Thousands of folks in metro Atlanta will stroll through private residences during May and June home tours, oohing and aahing over architectural features, interesting interiors and gardens painstakingly cared for by homeowners.
Home tours, which serve as fundraisers for many area organizations, range from a new Buckhead chateau to quaint gardens in Marietta to pre-Civil War structures in Madison.
Here’s the scoop on tours across the region that can make for a nice morning out or a way for you to steal some of the best design ideas and trends for your own home.
Cobb County Master Gardeners 2013 “Through the Garden Gate” Tour
Seven Marietta gardens include an English cottage garden, two community gardens and a property bordering Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. Tour-goers are encouraged to ask the gardeners at each property about the plants and how to garden sustainably, said Courtenay Vanderbilt, whose woodland garden is on display. “We’re here to teach.”
Tour Info and tickets: May 11. $15 advance, $20 day of tour (free children under 10). cobbmastergardeners.org. Plus: Garden fair and plant sale (no tickets required) at 660 S. Cobb Drive, Marietta.
11th Annual Kirkwood Spring Fling and Tour of Homes
The intown community’s tour features six properties including a bungalow, Victorian cottage, renovated Craftsman and modern loft. Structures transformed into new uses include the Big Nerd Ranch office, which was converted from an abandoned warehouse in 2012, and an old Fulton County library, which now is a personal residence.
Info: May 11-12. $20. KirkwoodFling.com
39th Annual Grant Park Tour of Homes and Gardens
Atlanta’s largest historic neighborhood hosts an array of architectural styles including Folk Victorian and ornate Queen Anne. “The diversity of Grant Park is amazing, as far as the architecture, gardens and styles,” said designer Rick Jones, whose 1909 Arts and Crafts-style home and garden is on the tour.
Info: May 11-12. $20 adults, $10 children (3 and under free) in advance, $25 day of tour. Grantpark.org/tour. Read more about the tour.
Atlanta Botanical Gardens’ 2013 Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour
The 11 private gardens include Buckhead estates such as Boxwoods, designed by renowned Atlanta architect Philip Trammell Shutze, and garden designer Ryan Gainey’s residence. Woodland settings and urban spaces also are featured. When Jean-Paul and Bernadine Richard purchased their Atlanta home the land was overgrown with poison ivy and wisteria. Now, it has seven types of gardens, a well house and garden house. “It was really a jungle,” she said. “It’s been a fun 15 years of hard labor.”
Info: May 11-12. $25 advance ($20 members), $30 day of tour (free for children under 12). atlantabotanicalgarden.org. More about the tour
2013 Atlanta Symphony Decorators’ Show House & Gardens
With 18,000 square feet, a new French-inspired chateau in Buckhead (named Tuffeau) has enough room for 30-plus Southeast designers to draw inspiration from “Downton Abbey,” James Bond, birds, and even kimonos. The estate, by Atlanta architect William T. Baker, boasts details such as double-barrel vault ceilings and high-end features such as hand-painted wallpaper, original artwork, and blush-hued bedroom drapes that the designer says make anyone look good naked. IKEA provided affordable furnishings in a terrace level room. Events include talks by Baker and authors James Farmer and Danielle Rollins, a Buckhead resident.
Info: Through May 12. $25. decoratorsshowhouse.org. Photos
Women’s Club of Sugarloaf Country Club Charities Fifth Leisure Living Tour
Five homes on display in the prestigious Gwinnett County country club offer a look at amenities such as a disappearing-edge pool, a pool with a waterfall and slides, multiple porches and decks, and outdoor kitchens. Wine cellars, theaters and media rooms also are featured. The decor in each home reflects styles from France, Italy, India, America and Mexico. The event also includes a boat and RV show.
Info: May 18-19, $25. sugarloaftour.com
Modern Atlanta (MA) Home Tour
More than a dozen homes and commercial properties in Midtown, Vinings, Decatur, Buckhead, Roswell and other neighborhoods are spotlighted as part of Modern Atlanta’s Design is Human Week (June 1-9). Some of the contemporary homes feature elements designed to suspend in the air and an abundance of glass. Lofts, offices, art galleries and a synagogue join new and renovated personal residences.
Info: June 8-9. $35. modern-atlanta.org
Madison in May Spring Tour of Homes and Gardens
A road trip to Madison, about 55 miles east of Atlanta, offers a stroll through seven private homes dating from the early 1800s. Home styles include Greek Revival, Georgian Craftsman, Queen Anne and plantation plain. Gardens include those at Boxwoods, a pre-Civil War estate with Italianate-influenced architecture, and several churches also are on the tour. Some properties include original antebellum outbuildings such as a smokehouse, well house and detached kitchen. “It’s all part of the historic feel of the town,” said Theresa Dickinson, marketing director for the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center.
Info: May 3-4. $30 non-member ($25 member), $20 student. mmcc-arts.org/TourOfHomes.shtml. Photo
