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Monday, 09 November 2009 |
 Carol McDaniel and Santa Claus visit with walkers outside her daughter’s new business, DrexEvents on West Auglaize Street. A vinyl wall stick-on of Tanner Hurley, below right, is on the wall of one of the homes on the Tour of Homes. Staff photo/Matt Nichols By MATT NICHOLS
Staff Writer
For more than 20 years, Randi Rinehart has attended the Junior Service League’s Tour of Homes, and every year the event creates an information overload for the Wapakoneta resident.
“Oh gosh, I’m ready to build a new house every year,” Rinehart said laughing while her daughter, Lydia, nodded in assertion.
“And she’s serious too,” Lydia chimed in. “She really does.”
The 42nd annual event returned to Wapakoneta on Sunday, as a new group of three homeowners opened their doors for residents to browse.
The homes of Linda and Dale Pelger, Cindy and Jason Hurley and Marsha and Max Neu were on this year’s tour and each residence brought something unique to home décor.
The homes also brought a plethora of ideas for attendees.
Marvelling at the cabinet work by Neu in a room built for his mother-in-law, Rinehart said she finds new ideas every year to add to her home.
“There’s a lot of things I’ve done over the years,” Rinehart said. “I’ve even made curtains myself from ideas from the tours.”
Wapakoneta’s Patty Severt attended this year’s event with her daughter, Beth. It was the second time Severt attended the Tour of Homes after being offered two tickets.
“We like to watch ‘Houseowners’ on TV, and we thought this was sort of the same thing,” Severt said. “Just a chance to see what other people do.”
One decorating idea that has gained steam in the area is the addition of customized phrases and sentences applied to interior walls. Homes in this year’s and last year’s Tour of Homes were decorated with the personalized scripts. Wapakoneta interior designer Kimberly Anderson-Phillips said the concept, done by Uppercase Living, is becoming very popular.
“It’s vinyl lettering that you can put up or take off, and it won’t take the paint with it,” Anderson-Phillips said. “You can express yourself and create your own lines.”
Anderson-Phillips began work with the Hurley’s more than a year ago helping to create the proper accents in the home. She said the décor in the Hurley’s residence brought with it a personal touch.
“It reflects Cindy’s warmth and her ability to decorate for the kids, and her love of her children and her family,” Anderson-Phillips said.
It’s been nearly 30 years since Shelli Sweede began attending the Tour of Homes as a child. The former Junior Service League member still attends the event to support her former club, and to gain ideas for her home.
“I just still like to see all the houses,” Sweede said. “It’s good to see what other people do and see some of the colors they put together.”
Sunday’s event’s main cause was geared toward Reading is Fundamental, or RIF. The non-profit children’s literacy program aims to provide books free of charge for children across the country. Tour of Homes Co-Chair Jaime Metzger said the tour goes a long way to provide for the program.
“Anyone who has a child who receives a book understands the purpose,” Metzger said. “I’ve done the distributions and I’ve seen the look on kids’ faces. It’s what it’s all about.”
Metzger said in her 10 years with the Junior Service League, Sunday’s weather was the best she had seen, and attendance reflected the sunny, warm afternoon.
“Things have went really, really well, a very nice event,” Metzger said. “We’re obviously very appreciative for the weather because we’ve had a real nice steady turnout.”
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 10 November 2009 )
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