the Week. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.