Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue
When you hear those words they bring to mind weddings, but nuptial ceremonies aren’t the only events that are popular in spring. Seasonal blooms and nice weather means doors swing open for home and garden tours. The Episcopal Church Women are in their 63rd year of hosting the Christ Church Tour of Homes, which will take place on March 19. Combining old and new in the best way possible, this long-standing island tradition presents not only historical stops like Christ Church, with its remarkable legacy, and the Wesley Memorial Gardens that adjoin it, St. Ignatius Church, lovely wooded Musgrove Plantation, but phenomenal private homes that have been chosen for their unique – and often quite modern – features and design. The proceeds of the annual tour are dedicated to the ECW's mission and outreach in the community and attendees come from far and wide for the annual spring event.
Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
This year, there are five private homes on the tour. Two of the homes are located in Frederica Township, two are on Sea Island, including one in Ocean Forest, and another is located in Village Oaks. EIL was lucky enough to get a sneak preview of these homes and found that each of them had fascinating elements that fell into those something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue categories. The artwork on our cover by Miami artist Nina Surel is just one of many exquisite items in the collections you'll see on the tour that encompasses all of those themes: the work is created with costume jewelry and recycled buttons provided by the homeowner. We were mesmerized!
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Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
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Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
Art by Nina Surel
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Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
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Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
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Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
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Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
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Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
To add an element of fun, we asked interior design maven and all-around lifestyle guru Elaine Griffin to join us in providing you with a virtual tour, with an introduction to some of the elements that excited us in the tour homes. Keep in mind that this is only a tiny glimpse of what’s in the amazing homes you’ll see on the tour. You absolutely must see for yourself to appreciate, so purchase your tour tickets today and plan on taking some time to make a leisurely visit of your own. Take it away, Elaine!
Whether it's a pretty face, a garden surprise, or the delight of a frosty beverage on a sweltering day, nothing beats the visual delight of the unexpected. It’s those surprise “A-ha!” moments at the end of a hall, in a garden, on a ceiling – anywhere, actually -- when you look up/at/in/over and gasp. Those are the well-thought out details that deliver a wallop of style, charm and sophistication to a space, and, dahling, they are musts for gracious living.
Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
OLD
Vintage found objects go beyond traditional framed paintings and prints as refreshing new options for bedecking walls and accessorizing spaces. Think out-of-the-box and know that anything goes, as long as it makes you smile when you see it. An antique oil lamp flanking a door adds three dimensional and unexpected style to a narrow space that would be an awkward fit for a framed print. Antique vessels are always fantastic as planters and corner enhancers. Vintage shutters, marvelously weathered and patinated, look fabulous anywhere they're hung, especially in a large, visually important and hard-to-fill space like above a sofa or at the end of a windowless hall or vista. (Trade secret: Be sure to use the appropriate wall anchors for your object’s weight when installing, to avoid things going bump in the night!)
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Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
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Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
I can't get enough of found objects for adding style to your great outdoors. It's their uniqueness that makes them so very desirable – the beauty of transforming an antique sugar cane boiling pot into a oversized planter is something that very few are likely to own one but you. That, loves, will make you the envy of your garden club! (Mission accomplished!)
Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
NEW
What's old is new again, especially for kitchens and baths. I’m swooning for the freestanding “it” tubs du jour, glamorous reiterations of their Victorian claw-footed cousins. And can we discuss the new farmhouse-inspired sinks? It's all about adding vintage-inspired elements to warm and enliven your space, with a clean-lined sleekness of silhouette that says today.
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Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
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Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
Controlled-temp wine refrigerators, once exclusive luxuries of the chef’s kitchen and collector’s cave, are the newest Amex cards of the décorsphere -- don't leave home without one! I'm loving them in unexpected places for out-of-the-box chic, like flanking an archway in a breakfast nook or even along a long expanse of hallway wall (which thus promises to make it your favorite room in your house). When the newest models are shallower than ever, starting at 19” deep, it makes tucking one anywhere a snap.
Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
It’s pretty awesome that high tech has officially conquered one of the oldest – and most visually annoying! – obstacles of gracious outdoor living: screened porch screening! The newest fiberglass mesh screening is virtually invisible and can be discreetly installed floor to ceiling, so that truly nothing comes between your porch and Mother Nature any longer. Genius!
Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
Gadget lovers, unite!!! The era of the smart home is upon us! And although there are eighty gazillion options for hot-wiring your homestead today, here are two rules of thumb you should never forget: 1. Only acquire technology you can truly master yourself (without emailing the vendor’s help line weekly); and 2. Even the newest inventions are planned for a fairly rapid obsolescence, a likelihood to be taken into consideration before putting it on your contractor’s shopping list.
Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
BORROWED
What makes a house a home is personalization -- the details and elements that add style and showcase the personality of the people who live there. Nothing bothers me more as a designer than rooms whose only statement is their price tag, rather than telling me who the homeowners are – where they're from, what they love, where they've travelled. And that includes loot from imaginary or envisioned future voyages via eBay, Etsy, the salvage yard or stores like HomeGoods! It's all about bringing in pieces you love that put a smile on your face when you see them. Borrow themes from your surroundings or your favorite places. Nothing says my heart belongs to St. Simons Island like a carved tree spirit bedecking a custom brick outdoor fireplace! The quintessential man-cave that boasts poker table and slot machine brings Vegas to you and the boys without the airfare. Add fabulous mounted fish and angling photos to the décor and you’ve captured your best fishing trip memories as well.
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Tree Spirit in Outdoor Fireplace
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Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
When making only the grandest of entrances will do, opt for a statement-making portal: vintage, exotic or highly-styled doors. Although the door style doesn't – shouldn't – match your décor statement (its drama is in its difference), it does need to complement it. Be creative – sliding barn doors or imported carved doors from faraway places or forgotten fortresses instantly up the style ante for powder rooms, closets and destination (= important) entries. Size truly matters here -- either the door should fit an existing frame or a have an existing frame retrofitted to accommodate a do-or-die door. Remember that repurposed doors and shutters also make great tabletops, wall hangings, and room dividers too.
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George Ingram
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Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
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Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
Style mavens’ love affair with Asian artifacts began almost centuries ago when the Silk Road was first discovered by Dutch traders, and no room has been complete without an accessory or two from the Far East since then. Acquiring charming travel souvenirs like painted or carved Chinese panels, lacquered Japanese boxes or dainty goldleaf bamboo side tables once required two steamships and a Vuitton trunk for travel. The good news is that today's reproductions look as fabulous as their antique counterparts, and they're just a click away.
Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
BLUE
Our adoration of the color blue is eternal, and the closer you get to the coast, the stronger it becomes. The color of the sea and the sky, it’s the most popular color in the country (green never wins!), and more of us sleep in soothing blue bedrooms than any other hue out there. It’s a fabulous accent color that can be found easily in art and accent pieces, both modern and classic. Colorful tile on countertops and backsplashes are a festive alternative to your standard stone, granite, and marble. I adore how fresh it looks in powdery and pale turquoise shades.
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Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
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Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
Blue adds a pop of color and a delightful dose of style in unexpected places like the trays of a coffered ceiling. Legend has it that we Southerners began painting our porch ceilings robin’s egg blue during antebellum days to keep flies at bay (I always wonder if flies can actually see color, don't you?), and it's a charming tradition I hope never dies. I love a blue ceiling – whatever hue you opt for, the secret is to keep the color super-pale so it doesn't become too visually distracting. A little goes a long way.
Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
A dollop of contrast color in unexpected places, like an accent on painted furniture, is the pinnacle of chic – think backs of bookcases, a secretary’s desktop and cubbies, the interior of an armoire. Designer tip: Remember to go for a satin finish when painting furniture – the soft sheen gives an elegant, subtle glow and is more easily cleaned, to boot.
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Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
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Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
TOUR DETAILS
The Tour of Homes takes place from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 19. To visit the two homes on Sea Island, you must catch a bus at Gascoigne Park. The last bus for Sea Island will leave Gascoigne Bluff at 3:00 p.m. These buses only go to Sea Island and Ocean Forest and back to Gascoigne Bluff on a continuous loop all day. To visit the two homes on Frederica Township, you must take a bus from Oglethorpe Point Elementary School. Those buses only go to the Frederica Township homes and back to OPES on a continuous loop all day. Christ Church and the Wesley Gardens are ½ mile west on Frederica Road from OPES and the Church Parish House will be open all day and serving refreshments as a convenient stop. Sandwiches from The Market at Sea Island are offered for lunch at Gascoigne Bluff. Tickets and the Christ Church Cookbook will be available for purchase at Gascoigne Bluff and at the Parish House.
Wear comfortable, flat walking shoes and be aware that most tour stops have stairs. High heels, cameras, large shopping bags, and drinks will not be permitted in the Tour homes. Restroom facilities are available at Gascoigne Bluff and Christ Church.
Advance Tour of Homes tickets are $40 may be purchased online at christchurchtourofhomes.org or at any of the following locations: on St. Simons Island, Christ Church, Cloister Collection, Frederica Academy, Glynn Visual Arts, H&H, IT’S All About You, Maggie’s, Mimi’s, Roberta’s, St. Simons Drug, Tabby House, and Roberta’s; in Brunswick, Antiques, Etc. and Ned Cash Jewelers; on Jekyll Island, Jekyll Realty. On Tour Day, tickets are $50 and may be purchased at Gascoigne Bluff or the Christ Church Parish House.
For more information about Christ Church, Frederica, the ECW and its mission, the Tour and ticket sales, please visit christchurchtourofhomes.org. We look forward to seeing you on Tour Day!
Joe Loehle, Loehle Photography
