The best thing about home tours is finally getting into those homes you’ve always ogled. Well, lucky me, I got an advance peek of the homes on the Rose Garden Homes Tour coming up this weekend (Oct. 17-18) in San Jose and snapped this shot of the surprise behind a front gate.
This contemporary, Zen-like garden makes you want to sit back and watch the rocks grow. Or maybe read “Eat, Pray, Love” while listening to the gurgling fountain. Wispy bamboo balances the travertine tiles. A Buddha is nestled in the greenery. As lovely as it is now, it will be transformed for the home tour by floral designer Jose Ibarra, whom we love to feature on Lookiloos for his inspired holiday decor.
Behind this courtyard is a lovely, remodeled ranch home that carries the Asian inspiration inside. (It was also once the home of the Langendorf bread family.)
Another surprise on the tour is a last-minute addition – a DeMattei Construction remodel in the neighborhood that features a Sunset Magazine idea house kitchen that is already staged to perfection. Sunset readers got the chance to vote online to choose the layout and finishes.
As for the other homes, they all have a story.
*The owner of a classic Monterey Colonial with a beautifully remodeled kitchen and new landscaping walks to the dining room window and looks out every time her grown children pull out of the driveway. She does it because that’s what the previous owner did, and does it out of gratitude and respect;
*The couple that owns a lovely Cape Cod with an enclosed porch bought it to be close to their children and grandchildren, and fell in love with the history of the house along the way — and that includes a family of pear growers;
*The woman who owns a two-story Mediterranean with wrought-iron detailing and a remodeled kitchen used to walk down the street as a teen-ager and dream that one day this home would be hers;
*A spectacular garden where the tea party will take place has a walking labynth, plus a lovely holiday boutique.
Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door and benefit St. Martin of Tours School. If you want to see the third courtyard, and the gorgeous house behind it, you can attend the gala on Saturday (Oct. 17) night for $100 (which also gains you admittance to the rest of the home tour). For more information on tickets, go to www.rosegardenhomestour.com.
You might also enjoy these other stories, including a peak at the Sunset kitchen:
Sunset Magazine’s Ultimate Kitchen
Wabi Sabi: Where the Imperfect is Beautiful
Floral Chic Mother’s Day
Going Green on a Budget for St. Patrick’s Day
How to Make Paper Roses for Valentine’s Day
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I’d like to win tickets to the Rose Garden home tour.