Birmingham’s Holiday Home Tour

There must be some sweet-talkin’ ladies at the Independent Presbyterian Church on Highland Avenue.

This is the 60th year they’ve persuaded owners of some of the most beautiful and interesting homes in Birmingham to give us a peek inside their private world for the IPC Tour of Homes. Most of these homes would be gorgeous even if they were completely empty, but add the carefully edited furnishings, expert landscaping, and then gild them with holiday decorations, and you’ve got a visual feast.

I never go through the tours without having three thoughts:

1) It must be nice to get to (filll in the blank: enjoy this art, walk on this rug, cook on this stove, read in this library, have coffee on this terrace…) .

2) Wow, I would never have thought of that (wreath in that spot, common plant in that centerpiece, use of that color). Must try this at home.

3) That’s it, I’m repainting.

By the time I get back to my humble abode, the resolve to pick up a paint brush has left me, but the inspiration remains.

The homes are a master class in staging. There is nary a toothbrush or sink sponge in sight. Instead, burnished appliances gleam under ambient light, collections are grouped in tidy little vignettes, and menorahs or evergreens promise a warm welcome for the lucky friends and relatives who will be dining at this very table soon. Of course, these generous folks are staying in a hotel somewhere while we wander through their homes over the two days. Hope the flowers hold up until their company arrives.

The homeowners really do go all out to have their homes at their best, and hostesses in each room offer a few extra tidbits about the provenance of a furnishing or an interest of the homeowner. An added bonus is the open  church building itself, which dates back to 1915 and has all the classical features and materials you would expect. The gardens outside are lovely and the doors and vestibules are festooned with greenery and flowers for the tour.

The tour will be December 12 and 13th. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the church or at any spot on the tour. Proceeds benefit the IPC Children’s Fresh Air Farm and other missions supported by the Presbyterian women.

One year I rode a shuttle provided to reach one of the tour homes and happened to sit next to some girls who were in the know. “My mom lives a few doors down,” said one of them, “and she said they were still installing those giant boxwoods at 5 p.m. yesterday.” A-ha! This is just the type of dirt I need to hear. As effortless as the IPC team and the homeowners make it all look, it’s reassuring to know that it does indeed take significant work to get a home ready for entertaining, even with a staff to help.