What does a Koi pond, a xeriscaped yard, an Italian mural and a palapa kitchen all have in common? They are a few of the many unique features of the residences on this year’s circuit of the All Souls’ Home Tour — billed as the longest-running holiday home tour west of the Mississippi. Now in its 60th year, the tour will offer visitors a peek inside four exquisite Point Loma homes. A Saint Nicholas Marketplace, afternoon tea and featured musicians at All Souls’ Episcopal Church will also be a part of the day’s festivities. The diamond jubilee event takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1. Here is a closer look: • After nearly two years of research and design, a California prairie-style home built in 2007 with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors open the dining space completely, bringing the outdoors in. A collection of vintage toys and children’s books are on display and delight the owner’s children daily. The front- and backyards were landscaped with low-maintenance, drought-tolerant plants. • Inspired by the owner’s cooking school experience in Tuscany, a mural of the villa in Montefalco will greet visitors as they enter another home. Italian pottery, artwork and artifacts throughout the house contribute to the Italian theme. Of note is the dishware in the dining room commissioned by the owner from Deruta, Italy’s center of ceramics. In addition, the home is decorated with the owner’s collection of over 100 holiday Santas, lovingly displayed and each with a special story, beginning with the first Santa given to her as a child from her mother. • Visitors to a third home are welcomed by blue gates that open up to an infinity pool area featuring a visitor casita and palapa kitchen. The main living area is surrounded by windows and expansive views of the harbor entrance, city and mountains. Competing with the views for your attention is an eclectic art collection that blends a modern aesthetic with rustic furnishings. Artful ironwork and color palates repeating throughout the house integrate the interior and exterior living spaces. • A newly constructed courtyard and Italian hand-sculpted fountain greet you as you enter a fourth residence, a “Contemporary meets Tuscan” rebuilt home. Architect Larry Pappas transformed the original home into a multi-level spacious residence creating vistas from all the primary living areas by using edge-to-edge glass. Visitors will notice the use of granite, marble, onyx, pebbles and opera glass in the kitchen and bathrooms, along with the use of wood and travertine flooring. Leaving the living room you encounter the enchanting koi pond, with a lush “Staghorn Fern Alley” vying for your attention. Advance tickets for the All Souls’ Home Tour are $25 and are available at All Souls’ Episcopal Church, 1475 Catalina Blvd.; Walter Andersen Nursery, 3640 Enterprise St.; Mission Hills Nursery, 1525 Fort Stockton Drive; and To the Point Café, 4161 Voltaire St. Tickets are $30 on the day of the event and can be purchased at All Souls’ Episcopal Church. Funds raised support a variety of ministries locally and overseas. For tickets or information, visit the church, call (619) 223-6394, or visit www.all-souls.com.
