Four homes to be featured during Saturday event
FARMINGTON — Many of the people who attend the annual Parade of Homes staged as a fundraiser for local charities by the General Federation of Women's Clubs of Farmington do so each year out a sense of curiosity — maybe a desire to see how the other half lives, organizer Joan Watkins says.
But others, herself included, are drawn to the event for a more practical reason — to pick up architecture or decorating ideas for their own home.
"It's seeing how other people decorate and the floor plan of their homes," she said. "They're all different, and each one has its favorite parts for me."
The four homes featured on this year's tour, which takes place Saturday, were chosen for their differences from each other, she said, as well as their aesthetic appeal. She said anyone who goes on the tour is bound to come away with a bunch of ideas on how to improve the appearance of their own home, even if it's something as simple as discovering new plants their flowerbeds.
The homes featured on this year's tour are those of Baynard and Kim Duke at 4105 N. Buena Vista, Jude and Diana Gabaldon at 1909 Chilton Court, Steve and Wanda Cannon, 6015 San Marcos, and Harold and Diann Dye at 6440 Hawk Eye St.
The Duke home was built in 1991 and was, in large part, a collaboration between the couple and their builder. Baynard Duke did all the electrical work himself, but the home's real highlight is a curved staircase railing that Duke and his father-in-law installed themselves after building a steamer and steaming each quarter inch thickness of railing. They then put the material in clamps to dry before gluing the pieces together. The home features a nautical them, and most of the interiors feature a shade of blue.
"Some of us decorate a bathroom in a nautical theme, but their whole house is that way," Watkins said.
The home also features an elaborate crafts room that Kim Duke has turned into her sewing space.
"I think women are going to really like seeing this room," Watkins said.
The Gabaldon home dates from the early 1960s and is notable for what the family describes as a family-friendly layout. It has an "adult area" consisting of a master bedroom, walk-through bathroom, office and private balcony, as well as a "child area" with four almost equal-size rooms and two bathrooms. There is also a den and guest quarters. The yard features extensive Xeriscaping.
Watkins said the knotty-wood features in the living room remaind her of the surroundings she grew up in as a Cuba, N.M., native.
"There are some really nice features that make this home different from the others," she said.
The Cannon home was designed by Wanda Cannon, and the couple laid all the tile, did the painting and crafted all the hickory shutters. It features a tin roof, two living areas, a swimming pool, summer and winter outdoor kitchens, and a covered back porch with views of Angel Peak and the bluffs south of town.
Watkins said visitors may be impressed by Wanda Cannon's stained-glass work on display throughout the home, including in cabinet doors and the doors to interior rooms. Additionally, the home is furnished with eclectic artwork and items collected from all over the world.
The Dye home was built in 2007 and is strongly influenced by the Tuscany region of central Italy. The dining room features a 22-foot ceiling, and the home office boasts animal prints and old science equipment. The master bedroom boasts a mural designed and painted by local artist Adrian Vigil that situates the Dye home in the surroundings of the Tuscany countryside. The backyard was dug into the hillside, and lace vine and Virginia creeper now cover the sandstone walls.
Watkins raved about the Vigil mural.
"It is beautiful," she said. "He does awesome, awesome work."
Volunteers will be stationed throughout each home to answer questions and provide more information about them. This is the 49th year the event has been held.
Several local groups will receive a share of the proceeds raised from the home tour. Last year's list included the Blue Star Mothers ($500), the Connelly House ($500) and Grace Place ($300), while other amounts were donated to Operation Smile, Canine Companions and the Farmington Public Library Foundation. Funds also were donated to help put together Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets for local needy families.
Mike Easterling is the night editor of The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4610.
If you go
What: The General Federation of Women's Clubs of Farmington's annual Parade of Homes
When: Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday
Where: Four homes located throughout Farmington
Tickets: $10 at all Citizens Bank locations, all Four Corners Community Bank locations, ImageNet Consulting and The Dusty Attic
For more information: Call Joan Watkins at 505-320-5793
